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Now that the Southeast United States is coming out of a drought, those who control the water supply are loosening water restrictions, which is a good thing. But, it would seem that the water companies aren't happy with just making a little more money now that the supply is up, they are getting greedy and charging more for the water that they couldn't dish out back during the drought.
Among the price hikes:
•Atlanta's water utility, facing hundreds of millions of dollars in bond debt for a $3.9 billion update of its sewer and water systems, is seeking a 15% rate increase to offset conservation losses; other water utilities in metropolitan Atlanta are likely to follow suit if usage stays low.
"We're estimating a $33 million-a-year loss because of the drop in revenue from people conserving," says Janet Ward, spokeswoman for Atlanta's Department of Watershed Management. "That's the Catch-22 that we're in. People conserve, and you're so proud of them. Then you say, 'But wait, you're going to get hit with a bigger bill for conserving.' "
•In Charlotte, where people have reduced their water usage by up to 40% since last year, water bills are going up about 15% beginning next month — about $6 a month for the average customer. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg utilities department, facing a $20 million shortfall because of conservation, will drop the increase to 14% in July and might drop it further as water usage rises. "It's tough for the average customer to understand," says Maeneen Klein, water conservation manager for the utility. "Do what we ask you to do, and it's going to cause your bill to go up."
•In Palm Beach County, Fla., water customers are seeing a drought surcharge on their bills: an additional $3.50 on an average $23.80 bill. The Palm Beach County Water Utilities Department, which serves about 500,000 people, is facing an estimated $13 million deficit, spokesman Robert Nelton says.
The article goes on to state that consumers in the Southeast haven't been paying the true cost of water, that's according to Robin Craig, who happens to be a water expert at the Florida State University's college of Law. If you are going to get charged more for helping to conserve one of our natural resources, tell them where to go the next time around. those bond issues and crap should not be the consumers problem.
