Water and sewer bill
podg...@gmail.com
answer ... I signed with a local water company and they said, I'll pay
something around 3.29 per 1000 galons - so that's fine. Now I get a
sewer bill and these guys are charging me a standard quarterly charge
of $72 + THEY ARE CHARGING ME FOR THE WATER USAGE, AGAIN - something
like 2.39 per 1000 gallons. So why in the world am I paying twice for
the water used?
P.S. I haven't gotten a bill from the water authority yet, could it be
it's only one bill for both the sewer and the water authority, prob
not, right?
George
> Just got a new house, so if the following question has an obvious
> answer ... I signed with a local water company and they said, I'll pay
> something around 3.29 per 1000 galons - so that's fine. Now I get a
> sewer bill and these guys are charging me a standard quarterly charge
> of $72 + THEY ARE CHARGING ME FOR THE WATER USAGE, AGAIN - something
> like 2.39 per 1000 gallons. So why in the world am I paying twice for
> the water used?
Because you are likely paying the cost of processing that quantity of
what is now wastewater. A neighboring city has a similar fee stucture.
Why not call and have them explain it to you or ask a neighbor?
Auntie Bea
Frustrating isn't it?
What happens is you are charged for the cost to get the water TO you so
you can use the water, then you are charged by the city to get RID of
the water you've used. This is the cost to transport it BACK to the
sewage treatment facility and the cost of treatment.
They literally get you coming and going!!
podg...@gmail.com
so 1/4 of the water used DOES NOT GO BACK through the pipes, that's
what gets me.
P.S. As suggested will also make a call for clarification.
Mark Barrett
> Just got a new house, so if the following question has an obvious
> answer ... I signed with a local water company and they said, I'll pay
> something around 3.29 per 1000 galons - so that's fine. Now I get a
> sewer bill and these guys are charging me a standard quarterly charge
> of $72 + THEY ARE CHARGING ME FOR THE WATER USAGE, AGAIN - something
> like 2.39 per 1000 gallons. So why in the world am I paying twice for
> the water used?
This sounds about right. I am in an expensive water district
and I pay about $45 a month for combined water and sewer. I
average about 5000 gallons of water a month with a rate of
about $5 per 1000 gallons. In addition there is a flat fee of
about $22 month for the sewer charge. It appears you will be
paying about $24 month for sewer. Providing fresh water and
processing "used" water is two separate processes.
Mark
larry
Since we paid for it twice, we began cheating the system
over ten years ago.
Most of that expensive water now get used in the house, then
gets to make the grass green! Laundry (and bath) water is
great for lawns. Another use for the grey water is to flush
the toilet, new office buildings are now doing that here.
I think some day they'll add another fee for that "missing"
water. 30 years ago, $25 would pay almost 4 months of
bills, now it's a down payment for a month.
-larry / dallas
Tony Sivori
> The problem with the coming and going scheme is that I water my lawn, so
> 1/4 of the water used DOES NOT GO BACK through the pipes, that's what
> gets me.
In some areas you can pay to install a second water meter so water used
for landscape irrigation is subtracted from your sewer bill.
--
Tony Sivori
Mike T.
"Tony Sivori" <TonyS...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:pan.2006.08.16....@yahoo.com...
Why the hell would anybody hanging out in the frugal ng water the lawn
anyway? If you water it, it grows faster, which means it has to be cut more
often, which is very un-frugal. Not to mention, if you are going to water
the lawn, why not open all your exterior doors and windows so that you can
air-condition the universe, also? -Dave
Bart Byers
In the 80s, this town was about 100 years old and had 200 houses. Some
had recently been built on a low meadow. A few of those had trouble
with septic drainfields. The county this required the town to build a
sewer.
That's what the EPA had been saying in Washington. They claimed most
homes in America were on land unsuited to septic systems, so the whole
country needed to be on sewers.
The town put in an enormously expensive sewer. To pay for it, all of us
were forced to switch from our septic systems and well water. Those who
insisted on staying on their wells had meters installed on their wells
as a means of billing them for sewerage. Then the town billed them for
their well water, too, and ignored their protests.
Then the town decided it would be simpler to close its wells and buy
water from a nearby city.
Sewerage costs kept rising. In the 90s the EPA reversed its position.
The cost of a sewer for a rural community was prohibitive, and almost
any site in America was suitable for a septic system if designed
properly. Rural sewers were an ecological nightmare because there was
no money to fix leaky lines and disposing of all that sewer water was
bound to run afoul of federal regulations and call for costly fixes year
after year.
The city had offered the town water at their industrial rate. Once that
contract expired, they switched us, their largest customer, to their
household rate. Our cost has quadrupled.
The county has forced people outside municipalities onto county water.
When my BIL's spring dried up, he drilled a well. If the first
sample of water had not passed county tests, he would not have been
allowed to fix the problem or drill another well. The law would have
required him to pay the county to run a water line half a mile from the
road, then pay for every drop of water for his livestock and crops.
Not only does that policy rob citizens who don't need public water, it
means frequent shortages. If 10,000 people have wells and springs, they
know they must cut back in drought conditions. On county water, they
may not cut back. One person who waters his lawn may use as much as a
hundred other households, and the county rate structure is regressive to
favor those who water lawns. When there's a shortage, somebody who
takes a pint of water out to wash his windshield pays the same fine as
someone who sprays 10,000 gallons on his lawn.
podg...@gmail.com
P.S. Being frugal does not mean letting your lawn die, If I'm frugal
that does not mean I'm not feeding my pets and my kids.
Mike T.
<podg...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1155759062.0...@75g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
> I'll look into putting in another water meter, thanks
> P.S. Being frugal does not mean letting your lawn die,
If you don't water your lawn, the grass doesn't grow as fast, and it will
eventually turn brown. Many people mistakenly believe that the lawn has
died when it is brown. Actually, that's just the color it takes on
naturally when it doesn't get as much water as it needs to remain green. If
you don't believe it, just water a brown lawn, and you will note that within
hours it will be green again.
It's terribly un-frugal to water a lawn. The only reason to water a lawn is
to keep it green. Watering it won't help to keep it alive. -Dave
val189
For every dollar I am billed for water, I'm billed a dollar seventy
five for sewer usage. No flat fee for sewer here - this method
supposedly fosters water conservation.
Melissa
<podg...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1155734932.7...@i42g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
I believe our sewer bill is figured on our water usage. It doesn't matter if
the water goes into the lawn (from a car wash) etc. 2 people living here,
water/sewer/hydrant charge averages $43 per month. When all 6 lived here,
it was close to double that. Garbage is separate since we are outside city
limits. It's also worth a mention that we pay a 200% surcharge since we are
on City Water but don't live in the "city" limits. So much for not paying
City Tax.
Melissa
Melissa
Bart Byers
hot weather. If you cut them too short the roots will get too warm and
watering will just help the weeds. Cutting them long enough is frugal:
no watering and no weeds.
Bob
<podg...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1155734932.7...@i42g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
Here in Seattle, The rate is $2.88/ 100 CCF (about 750 gallons) for the
first 5 CCF, then it goes higher. The sewage charge is $6.76 based on your
winter usage for a maximum amount. Thus, up to that amount, you pay
over a penny / gallon for the water you use. In the summer, since extra usage
is probably for watering and car washing, etc, you don't pay extra sewage
for the extra water you use.
Bob
Mike M.
"Mike T." <no...@nohow.not> wrote in message
news:44e37d5f$0$17944$892e...@authen.yellow.readfreenews.net...
>
> <podg...@gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:1155759062.0...@75g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
>> I'll look into putting in another water meter, thanks
>> P.S. Being frugal does not mean letting your lawn die,
>
> If you don't water your lawn, the grass doesn't grow as fast, and it will
> eventually turn brown. Many people mistakenly believe that the lawn has
> died when it is brown. Actually, that's just the color it takes on
> naturally when it doesn't get as much water as it needs to remain green.
> If you don't believe it, just water a brown lawn, and you will note that
> within hours it will be green again.
LOL! I'm gonna go out on a limb and assume you're not a resident of S.
Florida.
Where I live, brown grass (more often than not St. Augustine, the most
common to this area) = dead grass. Regardless of how much water you put on
brown (dead) St. Augustine grass, it will remain dead. Any green that may
re-appear will likely be in the form of weeds.
> It's terribly un-frugal to water a lawn. The only reason to water a lawn
> is to keep it green. Watering it won't help to keep it alive. -Dave
Tell that to the people living in my neck of the woods who wait too long,
especially during an extended period of dry weather, before watering their
lawn. The only way to make a lawn with dead spots uniform again is to rake
out the brown (dead) spots and hope runners from bordering healthy areas
(St. Augustine is a form of grass that wanders/grows both vertically and
horizontally) will eventually fill in the bad spots. It's that or a trip to
the local landscape shop to purchase replacement sod.
Now what's annoying are the folks - including cities/local municipalities
responsible for watering common areas such as median strips and such - who
have automated sprinkler systems that aren't equipped to shut off when it
starts to rain. It can be raining cats and dogs, yet the sprinkler system
continues spewing water unnecessarily.
Personally, my front lawn is weed-friendly - maybe 70% grass/30% weeds.
Only water it occasionally. Fortunately most of the weeds are at least
green in color. Close enough - I'm not one to split hairs. Convenient
excuse or not, trying to keep the weeds down would do more harm than good.
And in my lawn's case, it would be a complete disaster.
The back yard has little grass (consists mostly of trees/shrubs/mulched
areas) so it needs almost no watering. Also makes it more
bird/lizard/snake/misc. creature-friendly. Ultra-manicured lawns - or those
consisting mostly of large grassy areas, with only a handful of
strategically placed shrubs/planters - seem kinda boring.
Mike
Rod Speed
> On 16 Aug 2006 13:26:02 -0700, in misc.consumers.frugal-living
> the same no matter how little or how much water we use. It's based
> on our water usage in the winter months. So I could water my lawn
> and be very wasteful with water all summer long and not be billed extra.
You sure its not just the sewer bill that is worked out like that ?
Thats a reasonable way of estimating what water goes down the
sewer without bothering with a separate meter for the garden etc.
Chloe
news:44e37d5f$0$17944$892e...@authen.yellow.readfreenews.net...
>
It helps keep the big beech tree in our front yard healthy, though. Although
I probably wouldn't have planted something so prone to problems, it was here
when we got here and it's a beauty. Probably adds several thousand dollars
to the value of our house. Personally I don't mind spending the money it
takes to run the irrigation system. Nice landscaping and curb appeal pays
off in the long run. FWIW, I live in an area where there's no water
shortage.
Mike T.
> I love it when my lawn turns brown, it means I can go on vacation without
> having
> my city send me nasty letters telling me to mow my lawn.
>
They actually DO that? Shit, I'd look into moving, soon. -Dave
Mike T.
>> It's terribly un-frugal to water a lawn. The only reason to water a lawn
>> is to keep it green. Watering it won't help to keep it alive. -Dave
>
> It helps keep the big beech tree in our front yard healthy, though.
> Although
> I probably wouldn't have planted something so prone to problems, it was
> here
> when we got here and it's a beauty. Probably adds several thousand dollars
> to the value of our house. Personally I don't mind spending the money it
> takes to run the irrigation system. Nice landscaping and curb appeal pays
> off in the long run. FWIW, I live in an area where there's no water
> shortage.
>
I agree with the curb appeal aspect, but that only really comes into play
when you put the house on the market. Me, I'm happy with a brown lawn. If
I decide to sell the house, I'll water the lawn first. :) -Dave
podg...@gmail.com
lawn does fine without watering.
rick++
Sewer bills not uncommon.
May be a garbage collection bill too.
Your real estate agent should have disclosed all these.
housemouse.net
Please, while you are at it, : ) ask someone in the water department if
any industry can use the recycled waste water leaving our sinks and
tubs.
When I water the plants in the backyard, I sometimes use unsoaped water
that I COLLECT IN A LARGE POT in the shower before introducing soap. I
remove the pot right before soaping -- a good amount of clean water for
plants is created!
Also, at the kitchen sink, a lot of water is 'down the drain' that we
use to just when we rinse things off. If we collected clean rinse
water in a bowl in the sink, that is also water that can be used for
plants.
IT WOULD BE COOL TO have an invention THAT COLLECTED WASTE WATER,
REMOVED THE SOAP, so we could recycle our own waste-water for plants,
etc.
Best of luck in your quest.
grappletech
converted to sewers 3 years ago. We had to pay like $2000 (for labor/fees)
to tie into the sewer. I was pissed to find out that the water district
had a program to "waive" the $2000 fee if you signed up for a hardship
waiver. My neighbor who makes a lot more money than me (he works for GM
and his wife is a federal employee) signed up for the grant early, so they
didn't have to pay a penny. And several other neighbors got theirs for
free too. I called to ask about the program and was told they were out of
waivers. So I asked if there was an income qualification. She said no: it
was based on first come, first serve. So they never checked income; they
just handed out the waivers to the people who called early on. So people
who didn't need the waiver got the waiver, while others had to pay the
$2000. Sounds like typical gov't mismanagement.
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hchi...@hotmail.com
Amen, brother, amen. Once the grass dies back, the weeds move in and
set up housekeeping. After Wilma the lawn got dry and didn't get
watered, and the weeds that blew in took over. I had to get a lawn
chemical company to kill off some of the weeds that are resistant to
2-4-D and the other "safe" broadleaf weed killers.
>Now what's annoying are the folks - including cities/local municipalities
>responsible for watering common areas such as median strips and such - who
>have automated sprinkler systems that aren't equipped to shut off when it
>starts to rain. It can be raining cats and dogs, yet the sprinkler system
>continues spewing water unnecessarily.
Or they have a broken sprinkler head that shoots water directly at
windshields and bike riders...
>Personally, my front lawn is weed-friendly - maybe 70% grass/30% weeds.
>Only water it occasionally. Fortunately most of the weeds are at least
>green in color. Close enough - I'm not one to split hairs. Convenient
>excuse or not, trying to keep the weeds down would do more harm than good.
>And in my lawn's case, it would be a complete disaster.
I'm doing a little better, maybe 80% grass in some areas that show
more, but with a lot of labor. I draw the line at yanking the weeds
out by hand though. Touch-em with the glycophosphate in the spring,
create the dead circle, and let the summer rains bring the grass back
in from the edges.
>The back yard has little grass (consists mostly of trees/shrubs/mulched
>areas) so it needs almost no watering. Also makes it more
>bird/lizard/snake/misc. creature-friendly. Ultra-manicured lawns - or those
>consisting mostly of large grassy areas, with only a handful of
>strategically placed shrubs/planters - seem kinda boring.
When you have as large a lawn as mine, you get thankful for "boring."
:-) I'm happy to have the snakes, butterflies, birds, and small
lizards out back, but Iguanas are dead meat if they come around.
Dave
<am...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:gba9e2le5768lnnl2...@4ax.com...
> On Thu, 17 Aug 2006 08:56:49 -0400, in misc.consumers.frugal-living "Mike
> T."
> She is
> always whining about lawns.
>
>
Does she volunteer her time, tools and gas to mow other peoples' lawns? If
not, tell her to stick it where the sun don't shine. -Dave
goldenm...@yahoo.com
NOTHING.
GM (snickering at people with gardeners)
SoCalMike
> If I did not have a 1% interest loan I would not stick around and pay these
> water and sewer bills and put up with all the city rules. Its a city of 8,000
> pretending to be a real city. Houses in the city limits are cheap though. The
> tax rate is a bit outrageous I think. The assessed value of my home is $100,000
> the taxes are $1,500 per year plus the mandatory garbage/water/sewer service
> with rates set to go up for the next five years. They taxes went up by over 40%
> the month I moved in, lucky me I moved in on an assessment year.
1.5%? not bad. could be much much worse.