On April 15, 2009 the San Diego Union Tribune reported the following;
the SD County Metropolitan Water Authority stated they will be forced to increase their rates to customers by more than 40% by 2011.

Many of the voluntary water conservation measures that have been advocated over the last few years will now become mandatory.

Immediately, residential customers can expect to see a 6% increase on their water bills & commercial customers a 7% increase.

Water districts across the country are expected to move from drought level 1 to level 2 because of dwindling supplies. Summertime landscape irrigation will be limited to no more than three days per week & customers will not be allowed to run sprinklers for more than ten minutes per station.

Chairman of the Metropolitan's board, Timothy Brick summed up the situation by saying, "What this represents is the end of the era of cheap water."