Ratepayers for Water Choice

08/22/2023

K**I: Fallbrook and Rainbow Protest What They Say is an "End Run" Around LAFCO Decision

07/28/2023

"5-3 San Diego County Local Agency Formation Commission vote July 10 approved a reorganization in which the Fallbrook Public Utility District and the Rainbow Municipal Water District would detach from the San Diego County Water Authority and join the Eastern Municipal Water District."

Joe Naiman Village News Reporter A 5-3 San Diego County Local Agency Formation Commission vote July 10 approved a reorganization in which the Fallbrook Public Utility District and the Rainbow Municipal Water District would detach from the San Diego County Water Authority and join the Eastern Municip...

06/30/2023

"This is a great example of why local control is so important. This is another example of how San Diego runs over the unincorporated areas of San Diego County."

Julie Reeder Publisher On July 10, LAFCO directors will meet and vote on whether FPUD and RMWD can detach from the San Diego Water Authority (SDWA) to join Eastern Municipal Water District (EMWD). They have been mulling it over for three years. It’s an amount of business that is very small, compar...

05/30/2023

Last chance for public input on our proposal to switch water suppliers!

LAFCO will meet on June 5th at 8:00 AM to decide whether Rainbow and Fallbrook can switch water suppliers to Eastern Municipal Water District, which could save ratepayers an estimated $7.6 million annually.

They will be taking public testimony and this will be the last chance for you to weigh in on this issue.

To attend in person: County Administration Center, 1600 Pacific Hwy,in the Board Chambers, 3rd floor.

Written comments can be emailed to Priscilla Mumpower, San Diego LAFCO, [email protected]

Encouraging constructive discussions about water rates, water reliability, water infrastructure financing, and the impacts of water policy on our regional economy, on disadvantaged communities and on meeting San Diego County’s Climate Action Plan goals.

05/12/2023

The town hall meeting on May 17 will begin at 6 p.m. at the Fallbrook Public Utility District, 990 East Mission Road. Light refreshments will be served.

FALLBROOK – In advance of a critical decision in June that will determine if voters in Fallbrook and Rainbow will be able to decide for themselves whether they want to switch water suppliers and save money, a special town hall meeting will be held on May 17 in Fallbrook to bring the public up to d...

04/27/2023

SAVE THE DATE!
Last Town Hall Meeting before LAFCO votes on our proposal to change water suppliers.
Wednesday, May 17 at 6:00 PM
Fallbrook Public Utility District Office
990 East Mission Road

04/07/2023

“If everything wasn’t expensive enough, the County Water Authority Board is looking to raise our water rates by 14%.”

Rainbow Municipal Water District General Manager Tom Kennedy discusses his district's plan to switch wholesale water suppliers along with their neighbor, the...

03/27/2023

"The cost of water has become exorbitant. We've had farmers go out of business. We see stumped trees all over Fallbrook and Rainbow," said Denke.

03/20/2023

"The San Diego County Water Authority has raised water costs for the Fallbrook and Rainbow Municipal Water Districts by an average of 8% per year.

As a result, the region has lost an estimated 10,000 acres of groves and 1 million trees. And now, water rates could go up 14%.

"The cost of water has become exorbitant. We've had farmers go out of business. We see stumped trees all over Fallbrook and Rainbow," said Denke."

"The cost of water has become exorbitant. We've had farmers go out of business. We see stumped trees all over Fallbrook and Rainbow," said Denke.

02/06/2023

"It's certainly no secret: water bills have been rising substantially across the San Diego region.

And our two districts, the Fallbrook Public Utility District and the Rainbow Municipal Water District, which serve much of our county’s important agricultural industry, continue to pay some of the highest water costs in the region."

The inequitable way in which the San Diego County Water Authority cost structure impacts our agencies, as well as the costs of maintaining large rural infrastructure systems, is why we want to part ways with SDCWA.

01/09/2023

"This spring the San Diego Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) is expected to approve or deny applications by our two water districts – the Fallbrook Public Utility District and the Rainbow Municipal Water District – to part ways with the San Diego County Water Authority (SDCWA) and instead begin purchasing water from the Eastern Municipal Water District.

If our applications are approved and we’re allowed to buy water from Eastern, ratepayers in the Fallbrook and Rainbow service areas will realize a collective savings of approximately $7.6 million annually, according to an independent analysis conducted by LAFCO."

Jack Bebee and Tom Kennedy Special to the Village News Few topics in San Diego County garnered more headlines in 2022 than the worsening drought and the soaring cost of water. For the residents of Fallbrook and Rainbow, both the drought and the cost of water have become major areas of concern, but e...

11/10/2022

"In 2007, avocado farmers harvested more than 26,000 acres. Last year, that number dropped to around 14,000 acres, according to the county’s annual Crop Report. During this span, water costs from the San Diego County Water Authority have risen exponentially, forcing many growers to scale back."

For as long as anyone can remember, the avocado has been synonymous with the Fallbrook, Bonsall, and Rainbow areas. The nearby stretch of Interstate 15 is named after the bumpy green fruit and, of course, Fallbrook hosts the popular Avocado Festival each spring, a tradition that dates back to the 19...