Sunrise light on a grove of tufa towers emerging from the water of Mono Lake with soft green and dusty-red wild grasses in the foreground, Canada geese in the shallow water with reflections of the rocky towers, and desert hills in the distance.

Court decision a setback to water conservation

A court ruled today that the tiered rate structures that have been hugely successful in encouraging water conservation are unconstitutional. Under these approaches to billing, which are used by water providers statewide, a basic increment of water comes at a basic price, with additional use “tiers” costing more. The Los Angeles Department of Water & Power, for example, has been looking to expand from two pricing tiers to four. The court decision appears to take away one of the most successful tools that have been used for urban water conservation.

Governor Brown, according to the Sacramento Bee, said the court decision is “a straitjacket on local government at a time when maximum flexibility is needed.”

Read more in the Los Angeles Times: In blow to water conservation, court rejects city’s tiered rates