On USA Today in a survey of 100 municipalities found residential water bills in at least one in four places have doubled in the past 12 years. In Cleveland, the price has raised +130%.
A Philadelphia homeowner who is petitioning against a the water rate increase in her city says, "I don't know how they expect people to keep paying more for water with the cost of gas and day care and everything else going up." Philadelphia's deputy water commissioner notes that his agency held rates stable from 1993 until 2001, but costs had to go up to maintain crucial water supply and delivery systems.
US water systems will need as much as $1 trillion in infrastructure improvements by 2035 to keep up with drinking water needs. That's a whole lot of money and the only way they're going to get it is through taxes. If people are going to keep wanting water, which is essential for life, there's really no choice.
It goes on to explain the trend toward higher bills and how it is being driven. They say it's by the cost of paying off the debt on bonds municipalities issue to fund expensive repairs or upgrades on aging water systems, increases in the cost of electricity, chemicals and fuel used to supply and treat water, compliance with federal government clean-water mandates. rising pension and health care costs for water agency workers, and increased security safeguards for water systems since the 9/11 terror attacks.
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