The Lake Don Pedro Community Services District Board of Directors voted November 16 on a modified plan to increase water rates in the community.

Rather than approving the full five-year proposed schedule of rate increases, the board voted to approve two years’ worth of increases.

The first increase, approved to take effect December 1, 2009, will take a typical resident’s monthly service charge from $25 to $27. At the same time, the water usage rate will go from $1.75 to $2 per 100 cubic feet.

The second increase, scheduled to take effect in January 2011, will hike the monthly service charge to $29 and the water usage rate will go up to $2.25 per 100 cubic feet.

If the five-year schedule had been approved, the typical monthly service charge would have been a maximum of $32 and the water usage rate would have been $3 per 100 cubic feet.

The board agreed that, after two years, the district will have to go through the Proposition 218 process again to get customers’ approval for further rate increases.

The board is scheduled to meet again December 21 at 1 pm in the district board room at 9751 Merced Falls Road.