Council rejects water conservation rates

LOS ANGELES, Calif. The /*Department of Water and Power*/ had proposed a new rate plan that would charge customers more for going over a certain amount of /*water usage*/ each month. Customers who stayed below those usage amounts, an estimated 85 percent of L.A. residents, would not see any increase in their bill.

After a one-hour debate, the city council voted against the proposal, sending it back to the DWP Board of Commissioners. That panel will likely submit a reworked plan.

The DWP says the changes are necessary because L.A. is facing a /*water shortage*/. The utility argued that the rate changes only applied to customers who failed to conserve and therefore were not, technically, a rate increase. Councilman /*Dennis Zine*/ disagreed.

"If they're paying more, they're going to look at it as a rate increase," said Zine.

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