Amid handwringing at San Diego City Hall over next week’s vote to hike water rates, city analysts dropped a harrowing report revealing how easily the department that handles water and wastewater could collapse without them. Analysts point to higher and higher water prices from the San Diego County Water Authority, from which the city purchases most of its water supply. City staffers recently tried to deflect blame for the proposed water rate increase away from Pure Water and onto the Water Authority. Another caveat, the Water Authority sets its rates each year as opposed to the city’s current process of locking in water rates over four years. This past year, the Water Authority proposed a 22 percent rate increase, one that the city of San Diego’s Water Authority board appointees had to battle down to 8 percent.