Housing
California's Poorest Could Start Paying More for Water
Tiered water rate structures promote conservation and keep prices down for low-income families, but a new ruling calls them into question.
As California water agencies struggle to meet new state-mandated water-use reductions, they need every drop-saving method in their power. Now, an appeals court decision calls into question one of their most powerful conservation tools—and may end up squeezing the state's poorest residents.
The method: Tiered water rate structures, or charging bigger water users more and smaller water users less.