Grass Valley, CA – Aug. 6, 2026 — The Nevada Irrigation District (NID) Board of Directors has approved a 9 percent increase in treated and irrigation water rates only for Fiscal Year 2027. The adopted rates are lower than the maximum rates authorized through the District's Proposition 218 rate process.

The action follows two public workshops held in July, where the Board reviewed financial information, received public input, and evaluated options for reducing the 2027 rate adjustment while maintaining the long-term reliability of the District's water system.

The adopted rates reflect the Board's commitment to balancing affordability for customers with continued investment in the infrastructure, facilities, and watersheds that support reliable water service.

"Our responsibility is to provide safe, reliable water today while making the investments necessary to ensure that same reliability for future generations," said NID Assistant General Manager Greg Jones. "The Board carefully considered customer concerns and worked to reduce the 2027 increase while maintaining the financial stability of the District."

The reduced rate increase is possible in part because of stronger-than-anticipated hydropower revenues and lower-than-expected hydropower expenditures in 2025. Those factors resulted in higher available balances in NID's Hydroelectric Fund. Following adoption of the 2027 budget, approximately $1.28 million will be transferred from the Hydroelectric Fund to the Water Fund to help offset water system costs and reduce the rate increase for customers.

The Board's action is consistent with the commitments it made during the Proposition 218 process. Before setting annual rates, the Board agreed it would:

• Hold public workshops before considering annual rate adjustments
• Approve rates each year during a public meeting
• Consider grants, external revenue sources, reserve balances, and operational efficiencies to reduce customer costs whenever possible
• Evaluate treated and irrigation water rates independently.

 

The Board held public workshops on July 22 and July 28 before taking final action on the 2027 rates.

Customer Impact

For 2027:

• A treated water customer with a 5/8-inch meter using 5 HCF (500 cubic feet) of water per month will see an increase of approximately $3.90 per month
• An irrigation customer receiving one miner's inch of summer water will see an increase of approximately $13.61 per month during the six-month irrigation billing season.

 

The adopted rates are lower than the maximum rates approved during the Proposition 218 public hearing in May 2026.

Revenue generated by water rates supports the operation, maintenance, repair, and improvement of NID's treated and irrigation water systems, including reservoirs, canals, pipelines, treatment facilities, and other infrastructure that provides reliable water service to customers throughout western Nevada and Placer counties.

The District will continue pursuing grants, operational efficiencies, and other external funding opportunities to help reduce future costs while maintaining the reliability of its water system.

More information about NID water rates is available at https://www.nidwater.com/nid-water-rate-adjustments