By Jason KUROSU

The Crescenta Valley Water District has announced a proposed increase in water rates of 6.9%, effective on statements billed after July 1. The increase will vary from home to home, based on amount of water used and the size of the household, but CVWD estimates that the average household would see a $4.57 increase per month.

A bulletin on the CVWD website indicates that, “The CVWD Board is proposing to raise rates to improve the aging infrastructure and to maintain the water system.” Capital Improvement Projects cited in the rate increase bulletin include replacement of water mains, upgrading and installation of new pumps and a connection with the L.A. Dept. of Water and Power’s emergency water supply, among other things.

According to the bulletin, funds to improve infrastructure will come not only from the rate increase, but also from settlement money received from lawsuits with Conoco Phillips and Exxon Mobil that allegedly leaked Methyl Tertiary-butyl Ether, or MTBE, into the groundwater.

A public hearing will be held at the CVWD office at 2700 Foothill Blvd. in La Crescenta on June 11 at 6:30 p.m., at which time CVWD customers can voice their opinion about the rate hike. CVWD also notes that letters of protest may be sent to CVWD’s address until Tuesday, June 11. The letters will be presented at the public hearing on Tuesday.

Glendale Water and Power customers will also see their electric rates increasing, with increases planned over the next five years, starting with an 8% increase for the 2014 fiscal year. According to Glendale Water and Power, these increases “will focus on aligning pricing with the true cost of providing service to residential and commercial customers while promoting better energy consumption decisions, smart and timely investments in renewable energy to meet state mandates, which are more expensive, and upgrading and modernizing our infrastructure for continued reliability, and reduce outages”

As with CVWD, GWP will be holding a series of public hearings to address the rate increases with customers. La Crescenta residents can attend the next meeting tonight, Thursday, June 6 at the Sparr Heights Community Center at 1603 Glencoe Way. Meetings will continue over the next three weeks.

  Jason Kurosu