After an appellate court ruled that cities can't charge more for water than the cost of providing it, California water districts have been left scrambling on how to curb heavy water usage during a time of drought, the Los Angeles Times' Matt Stevens reports: "Now, agencies must prove that the high water rates for heavy users are not meant as punishment but actually reflect the cost of delivering the extra water."
The problem is that many California water districts have the biggest users pay much more than users that save water, and they now have to show a "'clear nexus'" between operating costs and price, Stevens reports.
In the underlying case, San Juan Capistrano's water rates were challenged as arbitrary and unconstitutional.
Lawyer and Legal Journalist
