Water District : Water Solution Sought

Attorneys for the Three Valleys Municipal Water District will meet today ith attorneys representing various cities and water providers in an attempt to end a regional dispute among the agencies served by the district in the eastern San Gabriel Valley.

The split has developed between the district’s orthern and southern agencies over a state Senate bill that would expand the Three Valleys board from five to seven members and permit other elected officials to serve on the water district board.

Agencies in the southern area of the district--Pomona, Diamond Bar, Rowland Heights and Walnut--strongly favor the bill, arguing that the area provides 60% of the district’s revenue and is under-represented. Those in the north, including Claremont, La Verne, San Dimas and Glendora, oppose the reorganization as “bad government.”

Representatives of the various cities met last week at the Three Valleys office in Claremont to try to resolve their differences. Although no settlement was reached, the northern agencies agreed to reconsider their opposition to a seven-member board, and the southern agencies said they would consider deleting the provision to allow elected officials to serve on the board.

“Nothing was really resolved,” said Three Valleys General Manager Richard W. Hansen. “There wasn’t much movement, but there was more consideration given on both sides to the various issues than there had been before.”