Councilmember-Elect Rick Cole Hosts Forum on City’s Water Future Amid Rising Rates and Supply Concerns

Pasadena District 2 Councilmember-elect Rick Cole hosted a public forum on Tuesday evening to address the city’s pressing water challenges and explore solutions for the future. The event, entitled “Where Will Pasadena Get Our Water?” brought together a panel of water experts to discuss strategies for ensuring a reliable and affordable water supply in the face of rising costs and climate change concerns.

Held at the Jefferson School Auditorium, the forum came on the heels of the City Council’s recent approval of significant water rate hikes. Rates are expected to rise by 22% this year and 70% over the next five years, according to Cole. The event drew a crowd of over 100 attendees from District 2 and beyond.

“Water is something we all need, and it’s what keeps Pasadena green,” Cole said in a video announcing the event. “But the question is, not only is water more expensive, but will we have enough in a hotter and drier climate in the future?”

Cole moderated the panel, which included Adán Ortega Jr., Chair of the Metropolitan Water District Board; Joone Kim-Lopez, Chief Executive Officer of Moulton Niguel Water District; Tim Brick, Executive Director of Stewards of the Arroyo Seco; and Stacie Takeguchi, Assistant General Manager of Pasadena Water and Power.

The forum highlighted the complex challenges facing Pasadena’s water supply, including aging infrastructure, the need for increased conservation, and the impacts of climate change. 

Takeguchi emphasized the importance of community engagement and support.

 “This is only going to happen. We’re only going to overcome these challenges together,” she said. She highlighted the need for stronger collaboration between the utility and the community to make informed decisions going forward and noted that despite a nearly 30% increase in population, Pasadena’s water use today is equivalent to that of 1949 what several of the panelists credited to strong conservation efforts from the community.

The $42 million in additional revenue generated by the recently approved rate increases will be invested in critical infrastructure projects, such as the replacement of aging reservoirs and pipelines, as well as the expansion of water conservation and reuse programs. 

Takeguchi noted that while these investments are necessary to ensure the reliability and safety of Pasadena’s water supply, the utility is committed to working with the community to maintain affordability and transparency.

Kim-Lopez stressed the value of evolving and modernizing public service to enhance transparency and information access. She cited the use of smart meters and customer portals as powerful tools for engaging customers and promoting water conservation. 

“Keep in mind it takes two things to do stuff like that, which is resource money and people who can really do the job well, care about what you need and be able to execute that,” she said.

Brick praised Pasadena residents for their outstanding water conservation efforts but noted that there is still room for improvement in water literacy. 

He called for individuals to work on enhancing their understanding of water issues and urged institutional reform within the Water and Power Department to increase accountability and openness. Brick was also sharply critical of the rate structure for the higher water charges, arguing that they penalize smaller users who will pay for increased fixed charges despite lower usage. Cole noted the Council pledged to review the new rates a year from now.

“I would say we still need a ways to go to improve our water literacy,” Brick said. “So I would urge individuals to work on improving their water literacy, and I want to do some projects with Stacy and you in order to improve people’s water literacy.”

Ortega commended Pasadena for having public officials who seem to genuinely care about the community’s concerns, noting that the turnout at the forum surpassed any other gathering he had seen across Southern California. 

“You have a City Councilmember before he’s a City Council member asking you what you think,” he said. “And so I think communities need to care like yours. My takeaway is that you’ve set the bar for everywhere else I’m going and I want to take a picture of you all so that I can show everybody what it’s like to care.”

Although many audience questions focused on current issues, including the rate hike, the emphasis of the discussion was on what Pasadena should be doing, both on its own and with the larger region, to promote safe and reliable water supply in the years ahead. Among the initiatives panelists advocated were expanded storage, promotion of “greywater” recycling in people’s homes, “purple pipes” to use recycled water for irrigation, planting trees, capturing stormwater run-off for recharging groundwater supplies and shifting to native landscaping that requires less watering.

Cole concluded the event by emphasizing the importance of an engaged, educated, and active community in solving Pasadena’s water challenges. 

He pledged to listen to residents and work towards mobilizing the city’s human capital to address these issues collaboratively. 

“Don’t count on me to fix these problems. Let’s count on we …  an engaged, educated, active community is how we’re going to solve Pasadena’s biggest challenges,” Cole said. 

“We have incredible human capital. I talked to people of such extraordinary thoughtfulness and expertise and life experience and caring. And so I want to mobilize that. I don’t want just you to come to the government. I want the government to come to you.”

The forum is part of a series of monthly issue-focused events organized by Cole in the lead-up to his taking office in December.

Cole’s next forum, scheduled for July 16, will focus on crime, policing, and public safety, featuring panelists including Police Chief Gene Harris and former judge and police oversight commissioner Phil Argento.