Santa Clarita Valley Water Agency officials held their first Proposition 218 meeting Wednesday, the first of two workshops the agency is holding to let people know about a nearly 50% rate hike that’s being planned.
Kevin Strauss, spokesman for SCV Water, explained the need for the increased rates at the public hearing — rising operational and maintenance costs — also adding the agency is not allowed to charge ratepayers more than the cost of water delivery by law.
Strauss also said the agency assesses the fairness of its rate increases with an affordability analysis, which is based on nationally accepted guidelines and regional salary assumptions.
If residents would like to stop the increase, then a majority of affected ratepayers would need to submit a handwritten protest letter that must be submitted in person or mailed to the agency by April 1, Strauss said Wednesday, in discussing the potential rate hikes.
SCV Water serves a population of approximately 273,000 customers through 70,000 retail water connections, according to data from the agency’s ratepayer advocate. There were 27 attendees from the public for the virtual Zoom meeting, Strauss said Thursday.
None of the attendees from the public spoke during the meeting.
There are three separate rate proposals being looked at for residents depending on where a person lives.
Typical residential customers in the former Newhall County Water District service area can expect to see the largest increase percentage-wise, a cumulative hike of $31.28 a month, roughly 54%, over the next five years. Strauss said the typical customer for the baseline rate was defined as one who uses about 14 centum cubic feet of water, or a little over 10,000 gallons.
That same customer in the former Valencia Water Division service area is expected to see their monthly cost go up from $63.99 to $96.09, a 50.1% increase over five years.
Customers in the Santa Clarita Water Division are projected to see the smallest increase, going from $67.69 a month to $96.66 for the same usage.
SCV Water officials have talked about a variety of factors that have played into their increased costs, which include inflation, the cost of construction, the demand not meeting what’s been forecast for new customers and even water conservation, which is something the agency encourages.
“Both workshops will be recorded and available for customers to view on-demand following each session,” Strauss wrote. “The workshops will contain the same information and all customers, including those who cannot attend a workshop, are able to submit questions to the Ratepayer Advocate prior to the public hearing in April by visiting yourSCVwater.com/rate-planning.”
The next workshop is scheduled for 6 p.m. March 5, which also will be virtual via Zoom. Attendees are asked to register here: bit.ly/414XXAu.
The agency also shared a Prop 218 notice, which spells out the requirements for residents to file an appeal:
Any person that wishes to challenge the proposed water rates and charges must first file a written legal objection as described below no later than April 1.
Legal objections will only be considered valid if they meet the following procedural and substantive requirements:
• Legal objections must be in writing.
• SCV Water must receive your legal objections no later than the close of the public hearing on April 1, 2025.
• Legal objections must be mailed, or hand delivered to 27234 Bouquet Canyon Road, Santa Clarita, CA 91350, or alternatively, may be emailed to [email protected]
Legal objections must include the following information:
• Your name, parcel number and/or service address.
• A statement that your communication constitutes a legal objection.
• A description of the nature of the legal objection, with sufficient specificity to allow SCV Water to respond in writing. A statement that the proposed water rates and charges violate Proposition 218, without an explanation as to the basis of your claim, will be insufficient to constitute a legal objection. Failure to submit a legal objection, or to meet the requirements set forth above, will bar any right to challenge the proposed water rates and charges through a legal proceeding.
