Claremont Moves To Take Control of Its Water System

Claremont will move to gain control of its water system by making an offer to purchase its supplier, Golden Water Company, the city’s attorney announced Tuesday night.

“The city’s negotiator has been directed to make an offer for not less than the fair market value as determined by the appraisal that was approved by the City Council,” said City Attorney Sonia R. Carvalho reported following a closed session meeting between the council.

Details of a possible deal were not discussed, but the move is being called phase one of the effort.

Claremont officials have been at odds with their water supplier, Golden Water Company, for some time. The city claims that water district is raising rates and forcing residents to pay high rates to for profits sake.

Not true, Golden State officials said. In a mailer released to the general public, the private company explains Claremont water usage is above the Southern California average. Claremont uses 1.7 million more gallons a day than Upland and 2.7 million gallons more per day than La Verne, according to water company officials.

Claremont officials insist, however, that water usage seems secondary in importance to the company behind raising rates, noting that Golden State successfully applied to raise rates by 15 percent in 2013. Additional rate increases could be imposed in the following years, officials said.

In its mailer, Golden State’s Senior Vice President Denise Kruger wrote the company, “does not charge connection fees or any additional charges for service calls or water-related inquiries. Customer bills also include a City-mandated 5.5 percent Claremont Utility Tax.”

The letter tells customers that a city take over would mean higher costs for a lower level of service.

“Our water system is not for sale,” Kruger wrote.

On Tuesday, many in the audience backed the council’s decision. Claremont resident Greg Ford addressed the council to explain his ongoing battle with the water company after workers went to his home and replaced his water meter without alerting him beforehand.

Ford claims the water pressure at his home has since dropped. Ellen Taylor, with the League of Women Voters, Claremont Area, applauded the decision.

“The league is very supportive of the purchase of the water company,” Taylor said. “Over the years we have studied the issue of the water company and have come up with the position that the water company should have been bought by the city a long time ago.”

The league supports public ownership of water rights and utilities as vital public resources to ensure that public goals and purposes are reflected in policies and rates, she said.

“We support transparency in operation and rate setting with regular reports to the public financial records and policy decisions,” Taylor said.

The city started researching a possible purchase about nine months ago during a council workshop.