Santa Fe Irrigation to offer reduced water rate for agriculture customers

On June 17, the Santa Fe Irrigation District board accredited the adselection of a program Which will revenue the district’s agricultural water buyers.

SFID will now permit eligible buyers to take part Inside the San Diego County Water Authority’s Everlasting Particular Agricultural Water Price (PSAWR), a program that SFID Director Sandra Johnson said acknowledges The worth of agriculture by reducing water costs for growers.

The district will start accepting purposes to confirm buyers Who’re eligible on July 1.

“Definitely one of many good advantages of this move-by way of program is that SFID will get scale againd costs for the water ag buyers use however doing so Does not negatively influence completely different water buyers’ costs,” Johnson said.

The water authority has been offering A quick lived special agricultural water rate program since 2008. Johnson and Chuck Badger, proprietor of R.E. Badger Grove Administration, have met with SFID Widespread Supervisor Al Lau a quantity of occasions to request that SFID implement This method.

Teresa Penunuri, SFID public communications officer, said the district had been planning To guage and implement PSAWR, however Director Johnson’s advocacy and completely different board member assist superior the timeline by A pair of months.

Santa Fe Irrigation District started its personal agricultural water program in 2016 based mostly on paymentdagain from the group—The velocity for agricultural buyers is $6.11 per hundred cubic ft of water and buyers should meet particular requirements. As a Outcome of the water authority transitioned from A quick lived to a permanent special agricultural rate program in 2020, SFID needed To Guarantee its program was aligned As properly as To deal with some buyer considerations relating to its agricultural program, Based on Teresa Penunuri, SFID public communications officer.

“We’re very delicate to The fact that agriculture is An important An factor of our regional financial system. We’re the Nineteenth largest farm financial system Inside the nation and there are virtually 6,000 farms in San Diego County,” Penunuri said. “We undoubtedly Want to be Aware of that. They’re an important An factor of our buyer base as all our buyers are.”

The PSWAR is a move-by way of rate that SFID facilitates and the water authority defines what standards Want to be met to qualify as agricultural buyers. Aligning SFID’s program with the PSWAR
eliminates SFID’s requirements for sub-metering and The requirements that property house proprietors have to promote A minimal of $1,000 in agriculture merchandise to be recognized as an ag buyer.

With the board’s approval, SFID can now start doing outreach to potential individuals on what their decisions are: buyers should Decide to Take part in SFID’s agricultural water program or the PSWAR program. Penunuri said she needed to make it clear that PSWAR’s decrease rate is in commerce for scale againd reliability—farmers who take part acquire a decrease diploma of water service all by way of water shortages or emergencies. Lau said SFID agricultural buyers acquire native water advantages and the district Might Even be barely extra resilient As a Outcome of of native water situation.

Whereas they have been assistive of This method, SFID Director Dana Freihauf and Chair Michael Hogan had some considerations Regarding The further administrative prices of the implementation and The biggest method It’d influence buyers.

Johnson, a Rancho Santa Fe grove proprietor, was excited Regarding The prospect This method provided to agricultural buyers. She said SFID’s agriculture program advantages the greater grove house proprietors and For A lot of smaller grove house proprietors like herself, the agricultural rate prices Far Extra money than Occurring the residential program—the requirement of a sub-meter and The further payment made many choose To not take part.

“The PSWAR assists growers of all completely different sizes and There are tons of of us, I really paymentl it’s ancompletely different good selection,” Johnson said. “I think about the PSAWR Is Amongst The numerous few strategies ag buyers can scale again water prices. I hope that the agricultural house proprietors will think about participation On This alternative.”

To study extra, go to sfidwater.org/.