City to Weigh Repair of Aging Water System : Simi Valley: Council will consider seeking bids to fix pipelines and four tanks damaged in the Jan. 17 earthquake. A consultant could be paid up to $500,000.

Hoping to brace Simi Valley’s aging water system against cracks and ruptures, the City Council tonight will consider seeking bids to repair four damaged water tanks and the pipelines that link them to residents’ homes.

The proposal calls for the city to pay a consultant up to $500,000 to devise a repair plan for lines and tanks that burst during the Jan. 17 earthquake, flooding homes and leaving some residents without running water for a week.

“I think what we’re going for now is a way to fix up our most vulnerable spots,” Councilman Bill Davis said. “We don’t want to have this kind of trouble the next time we get hit by an earthquake.”

As Water District No. 8, the city provides water to about two-thirds of Simi Valley’s 102,000 residents. The rest of the city is supplied by Southern California Water Co.

Acting as the water district, the council last year budgeted the $500,000 to launch the first phase in upgrading the water system, parts of which are more than 30 years old.

The system includes 380 miles of pipeline connected to 37 storage tanks, which can hold about 1 million gallons of water apiece.

After the quake, the council agreed to focus on the tanks that were hardest hit. Staff set to work gathering information on the extent of the damage from city crews that worked around-the-clock after the quake to patch the fractured system.

Three of the water tanks targeted for repair are at the top of Stow Street, near Barnard Street and Placerita Drive in Indian Hills. The fourth tank is at the north end of the city on Walnut Street near Felix and Black avenues.

“There are parts of the system that will benefit greatly from some repair and upgrade work,” said John Watring, assistant director of public works. “This project would be a big help in making that happen.”

Nine active earthquake faults run under Simi Valley, according to the city’s General Plan. The Northridge quake was the most severe in the city’s 24-year history, causing more than $350 million in damage.

The pipe repair project is one of many steps the city has taken in the last three months to ease itself into recovery from the quake.

Other actions include a soil stability study by state geologists, fee waivers for quake-related repair projects and a two-year extension on building permits for new construction.

“We’re doing everything we can to get the city back on its feet,” Davis said.

Last week, the city received a boost in the form of an unexpected $5.5-million grant from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development. The city is still talking with federal officials to determine exactly how the funding can be used. Residents and businesses interested in applying for part of the funds should submit a written proposal to the city by April 26.