By Mike Allen

February 16, 2023 (Santee) -- Customers of the Padre Dam Municipal Water District are getting some relief on their usually hefty bills, thanks to a vote last year by its board to freeze rate increases over five years.

But that freeze only applies to internal rate increases, not those imposed by outside agencies such as the San Diego County Water Authority (CWA) and San Diego Gas & Electric (SDGE), both of which are charging more for their services.

Aware that those entities were imposing price hikes, Padre Dam’s five-member board decided in June to use funds it received from a big legal settlement from a prolonged legal battle between the CWA and the Metropolitan Water Authority, headquartered in Los Angeles.