Raising water rates considered for NC

As the severe drought continues in North Carolina, a proposal is being considered to raise water rates for some areas to encourage more conservation. No doubt Raleigh's Mayor Meeker and those considering this idea can afford to pay higher rates and have the means that this would not be a significant burden added to their living expenses.

A problem comes about if yet another cost increase is added to the expenses of a large portion of the population with lower incomes or living on a fixed income after retirement and feel the impact of every increase that comes along. Yes, a rate hike during times when the water supply is decreasing should encourage greater conservation but there is no evidence this will actually produce the desired results of a substantial decrease in overall water consumption in the region. It is more likely this will become a way to squeeze more money out of the general population and add to the revenues of the municipalities that impose the increase.

A more realistic approach would be to penalize those that continue to water grass for the sake of having a green lawn and continue to use excessive amounts of water beyond what is needed for health and living purposes and reasonable watering needs. Some local homeowner associations are threatening homeowners and reported to be fining them when they don't water lawns and keep them green. To date fines for watering during dry conditions are for the most part not being given out. Sprinklers are routinely seen spreading water on grass and plants around shopping centers, institutional sites and large homes in wealthy neighborhoods.

It is a known fact that lawns simply go dormant when not watered and will return to a green state when enough natural water is available. Cars do not need to be washed during dry times and yet there are lots of pricey automobiles seen along roads every day that have obviously been washed. Let's devise a plan that will actually reduce water consumption in these and other situations that can make a dent in water consumption and let our citizens have water at a reasonable rate without gouging them on top of other cost increases already forced on them.

NBC17 Online
January 17, 2008
By - Ken Luallen

Raleigh City Council to discuss water rate increase

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Raleigh's mayor turned water conservation into a financial issue Monday, unveiling a proposed 50 percent increase in the price of water sold to the city's customers. The City Council plans to discuss the matter today.

"If the crisis gets much worse I think we are all bound to suck it up," Poole said. He is a homeowner willing to accept the higher fees if it ensures Raleigh's water supply will last beyond its current 120 day mark.

Mayor Charles Meeker proposed the rate increase as a way to prepare the city for a potentially dry summer with less than half its normal water supply in Falls Lake. For a typical home with moderate to heavy water use, the current bill for 6,000 gallons used per month is $356.14. Under Meeker's proposal that would increase to $535.76 per month, about $15 more per month.

"What this is designed to do... is to get practices in place that will get us through this summer and through next fall by reducing our amount of consumption so we're where we want to be come May first when the warm weather starts," Meeker said.

Raleigh City Manager Russell Allen believes citizens can easily absorb the higher cost.

"If you look at our water and sewer bills they're not significant components of people's budgets so this percentage with a reduction really should not have large impacts on a household budget," Allen said.

City Council must first approve the proposal, which would take effect March 1 and appear on customers' bills May 1. Meeker said the surcharge could be avoided if it rains significantly before March 1. The surcharge could be lessened or removed by City Council if the drought eases during the summer.

Meeker also called on all citizens to install low flow shower and faucet heads as well as outdoor rain barrels to ease the burden of the proposed higher water cost.

Cary-based Lowe's Home Improvement salesman Jemitrus Harris said the cost of new shower heads should be seen as an investment.

"You're looking at $35 per bathroom and that pays for itself over time," Harris said.

Raleigh City Council is expected to be presented with Meeker's plan at its regularly scheduled meeting Tuesday afternoon. Read viewer responses online...