Water rates

[Odie 0]

It seems that county that I live in raise water rate when there is unusage of water. Here is an article from the Buffalo News.

 

Extra rain could be leaving utility dry

 

 

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Water Authority predicts $2.2 million budget gap

 

By MATTHEW SPINA

News Staff Reporter

7/26/2004 

 

Erie County, you haven't been watering your lawns, filling your kiddie pools and washing your cars - and nowhere is that more evident than in the Water Authority's thirsty coffers.

With rainfall more than 1.5 inches above normal for the month, authority officials see this as the worst July for sales since at least 1990, when considering the number of customers. The staff is looking at ways to tighten the budget belt to finish the year and isn't broaching another rate increase yet.

 

July is a peak month, when the authority typically sells more than 70 million gallons a day. It even hit 104 million gallons a day during the first three weeks of July 2002.

 

So far this July, the flow has sunk to an average of 68.5 million gallons a day sold to 145,000 customers.

 

This month's sales rank down there with 1992's 63 million gallons a day, but the authority had far fewer customers then - about 117,000. The water authority later that year used the wet summer to justify a rate increase, angering residents around the county.

 

This year, the authority projects a budget shortfall of $2.2 million, but officials are considering myriad ways to save money rather than raise rates, said spokesman Brian Gould, noting that less is spent to pump and treat water when sales are down.

 

The authority's cash balance hovers at about $30 million, staff members said, and they haven't raided reserves in eight years.

 

Water customers were dealt rate increases for 2002, 2003 and again for this year, when they faced a decade-high 6.8 percent hike. Users now pay an average $2.48 for 1,000 gallons.

 

With July and August its busiest months, the authority projects it would have to sell an unlikely 105 million gallons a day over the next 30 days to pull itself out of the deficit.

 

What are the odds of that?

 

The authority reached its best August total in 2001, when it sold 86.45 million gallons a day.

[WEAREBORG4102 0]

Isn't that under the county? If it is, revenue doesn't matter. It just feeds into the state budget. They don't have to make such a big deal about it.

[Beam me up 0]

You actually pay for water???

[Odie 0]

You actually pay for water???  :blink:

I help my father pay his utilities. I am very tired when I see a rate increase for water because the county can't budget themselves.

Edited July 31, 2004 by Odie

[RikerChick 5]

You actually pay for water???  :blink:

Doesn't everybody? :blink:

[VaBeachGuy 12]

You actually pay for water???  :blink:

Doesn't everybody? :blink:

No, I have a well so I could leave my water running 24/7 and not pay a penny for the water. I do have a water softner though and I have to buy bags of salt for that. I buy 3 or 4 60lb bags every few months. They are about $4/bag.

[RikerChick 5]

I pay a small fortune for water every month. My water bill this month is just over $150. :blink:

[VaBeachGuy 12]

I pay a small fortune for water every month. My water bill this month is just over $150. :blink:

$150 for a month of water? I don't even spend that much in a full year on the salt for my softner. The only bad thing is when the power goes out there's no water becasue the well needs a pump to get the water out of the ground but I have a generator that I turn on and that is more then enough to run the pump.

[gul_nodrog 2]

Our water runs around $100 every three months, but that includes sanitation (sewer/garbage pickup twice a week).

 

I'm just used to it ... it's higher in the summer, because I tend to water the grass a lot and we have a swimming pool.

[VaBeachGuy 12]

They charge you for garbage pickup?? What do your state takes go to?

[RikerChick 5]

I should have mentioned that garbage and recycling pick up is included in our water bill too.

[Yillara Skye 1]

They charge you for garbage pickup??

Here they charge for garbage pick up, but that appears as part of your yearly property taxes(as far as I can recall). I think if you have city water that also appears on the tax, but I have a well..so I am not sure if that is so or not.