![]() “You can’t require somebody to waive their legal rights,” Lewinger said. He said the MWD policy is an attempt to take away San Diego County’s right to challenge poor policies. “If the board votes to withhold funding under these programs, we think it’s just plain out retaliation” for protecting San Diego’s interests in court, said Keith Lewinger, general manager of the Fallbrook Public Utility District, who sits on Metropolitan’s board. The Ramona Municipal Water District was counting on about $1.8 million over 20 years from the program for recycling wastewater. Programs under review include residential rebates such as $80 for people who buy weather-based irrigation controls and $85 for high-efficiency clothes washers. That money would still be charged, and likely would fund initiatives in other counties. San Diego County water officials said customers here will pay about $17 million this year for conservation programs as a part of the bill from MWD, which supplies water to about 19 million people across six counties. ![]() ![]() That contract language allows MWD to stop funding conservation and local water supply efforts in jurisdictions that challenge its rates. The agency would invoke its “rate structure integrity” clause in response to the San Diego lawsuit. ![]() The Los Angeles-based Metropolitan Water District might take the action against San Diego in response to the county water authority’s lawsuit last year over MWD’s rate structure, claiming it’s unfair to customers here. Water customers in San Diego County would keep paying for conservation programs - but would not get rebates and other benefits - under a move being considered today by Southern California’s regional water agency.
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