Ridiculous water company and bill

**leighcat** · 06-24-2010, 06:04 PM

I wish I didn't have public water and septic. I am so mad. The water/sewer company sent me 2 bills in June. One on the 1st and one on the 29th. Instead of sending one in may. They just sent me another one due July 9. The first one was $80something. Second was $60something. This one is $80something again!! It isn't even drinkable. I have to buy water. I don't wash my car. I save rain water in containers for my plants until I can get rain barrels and it has been raining. I wash my dishes in one sink 1/3 or less full of soapy water and rinse in another less than 1/2 full of water. I take 1 shower a day unless it is my day off and I am clean then I don't take one. The kids take most showers at dad's at night so they only take like 2 here a week. My bf only takes 1-2 a week. I do only a few large loads of laundry a week (because he is only here 2 days a week, lives at moms). My new neighbors and I were discussing petitions and going on strike. They say the water bills are a third of this price only a couple blocks away. The county runs the water in the other area. It used to be owned by another company but the people banded together and got the county to take control. I don't know what else to do. This is ridiculous.

**NikoSan999** · 06-24-2010, 06:14 PM

I would be ticked too. We have well water right now but will be on city when we have to move. There are some cons with well water tho such as well pump replacement and the biggie...when you use it...it runs...and it also runs up the electric bill. If you have to have a water softener and it re-generates it runs and runs.
What I think I'm going to hate the worst about HAVING to have city water is they control everything. If they wanted to turn it off then they could turn it off. If they wanted to raise it $100 then they do. We'll see...
Mrs McDowell will probably reply to this and she's very very savvy in this stuff.

**frugalfriend** · 06-24-2010, 07:17 PM

I feel your pain!

Our water/sewer bills average $90. a month over the course of the year. CRAZY! Our lawn is turning brown right now so dh is stepping up the watering, it's gonna cost an arm and a leg! Don't get it!

**Libby** · 06-24-2010, 07:20 PM

Sorry to hear that your rate has gone up

I agree with Niko, McD will chime in with options on how to verify your rates etc.

**McD** · 06-24-2010, 09:52 PM

Originally Posted by leighcat

I wish I didn't have public water and septic. I am so mad. The water/sewer company sent me 2 bills in June. One on the 1st and one on the 29th. Instead of sending one in may. They just sent me another one due July 9. The first one was $80something. Second was $60something. This one is $80something again!! It isn't even drinkable. I have to buy water. I don't wash my car. I save rain water in containers for my plants until I can get rain barrels and it has been raining. I wash my dishes in one sink 1/3 or less full of soapy water and rinse in another less than 1/2 full of water. I take 1 shower a day unless it is my day off and I am clean then I don't take one. The kids take most showers at dad's at night so they only take like 2 here a week. My bf only takes 1-2 a week. I do only a few large loads of laundry a week (because he is only here 2 days a week, lives at moms). My new neighbors and I were discussing petitions and going on strike. They say the water bills are a third of this price only a couple blocks away. The county runs the water in the other area. It used to be owned by another company but the people banded together and got the county to take control. I don't know what else to do. This is ridiculous.

Well, like the other posters said, I am here with bells on!!!

Anyways, the reason the other poster said I would be here to post is because I work for a water utility.

Are you on septic or public sewer?

The first thing I would do is verify the service dates on all of your bills. Make sure you haven't been double-billed on any of your service dates.

Does your water utility bill a month behind? The reason I am asking this is because you just moved into your home fairly recently right? So could the June 1 bill be for water used between your move-in date and the date they got your meter reading in May?

Next question--are you billed in gallons of water used? Our water utility has found that the average person uses approximately 2000 gallons of water per month for all their needs--washing, consumption, flushing, etc. Does your bill have your consumption anywhere on it that you can compare your monthly usage?

Also, are they basing your bills off of ACTUAL consumption or are they estimating? An easy way to check is to compare the meter reading that is on your latest bill to the actual reading of your water meter. Your water meter reading should be HIGHER than the number on your last bill.

I would call and ask them to walk you through each bill. Have them explain how each bill was calculated-based off of what dates of services, consumption, etc. Make sure they are all bills and not reminder notices, etc. Ask everything you can think of--what is the water rate? what is the sewer rate? do you get a rain barrell discount? Are there service availability fees? Are there stormwater run off fees? Are they charging you for trash collection? I know the water utility I work for is more than happy to do that, I hope yours would too.

And very lastly, this is something I encourage every homeowner to do on a semi-annual basis. Check your home for leaks! The most typical household leak (toilet) can very rarely be seen or heard. An easy way to check toilets is to take food coloring, jello packet, kool-aid pack, etc. and place it into the tanks of your toilets. Don't flush-just let it sit for 15 minutes. If any of the color seeps from the tank of the toilet into the bowl, then your toilet is leaking. Literally just money flushing down the drain. If your home has a humidifier or a water softener check to make sure they are not cycling continuously. And very lastly, read your meter very last thing before you go to bed. When you wake up in the morning, before you flush, turn on a faucet, etc. read your meter. If the meter reading has changed when no water should be running through that meter, then you've got a leak.

And just as a shocking aside, we have seen leaking toilets used anywhere from 4,000 gallons extra of water to 100,000 gallons of water. In case anyone was wondering, if your toilet is swirling continously, it is not a self-cleaning toilet. The toilet is leaking and will cost you lots of money. A tiny leak that drips in 1/32nd of an inch in diameter can let an extra 6,000 gallons of water through a meter. Crazy, huh?

Back to the subject at hand--your water. When you say it's not drinkable--is it cloudy? Chemically? Bad tasting? Depending on your answer, I have more solutions for you! I don't want to overwhelm you though. Those are my starting suggestions. I hope that helps.

**Mom2-3** · 06-25-2010, 01:17 AM

Those are some great suggestions! I will have to try the kool-aid in the tank of the toilet.

Our water bill is around $100/month. We have 5 people and a pool with a large yard. I always felt that was a decent price?

**Libby** · 06-25-2010, 01:30 AM

Originally Posted by MrsMcDowell

And just as a shocking aside, we have seen leaking toilets used anywhere from 4,000 gallons extra of water to 100,000 gallons of water. In case anyone was wondering, if your toilet is swirling continously, it is not a self-cleaning toilet. The toilet is leaking and will cost you lots of money. A tiny leak that drips in 1/32nd of an inch in diameter can let an extra 6,000 gallons of water through a meter. Crazy, huh?

Hahahaha I love that

**mek42** · 06-25-2010, 07:57 AM

Originally Posted by Mom2-3

Those are some great suggestions! I will have to try the kool-aid in the tank of the toilet.

Our water bill is around $100/month. We have 5 people and a pool with a large yard. I always felt that was a decent price?

We are a family of two people and two wanted (by us

) terrierists with a sometimes drippy kitchen sink (it's on that dreaded honey-do list

) and our bill is about $80 per quarter. We live in a Great Lakes state.

**frugal is fun** · 06-25-2010, 08:45 AM

I also work for a water utility and MrsMcD is right on!

I pay about $60 a quarter for just water, no sewer charges. And I have one of the most expensive water companies in the state of CT. Its just my son and I and we're almost never home. Average about 4000 gallons a quarter.

**frugal is fun** · 06-25-2010, 08:47 AM

I also work for a water utility and MrsMcD is right on!

I pay about $60 a quarter for just water, no sewer charges. And I have one of the most expensive water companies in the state of CT. Its just my son and I and we're almost never home. Average about 4000 gallons a quarter.

O..and you say your water isn't drinkable...is this just by how it looks/smells or is it not meeting water quality standards? as thats a whole other problem.

**mek42** · 06-25-2010, 08:51 AM

Our $80/quarter is water and sewer.

**McD** · 06-25-2010, 09:20 AM

Wanted to add---we pay 45ish a month and that includes water, sewer, trash, and the new storm water run-off that the Public Works Department implemented. Our consumption varies between 3000-5000 gallons per month because of how we round our gallons during the billing process.

**frugalfranny** · 06-25-2010, 11:42 PM

Originally Posted by leighcat

I wish I didn't have public water and septic. My new neighbors and I were discussing petitions and going on strike. They say the water bills are a third of this price only a couple blocks away. The county runs the water in the other area. It used to be owned by another company but the people banded together and got the county to take control. I don't know what else to do. This is ridiculous.

This is the pits....hope you can get it figured out and get the bill lowered.

My water is billed by cu.ft......but your bill should have an amt. on it to compare to prior months.

I know what you mean about water being cheaper a short distance away.......same here. And my 'basic' just went up 25%........no prior notice. I have a 'water district'.........UGH.....about the worst. If I have a green lawn, when we are hot, it is nothing for me to have an $80 to $100 water bill FOR A MONTH! Does NOT include any trash or sewer......UGH!

Reading some of these other rates makes me want to cry too......

**Mom2-3** · 06-26-2010, 02:32 AM

Some of your prices are amazing!! Our trash bill is $40/month, water is $100/month and don't get me started on electric/gas bill!! That's about $150/month.

Ugh! HCOLA

**greekislandgirl** · 06-26-2010, 02:32 AM

No advice from me, just wanted to say I SYMPATHIZE - here we pay our water once per YEAR in one lump sum, and guess what, TODAY is the day we have to pay it... my husband is meeting with the landlord in a few hours to find out what it is and pay it... doesn't that sound fun... We have been married two months and JUST started financial planning less than 2 weeks ago - I hope this doesn't totally ruin all our budgeting plans. We've only lived here one year so have nothing to compare it to, we don't know how much it will be! Fingers crossed we can pay it without messing up our budget too much....