La Selva residents question apparent double billing

LA SELVA — A resident of the Sand Dollar neighborhood in La Selva recently contacted the Register-Pajaronian with concerns about two separate water charges they are paying.

One charge is an $18 annual assessment from Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency, but the residents are also paying bimonthly water fees from the Soquel Creek Water District.

According to PVWMA General Manager Mary Bannister, the $18 annual fee goes to pay for technical studies conducted by PVWMA, such as water-quality monitoring, studies of the saltwater intrusion and groundwater overdraft and testing for contaminants such as nitrates.

“We monitor all aspects of the groundwater basin,” she said.

Bannister agreed that the boundaries overlap in some places, but altering the policy is a difficult procedure that requires lawmakers to change state water code.

“It is one of those things that probably should be cleaned up at some point, but to change those boundaries we have to go to the legislature,” Bannister said.

For the complete article see the 09-20-2012 issue.

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