RESOLUTION 2024-18
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL
OF THE CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH READOPTING AND REVISING
THE CITY'S WATER COMMODITY RATES
WHEREAS, Section 14.12.040 of the Huntington Beach Municipal Code requires that the City shall charge a Water Commodity Rate to recover the cost to the City for delivering water to customers; per 100 cubic feet of water. The Water Commodity Rate shall be set by a Resolution adopted by a vote of the members of the City Council; and The City of Huntington Beach has an established methodology for annually adjusting its water commodity rates, primarily on the cost to the City charged by the Orange County Water District ("OWD") and the Municipal Water District of Orange County ("MWDOC") for water, originally established pursuant to Resolution No. 99-50; and, As of July 1, 2023, the City Water Commodity Charge was $2.4034 per billing unit of water for domestic, commercial and industrial services. A billing unit of water is 100 cubic feet; and,
Pursuant to Huntington Beach Municipal Code Section 14.12.045, the City Council shall adjust water commodity rates in order to maintain a balanced budget, provided that no rate shall exceed the reasonable cost of providing the services, facilities or regulatory activity for which the rate is charges; and,
Pursuant to Proposition 218 and Government Code Sections 53755 and 53756, an agency providing water service may adopt a schedule of adjustments for up to five (5) years to pass through increases in commodity cost of water; and,
The City Council desires to establish the Water Commodity Rates for the next five years, NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Huntington Beach that the City's water commodity charges shall be annually adjusted, beginning July 1, 2024 for the following five years through June 30, 2029, as follows.
Commodity Rates
July 1, 2024 | July 1, 2025 July 1, 2026 [July 1, 2027 July 1, 2028 Per 100 cf $2.6870 $3.0551 $3.5494 $3.8852 $4.2024
If wholesale rates are higher than predicted, the City will pass through the increase in wholesale water purchase costs. The pass-through amount will not exceed the increase in cost. The pass- through will be calculated at the increase in wholesale water purchase costs divided by annual use.
24-14355/336018
RESOLUTION NO. 2024-18
Pass-Through Formula for Water Commodity Rate when the increase in wholesale water exceeds the estimated water commodity rate. The per cubic foot Water Commodity Charge shall be adjusted based on the following factors: (A) an adjustment in OCWD replenishment assessment ("RA"); (B) an adjustment in the cost of Metropolitan Water District of Southern California ("MET") water purchased through MWDOC; and/or (C) when OCWD changes the Basin Pumping Percentage ("BPP"). If OCWD's increases the BPP to a level beyond the City of Huntington Beach's capacity to produce potable water from the City's groundwater wells, the City shall use either the BPP as established by OCWD or the actual operating capacity of the City to produce water from the City's groundwater well field, whichever is lower. (A) Formula for Adjusting City Billing Unit Charge When OCWD Adjusts the RA:
Annual adjustments to the City's Water Commodity Rate=
Additional cost per acre foot x BPP / conversion factor= Adjustment per billing unit
By way of example: Assume OCWD raises the RA by $10.00 per acre-foot (AF) and the current BPP = 85 percent (or 0.85); and using the conversion factor of 435.6 billing units/AF, then:
Adjustment in Water Usage Rates = $10.00 per AF x .85 / 435.6 billing units per AF -$0.0195/billing unit
(B) Formula for Adjusting City Billing Unit Charge When MWDOC Adjusts the Charge to City for MET Water:
MET Water Charges shall be defined as the Tier 1 Supply Rate plus the per acre-foot Readiness to Serve Charge (RTS) as calculated by the Deputy Director of Public Works - Utilities plus the per acre-foot Commodity Charge (CC) as calculated by the Deputy Director of Public Works - Utilities.
Annual adjustments to the City's Water Commodity rate-
Additional Cost per acre-foot x MET percentage / conversion factor= Adjustment per billing unit.
By way of example: Assume
MET increases the cost of an acre foot of water (AF) by $50.00; and The current BPP = 85% (or 0.85); and
The MET percentage = 1.00 - 0.85 = 0.15; and
Using the conversion factor of 435.6 billing units/AF, then:
Adjustment in Water Usage Rate = $50.00 per AF x .15 / 435.6 billing unit per AF = $0.0172 per billing unit
2 RESOLUTION NO. 2024-18
(C) Formula for Adjusting City Billing Unit Charges When OWD Changes the BPP The City's Water Usage Rate refers to the blended cost to the City of obtaining an acre foot. of groundwater from OCWD and an acre foot of imported water from MET, as adjusted by the percentage of water demand that may be met through groundwater according to the BPP that OCWD establishes annually. Due to
Consequently, the annual adjustment in the City's Water Usage Rate = (new cost per acre foot minus existing cost per acre foot) / conversion factor = per billing unit, where the following apply:
Existing cost/AF = (existing BPP x RA) + (MET Percentage x MET rate).
New cost/AF = same formula as example (B) above with new BP and MET percentage.
By way of example: Assume
• OCWD adjusts the BPP from the current 85% to 90%; and The current RA = $624/AF; and
The new RA = $688/AF
The current MET rate = $1,256/AF; and
• The new MET rate = $1,465/AF
The MET percentage = 1.00-BPP; and
Conversion factor = 435.6 billing units/AF
Then, the adjustment in the City's Water Usage Rate = (new cost/AF minus existing cost/AF)/conversion factor.
Existing cost/AF -(.85 x $624/AF) + (.15 x $1,256/AF)
=$530.40/AF + $188.40/AF
-$718.80/AF
New cost/AF = (.90 x $688/AF) + (.10 x $1,465)
= $619.20/AF + $146.5/AF
= $765.70/AF
New cost/AF minus existing cost/AF = $765.70/AF minus $718.80/AF = $46.90/AF Increase in City's Water Usage = $46.90 per AF / 435.6 billing units per AF -$0.107 per billing unit.
3. Implementation of Commodity Rate Adjustments. Adjustments based on these criteria will be determined beginning July 1, 2024, and continuing each July 1, including July 2028.
Notice of any adjustment to the Water Commodity Rate shall be provided by way of an insert in the monthly municipal bill beginning June 1 of each year. 3 RESOLUTION NO. 2024-18
PASSED AND ADOPTED by the City Council of the City of Huntington Beach at a regular meeting thereof held on the _ day of , 2024.
Mayor
ATTEST:
INITIATED AND APPROVED:
City Clerk
Director of Public Works
REVIEWED AND APPROVED:
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
City Manager