After approving a $2 billion budget, the board of the Metropolitan Water District in Los Angeles also voted to impose an average 19.7 percent rate increase on downstream agencies, including those in Orange County, to help deal with reduced supplies.

The downstream agencies, in turn, could pass those costs on to consumers.

“In many ways, this represents the end of the era of cheap water,” said board chairman Timothy F. Brick before the vote was taken. “It’s true that water is going to cost more in the future.”

 The rate increase includes a $69-per-acre-foot surcharge to agencies that buy water from Metropolitan because of court-ordered reductions in the supply of water from the California Bay Delta to protect an endangered fish.

Board members representing Orange County said they hoped the surcharge could be dropped if the environmental issues surrounding the fish, the delta smelt, are resolved.

Water sold by Metropolitan goes to 19 million people in Southern California. The steps the board is taking today — possibly including cuts in allocations to downstream agencies — could trigger rationing in many places, including Orange County.

Related posts:

• Water rationing? Agency votes today
• Water rationing in OC? Final steps next week

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