Santa Clarita / Antelope Valley : Valencia Water Co. to Increase Rates by 30% : Utilities: Many residents are surprised by the hike due next year, which will pay for quake repairs and rising operating costs.

Valencia Water Co. will raise rates by 30% in 1995 because of earthquake repairs and increased operating costs, a move that surprised many residents who said Thursday they had no idea the increase was being considered.

About one-third of the increase is needed to repair items such as three tanks, with a total capacity of 2 million gallons, that ruptured in the Jan. 17 Northridge earthquake, said Bob Diprimio, managing director of the water agency. The rest of the rate hike, the second increase in 11 years, will cover operating costs pushed higher by inflation and new regulations.

In addition, rates will increase 4% in 1996 and 1.6% in 1997 under the plan approved Wednesday by the California Public Utilities Commission.

“The percentages seem large, but we’re still one of the lowest-cost water companies in the Santa Clarita Valley,” said Diprimio, whose agency serves 15,000 homes and business in the valley’s west portion.

The monthly bill for an average residential customer who uses about 2,100 cubic feet of water will increase from $20.24 to $26.82, according to the utilities commission. By comparison, the Newhall County Water District next year will charge $31.14 and the Santa Clarita Water Co. $23.01 for the same amount of water.

A 57-cent service charge and a surcharge of 3 cents per 100 cubic feet of water will also be implemented by Valencia Water Co. for 22 months to cover additional earthquake repair costs. The added charges will tack on $1.55 to an average monthly bill, said Kyle DeVine, a utilities commission spokeswoman.

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News of the increase was an unhappy surprise to many customers.

Ann Norton, 47, said she already has enough unexpected bills because of the earthquake without having to worry about how her $45 water bill will be affected.

“We’re getting hit by so many expenses it’s hard to take,” she said.

Valencia Water Co. sent letters to its customers notifying them of two public meetings in August to discuss the issue, but only one resident showed up, Diprimio said.

“It seems like I heard about it, but I didn’t pay a lot of attention to it,” Norton said.

Others said they never received the letter, or at least do not remember it.

“I was out of the house in August and my mail was going every which way,” said a 50-year-old Valencia woman who was forced to move out of her house for several months because of earthquake damage.

Valencia Water Co. had asked the state for increases of 32% in 1995, 9.5% in 1996 and 2.3% in 1997, said DeVine. She said she does not know why the commission denied the full increases requested.

With the smaller hikes, Diprimio said, some projects will have to be delayed or eliminated, such as construction of new pump stations and an administrative building to replace the trailers employees now use.