Tier 4 Water Rates Up 127% in 2022

We used to call extreme droughts in California “unprecedented”, but the past two decades have shown that they’re here to stay. The problem is serious and public institutions are trying to meet critical water conservation goals with a slew of measures, including temporary state rules that will impose fines of up to $500 on water wasters.

On this front, the LA Department of Water and Power (LADWP) is enacting eye-popping rate hikes in 2022 that specifically target extreme water wasters. For these users, the price of water will be up 127% from last year.

LADWP rates for water vary depending on how much you use. Each Tier represents a certain amount of water use for the month. Use more water, enter a higher tier, pay a higher rate for all subsequent water until you hit the next tier. Tier 1 is always the same price and quantity, 16 HCF (Hundred Cubic Feet, about 12,000 gallons), and is considered for “basic indoor use”, like drinking and washing. After that, the limit of each tier depends on the size of your lot, the season and your location.

Tier 2 is considered for “efficient, drought resistant outdoor use”; Tier 3 for “above average outdoor use”, and Tier 4 for “excessive use”. The price at Tier 4 will be punitive, and rightfully so, because these water wasters account for an outsized share of total use.

An all too common sight in LA, over-spraying sprinklers will be a lot more expensive moving forward.

We’ve found that all of our clients who suffered from exorbitant water bills had one thing in common: an abusive relationship with SPRINKLERS. Those things spew more water than we’d care to calculate, each zone is like 6 shower heads going off at once or more. But the price they pay for those expansive, waterlogged lawns, is about to go all the way up. For many, it will be time to find better alternatives. They’re out there, we promise!