SAN FERNANDO VALLEY : Four More Residents Named to Water Rate Panel

With many San Fernando Valley residents up in arms about skyrocketing Department of Water and Power bills, Mayor Richard Riordan on Friday named four additional Valley residents to a panel that will be taking a second look at the DWP’s new water rate system.

“The majority of complaints about DWP bills have come from residents of the Valley, and the mayor felt it was important that their voice be heard on the reconstituted committee,” Deputy Mayor Mike Keeley said.

Among the new members of the Blue-Ribbon Committee on Water Rate Restructuring is Rana Linka of West Hills, who owns a real estate firm. “It’s been ridiculous and the subject of a lot of talk,” Linka said of the new rates. “I’ve been very confused by my bills.”

The 17-member panel will continue to include 11 of the 12 people who served on the committee under former Mayor Tom Bradley and who signed the report recommending the new rate system.

Under the system, DWP customers who use more than twice the median amount of water in a billing period are charged rates more than 50% higher. Many Valley residents have complained that the system is unfair because the Valley is hotter than some other areas and residents have large lawns.