East Bay water district board OKs big rate hikes over protests

A sprinkler waters a lawn on April 7, 2015 in Walnut Creek, California. As California enters its fourth year of severe drought, EBMUD and water districts throughout the state are assisting customers with finding ways to reduce water use at their homes. California residents are facing a mandatory 25 percent reduction in water use. less A sprinkler waters a lawn on April 7, 2015 in Walnut Creek, California. As California enters its fourth year of severe drought, EBMUD and water districts throughout the state are assisting customers with ... more Photo: Justin Sullivan, Getty Images Photo: Justin Sullivan, Getty Images Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close East Bay water district board OKs big rate hikes over protests 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

East Bay water rates that had already doubled over the past 10 years are shooting up another 19 percent, utility directors decided Tuesday over the objections of scores of angry customers.

The East Bay Municipal Utility District Board of Directors approved the rate hike on a 6-1 vote despite praising customers for conserving water during the recently ended five-year drought — the very action they said is now partially causing them raise rates.

“Water is inexpensive, (but) getting it to the tap is not. This is not fun for us,” board President Lesa McIntosh told the overflow crowd at the board’s regular meeting in Oakland. “We believe it is necessary.”

The rate hike will take effect Wednesday, with bills rising 9.25 percent. Next July they will go up another 9 percent, and with interest compounding, the overall increase will be 19 percent.

This means the average user’s bill will go up a total of $9 a month after the 2018 increase.

EBMUD officials said the 19 percent rate hike will help pay for the first two years of a five-year, $608 million investment in pipeline and distribution projects, in addition to water treatment plant upgrades.

The water district serves 1.4 million customers in Alameda and Contra Costa counties, and during the drought that concluded this winter, customers cut average daily usage from 250 gallons a day to 200 gallons a day.

That was great, board directors said, but it also meant less money flowing in to upgrade the district’s aging pipeline system and improve its water treatment plants.

“This is a dire time,” said Director William Patterson. “Old pipes are breaking all over the place. It’s like running your car with a lot of things wrong with it.”

The audience of more than 150 people, many of whom held signs reading, “Stop rate hikes,” wasn’t buying it. One by one, nearly 50 of them took the speaker’s podium over a period of two hours, and not one voiced support for higher rates.

“I’ve got a 5-gallon barrel in the shower. This makes you furious,” said customer Maureen Stapleton. “No one can afford anything anymore. I’ve got my bill at home and I’m afraid to open it, and that’s a fact.

“These people are slapping us on the back of the head.”

Several customers also held signs reading, “Stop shutoffs,” to protest the 9,000 EBMUD water shutoffs last year for people who couldn’t pay their bills.

The only “no” vote came from Director John Coleman, who represents the hotter-temperature zone of central Contra Costa County.

“We need to look at things differently,” he said.

Steve Rubenstein and Kevin Fagan are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: srubenstein@sfchronicle.com, kfagan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SteveRubeSF, @KevinChron