The temporary drought surcharge of 15% is needed to recover the necessary revenue to fund ongoing costs to operate and maintain the water system in times of reduced water usage. The drought surcharge is not intended to penalize customers conserving. Customers who reduce their water usage by the requested 15% will not see an increase in their overall water bill. As an incentive, treated water customers who use less than 200 gallons a day are considered most efficient and receive a credit to fully offset the drought surcharge. The drought surcharge is temporary and will be eliminated when the impacts of the drought are over. As a public agency, the District does not earn a profit, but rather collects revenues sufficient to cover the costs of providing water service. View Drought FAQs.