Plan Would Cut Valley’s Sewer Rates

A Los Angeles City Council panel voted Wednesday to recommend a new sewer rate formula that would reduce fees for residents in the San Fernando Valley and the Westside at the expense of residents elsewhere in the city, who would have to pay more.

The proposed rate formula that was backed by the council’s Environmental Quality and Waste Management Committee was developed in response to complaints from Valley residents who contend that their sewer fees are disproportionately high.

Because there is no way to gauge how much sewage each home puts into the city’s sewer system, the sewer service fee is currently based on the amount of water used, assuming that about 60% of the water enters the sewers.

But Valley residents and some of their council representatives say the assumption is often wrong, particularly for residents who own large lots and put most of their water into gardens and lawns. In summer months, even more water is spent outdoors.

The new formula proposed by the city’s Bureau of Engineers is based on water consumption during the rainy winter months, when residents are less likely to irrigate lawns and gardens.

The formula calculates the sewer fee based on the two winter months that residents use the least amount of water. The formula assumes that 90% of the water ends up in the sewer.

According to a city report, the average fee for Valley residents would drop about 8%, while fees for Westside residents would drop about 9%. But in central Los Angeles, the annual fee would increase by about 4% while residents in the San Pedro region would pay about 1% more.

The fees help pay for maintenance and operation of the sewer system.

Councilwoman Laura Chick, who heads the three-member committee, said the formula is a more equitable system of calculating the fee.

But she said she expects protests from council members whose districts will get higher fees. The council is scheduled to take a final vote on the issue in the next month.

“I realize there will be a great deal of debate,” Chick said.