Carlsbad

City Council members decided to turn the problem of what to do with $1 million in penalties collected from the city’s water hogs over to the city’s water commissioners after listening to complaints from three residents who want their money back.

At a Tuesday night hearing, the council heard from two residents who claim that they have reduced their water use by more than the mandated 20% but still face stiff over-consumption penalties because of the city’s penalty structure. A third speaker asked the council to cut back on further residential construction rather than penalize existing residents for their water use.

Carlsbad bases its residential user rates on a citywide average use of 15 units (11,220 gallons) of water a month, and some homeowners protest that the system is unfair for those with large lots.

The council directed commissioners to study proposals to restructure the water penalties to reward large users who had made substantial cuts in their water usage since mandatory water cutbacks were imposed last February.