In May, East Bay Municipal Utility District directors unanimously approved an emergency drought management program asking Contra Costa and Alameda County homeowners to cut water usage by 19 percent.
Starting August first, those who have complied will see lower overall bills despite the new rate increase. However, surcharges will be tacked on for customers who are not complying.
The water allocations are based on each customer's usage over the past three years.
Those who normally use less than 100 gallons per day are exempt from the program.
