LUCERNE – Confusion over details of Lucerne water bills was clear at Wednesday night's meeting with the California Public Utilities Commission and California Water Service, at the Lucerne Alpine Senior Center.

Gay Guidotti, the company's customer service representative in Lucerne, explains the charges itemized on bills:

• 5/8-inch service charge, $61.80 – “readiness to serve,” which includes the delivery system.

• X CCF* at $5.1628 per CCF – one CCF equals 100 feet or 748 gallons. The rate was settled on as an incentive to conservation and an alternative to a higher fixed service charge.

• 5/8-inch service surcharge – SDWBA 9.20 repayment of a 1980s bond through the Safe Water Drinking Bond Act for improvements to the system. At the time, the system was owned and operated by Robert and Nadine Strauss of Lucerne.

• CPUC fee, $1.10 – supports statewide work of the California Public Utilities Commission.

• Other charges or credits, $0.95 – various small, approved, charges built in to the last negotiated settlement.

• Rate Support Fund Assistance, -$34.00 – a discount for everyone in the Lucerne District, supported by a one-cent surcharge throughout the California Water Service districts.

• Low Income Rate Assistance, -$20.00 – a discount for low income ratepayers who have enrolled in the LIRA plan. Cal Water reports 28 percent of Lucerne ratepayers are enrolled. Applications for the program are available at the company office, 6304 East Hwy 20, Lucerne.

Contact Sophie Annan Jensen at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

{mos_sb_discuss:2}