Riddle me this

[Jim Oaks]

Every month the city bills me for $30 and change for water.

I left on March 31st, shut off the water from the meter, and came home on May 3rd. Zero water consumption in April.

I just went to pay my water bill, and it billed me $30.50 for water.

From 1/16 - 2/14 they said I used 1247
From 2/14 - 3/14 they said I used 1085
From 3/14 - 4/15 they said I used 1094
From 4/15 - 5/15 they said I used 693.

This seems a little suspicious to me.

I mean, it's only $30, but I expected my bill to be less while I was gone.

 

[superj]

it means your meter reader is just guessing what you use and is not actually reading. my buddy is a meter reader here and he said that is what he does for a few months so he can stay home and play video games and then he will actually go read for a month so the city can get up to date on the actual usage.

he said the city averages our water consumption so they can screw everyone anyways. they figure what you use and for the busiest months and then charge you the same each month the rest of the year. then, at the end of the year, they look at what your actual meter numbers are and if you are over, they charge a big bill to get caught up. if you are under, they just don't tell you and keep the money. i have fought with them for a few years on the part about me being under and they say thats how it works out sometimes but no money back or free month

 

[Curious Hound]

Are they charging for actual gallons used? Or are you at the minimum cost for service fees and administrative costs?

3 things you could do.

1. Make sure nothing is running and using water on your property. Then watch the meter for a few hours and make sure it doesn’t run. There is often a tiny little triangle shaped spinner on the meter right near the number wheels. That spinner is the most sensitive reading you have concerning the movement of water through the meter. If it never stops, you have a leak somewhere. Faster = more flow

2. Next time you go on a trip, write down the meter reading when you leave and compare it when you return.

3.put locking covers on your outside hose bibbs so nobody else can use them when you’re not around

 

[2011Supercab]

If it's like my water bill, $27.00 of it is the service fee and then $5.00 - $7.00 a month for the water I use for a total of $32.00 - $34.00 a month.

So if I was gone for month and used 0 water, it would still be $27.00

 

[sgtsandman]

It's possible there is a minimum monthly charge for "system maintenance" that they charge every month. I know my township charges such a fee for sewage. I wouldn't be surprised if the water authority does the same thing.

 

[RobbieD]

Dig a well.

Then tell the city that they're fired.

 

[sgtsandman]

Dig a well.

Then tell the city that they're fired.

Not always an option. Some municipalities have a requirement in their ordinances for you to be hooked up to their system. One could always still have a well, but then you will have to pay for both.

There have been a few instances in the news about people being off grid and having all kinds of legal issues with their municiplaity because of it. To the point that municipalities are trying to force them off their property and seize there kids by children and youth services because the living conditions are "unsafe". It doesn't matter that they have systems in place for heat, water, septic, and electric, they aren't hooked into the grid. So, the living conditions are deemed "dangerous to life and health".

 

[RobbieD]

Not always an option. Some municipalities have a requirement in their ordinances for you to be hooked up to their system. One could always still have a well, but then you will have to pay for both.

There have been a few instances in the news about people being off grid and having all kinds of legal issues with their municiplaity because of it. To the point that municipalities are trying to force them off their property and seize there kids by children and youth services because the living conditions are "unsafe". It doesn't matter that they have systems in place for heat, water, septic, and electric, they aren't hooked into the grid. So, the living conditions are deemed "dangerous to life and health".

Bummer; that even sounds . . . unAmerican.

 

[Blmpkn]

Bummer; that even sounds . . . unAmerican.

It is.

 

[SenorNoob]

Really can't believe we've let things get so far as to make that legal anywhere in the USA.

As for the service charge thing. I'm paying $28 for electric service to keep them from pulling the meter and making me get it re-inspected. Even the bill shows 0 usage.

 

[Snoranger]

Both of my houses have well water, the new one also has city water. They charge a fee for the privilege of being forced to have city water.
I think we used about $8 worth of water last quarter. But paid $58 because of the fee. Just wait until I fill my pool and we’re up to $12 worth of water.

 

[SenorNoob]

Your water rates must be WAY cheaper than ours. One of the blue inflatable ring pools cost $300+ to fill with city water here. I have a cousin that drained and filled an above ground aluminum frame pool (Guessing something like 12x20x4. Fairly large.) and had 2 consecutive $300 bills back in the early 2000s.

 

[Snoranger]

Your water rates must be WAY cheaper than ours. One of the blue inflatable ring pools cost $300+ to fill with city water here. I have a cousin that drained and filled an above ground aluminum frame pool (Guessing something like 12x20x4. Fairly large.) and had 2 consecutive $300 bills back in the early 2000s.

I have to call the township and tell them I’m filling my pool. They will take a before and after reading so they don’t charge me for the sewage fees. It makes it dirt cheap. Sometimes they won’t even come out, they’ll just ask for an estimated amount of water the pool takes.
Water is cheap, processing the waste water is expensive.

 

[Shran]

Holy crap... I guess I shouldn't complain about my $150 water bills in the summer when I forget to shut off the sprinkler at night. I put a shit ton of water on the lawn every year.

Re: wells - I have an old well in my basement that isn't hooked up. I should just plug it but I keep thinking I might use it for watering the grass someday. Everyone has city water and sewer now and honestly I am totally fine with that - septic systems and wells have no place in a normal city. There is not enough space for the septic to percolate without contaminating the well. If everyone had both, everyone would be peeing and pooping on top of their drinking water.

A well by itself is fine but drilling it and maintaining it probably cost a lot more than a city water hookup... and it is very likely cleaner... there are a lot of wells in certain areas around here that aren't safe to drink out of because they are contaminated with chemicals.

 

[superj]

wow, you guys have cheap water. my water bill is 135 a month because of the averaging they use. thats water, waste water, and rain run off that we get charged now. so when it rains, tehy charge us for the water that goes into the gutter and sewer. a new fee they came up with last year and, apparently, only the neighbor and i complained about. i get charged 12 dollars a month for rain run off