Rate Hikes Approved for Water, Sewer Work : Torrance: A single-family household will see a $40 annual increase in its bills. Council members say they had little choice but to approve the expenditures.

Raising cash to fix the city’s crumbling sewer and water systems, the Torrance City Council this week approved rate increases that will add up to $40 in sewer and water charges next year for most single-family households.

In unanimous votes on Tuesday, the council approved an 8% across-the-board water rate hike and a nearly threefold increase in sewer fees. Under the new rates, which take effect Jan. 1, most single-family households will see their sewer charges rise by $1.96 a month and their water bills increase by $1.35 a month.

Water bills will go up an additional 3.7% in 1994 and again in 1995.

Several council members said they had little choice but to approve the increases, given the state of Torrance’s sewer and water systems. Last year, there were 212 water main breaks in the city, three to four times the number of breaks for comparable water utilities. And between January, 1991, and June, 1992, the city paid more than $54,000 in claims related to breakdowns of the sewer system.

“We can’t trade off preventive maintenance for political popularity,” Councilman Bill Applegate said. “I think we need to sometimes understand that there’s a bullet to be bitten.”

Said Councilman Don Lee: “It’s a health and safety issue all the way.”

However, the council directed staff members to propose ways to give low-income residents discounts on the rate hikes. Additionally, the city will study transferring its water system into private hands or contracting out some of its functions.

Torrance’s water department had projected a $1.8-million deficit by June 30, 1993, the end of the current fiscal year. Yet, the 8% water rate increase adopted by the council will not be enough to completely offset the shortfall, said City Engineer Richard Burtt.

To make up the difference, Burtt said, the water department will have to delay some of the sorely needed improvement projects. The water department also has no funds left in its reserve accounts.

Staff members had proposed a 12% water rate increase, which would have included the hiring of seven employees to work on water system repair projects. The council instead approved the hiring of four new staffers for the work.

The sewer rate increase will be used to partly finance a three-step, $18-million capital improvement program over the next 18 years and pay for a $12.8-million sewer maintenance program. Additional annual rate increases will be recommended to complete the programs.

The city operates about 340 miles of sewer lines and nine sewer pump stations. Although most lines were built during the 1950s, portions of the sewer system date to the early 1920s.

Council members were shown a nine-minute video “info-mercial” produced by the city that documented corroded and collapsed pipelines, obstructed manholes and sewage spills in a Torrance park.

Several representatives of homeowners associations criticized the city for failing to act sooner to repair the pipelines--and for asking residents to pay for the improvements all at once.

“I think both (increases) are needed, but it’s too much to ask for in one year, especially in recessionary times,” said Glen Musicer, a spokesman for the South Bayport Homeowners Assn.