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AWA Consolidates Rates to Undermine Protest

The consolidation is AWA’s response to several successful protests that stopped unfair rate increases within AWA’s individual water systems. Under Proposition 218, customers have the right to protest the consolidation. If a majority protests, the consolidation will not go forward. More info...

Discount for Developers

AWS customers will pay for the Upcountry Gravity Supply Line project, even though it does not benefit them.
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About Prop 218

Proposition 218 allows ratepayers to protest water rate increases. If a majority of ratepayers protest an increase, the rates cannot be raised. Ratepayers do have the ultimate say in whether their rates will go up or not.
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Success Stories

Read about local ratepayers who have successfully protested rate increases.
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AWS Rates vs. Consumer Price Index

Amador Water System - Sutter Creek, Ione & Amador City

If you have public water in Sutter Creek, Ione or Amador City, then you buy your water from the Amador Water Agency (AWA). The AWA maintains all of the water lines that distribute water throughout your town and is responsible for water treatment, water quality monitoring, reading your meter, and sending you the monthly bills.

Amador Water System (AWS) is the system within AWA that is responsible for water that goes to Jackson, Ione, Sutter Creek, Plymouth, Drytown, Amador City and Martell. This system also serves untreated water from the Amador Canal to customers between Lake Tabeaud and Sutter Hill.

AWS transports the raw water from lake Tabeaud via the Amador Transmission Line to Sutter Hill. At Sutter Hill, some of the water is treated and stored for distribution to Jackson, Sutter Creek, Plymouth, Drytown, Amador City and Martell. Untreated water is piped from Sutter Hill to Ione and then treated for use in Ione.

Amador Water System Service Area Map

 

How Ratepayers are Affected

If AWS does not operate efficiently, costs to ratepayers will be excessive. Since 2004, AWS rates to Jackson have increased by 87%. The increase is mostly due to the cost of design, planning and construction of the Amador Transmission Line (ATL) that was completed in 2007.

The ATL is built to supply three times the capacity that is needed on the system today. Because the project was overbuilt, ratepayers are paying for a project that is three times larger than needed. Ratepayers would save over $1,000,000 per year if the cost of the ATL was split fairly between them and future customers. $1,000,000/year amounts to about a 20% reduction in water rates needed on the AWS.

AWS ratepayers are also affected by special deals for selected developers. The infrastructure needed to treat and deliver water is very expensive and has been paid for by ratepayers. Ratepayers pay for the extra capacity that is built into most improvements with the expectation that new development will reimburse the ratepayers for the capacity they invested in. Unfortunately, the AWA board can (and does) sell the infrastructure for as little as half of what it is worth. Recently, the AWA Board gave a $500,000 discount to JTS Communities, Inc. (Castle Oaks in Ione) on connection fees. $500,000 amounts to over 10% of the annual cost of water on AWS.