Extra water storage important for Westlake Village




The editorial in the Sept. 19 Acorn addressed a number of issues regarding Las Virgenes Municipal Water District (LVMWD). I recognize there may be differing opinions on the proposed water tank, but the column included several errors that should be corrected for the benefit of your readers.

If the LVMWD board decides to proceed with building the water tank, the project will not require a rate increase. Over the years, sufficient funds have been accumulated through developer fees and reserve funds so the project can be built on a “pay as you go” basis without the need for financing or a rate increase. The Acorn did not provide a source for its statement claiming, “ A planned 45 percent rate increase over the next five years,” but that representation is inaccurate.

In late 2012, the board approved a three-year rate schedule necessary to offset escalating operating costs, the largest of which is for purchasing imported water from the Metropolitan Water District. The total three-year increase for the average LVMWD customer is 24 percent. Even with this increase, LVMWD customers pay the lowest water rates in the surrounding region.

We agree with the statement the district has a mandate to provide safe and reliable water. That’s why a forward-looking plan for the district’s needs was developed over five years ago. A key result was the current “Backbone Improvement Program” intended to provide reliability under peak demand and emergency conditions and to accommodate regional growth, such as the new retail center in Westlake Village. New pipelines in Agoura Hills and Calabasas have been built, or are in progress. Improvements at the Westlake Filtration Plant and Pump Station are also in the plan and the 5-million gallon tank at the reservoir site is a key component, not an isolated element.

When the supply from Metropolitan is cut off by an emergency or for maintenance, LVMWD must treat and pump water from Westlake Village as far east as Calabasas and West Hills through its backbone distribution system.

Water system reliability is measured by engineering standards and industry practices developed over more than a century. Conventional or creative “outside the box” solutions must meet these same standards and be sustainable, especially in an area subject to earthquakes and fires. To date, a majority of the board has chosen not to “roll the dice” with customers’ health or safety, or risk higher regional fire insurance rates if our system is determined to be unable to meet peak fire-flow demands.

Over a period of time, Las Virgenes has had discussions with Calleguas Water District on a possible emergency connection. Although an interconnection offers promise, Calleguas has made it clear their first obligation is to their customers. Also, Calleguas relies on the same MWD pipeline and treatment plant in Sylmar, so a major event would affect both agencies.

If reliable water service is important to you, I encourage readers to communicate that to your board representative, by e-mail or at a board meeting. It is the board’s responsibility to assure that LVMWD customers continue to receive excellent service from highly qualified personnel. We have been delivering on that commitment, while our residents and businesses benefit from the lowest water rates in the region.

Charles Caspary is chairman of the LVMWD Board of Directors.



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