Your Water Flow: Keeping It Reliable and Efficient!

 

Santa Ana residents may have recently noticed a slight rate adjustment in their monthly water bills. For a typical single-family residence, the first adjustment represents only a $1.58 increase per month on a combine bill basis.  What is the reason for this increase?

Rising Cost to Purchase Import Water: Approximately 32 percent of Santa Ana’s water is imported from the State Water Projects and the Colorado River. Over the last three years, the cost to purchase imported water has increased 25 percent due to increased costs in supply, electricity, and water treatment.

Aging Infrastructure: The City of Santa Ana has evaluated the state of its water and sewer lines, determining that roughly 13 miles of water pipeline and 44 miles of sewer mains are at a high risk of failing by 2020.

One of the City’s top priorities is the creation and maintenance of a tangibly more reliable water system for all. While these services do come at a cost, residents will see expanding water improvement projects being carried out. Leading these projects is a plan to replace five miles of distribution pipelines each year, which is desperately needed as much of the city’s sewer and water lines were installed before the 1980s.  

Residents are encouraged to take advantage of the SoCal Water$mart Rebate program, which will not only boost the community’s conservancy efforts but also help offset bill increases (for more details, see SoCal Water$mart Rebate Program).

  • Average age of Santa Ana’s water and sewer systems: 50

  • Percentage of water and sewer systems installed prior to 1980s: 70% and 85% (respectively)

  • Likelihood of failure over the next 5 years:
    - 5% of Santa Ana’s water system (13 miles)
    - 12% of Santa Ana’s sewer collection system
    (44 miles)