Use less water, get charged more

[Quantum Windbag]

Gotta love government monopolies, who else could get away with this crap?

Federally mandated low-flow toilets, shower heads and faucets are taking a financial toll on the nation’s water utilities, leaving customers to make up the shortfall with higher water rates and new fees that have left many paying more for less.
Utility officials say they understand that charging more for water because demand has dropped might seem to violate a basic premise of Economics 101. But utilities that generally charge by the number of gallons used are beginning to feel the financial pinch of 20 years of environmentally friendly fixtures and appliances, as older bathrooms and kitchens have been remodeled, utility experts say.
Federal laws aimed at conserving water limit toilets that once needed up to seven gallons per flush to 1.6 gallons. Shower heads that spewed up to eight gallons per minute are being replaced with sprays of about 2.5 gallons.
Adding to the problem, Washington-area utilities say, is the fact that consumption is falling as costs are mounting to upgrade sewer systems and repair and replace aging water pipes, some more than a century old, that are bursting after decades of decay and neglect. Meanwhile, utilities’ costs — electricity, chemicals and labor — have continued to rise.

Water utilities charge more to offset low-flow toilets, faucets and shower heads - The Washington Post

Any bets on how long it takes for some idiot to come in and defend public utilities because they keep people safe?

 

[Old Rocks]

There are just a whole bunch of cities that do not have a limitless supply of water. In fact, many of them are at the end of their supplies. Simple economic equation, limited supply, higher prices.

You don't like public utilities, go ahead and pay for private utilities. That is going to cost you a lot more.

 

[R.C. Christian]

Same with solar. The corporate ass heads have done something similar in Oklahomo. Oklahoma deserves it though because it's a state full of retarded rednecks.

 

[Moonglow]

Same with solar. The corporate ass heads have done something similar in Oklahomo. Oklahoma deserves it though because it's a state full of retarded rednecks.

That's a compliment to an Okie....

 

[Quantum Windbag]

There are just a whole bunch of cities that do not have a limitless supply of water. In fact, many of them are at the end of their supplies. Simple economic equation, limited supply, higher prices.

You don't like public utilities, go ahead and pay for private utilities. That is going to cost you a lot more.

I guess you missed the part where everyone is using less water, and the utilities are raising the rate because they are using less water. In other words, your post is ignoring the facts laid out in the OP, this has nothing to do with the amount of water the utility has available, it is all about stealing money from people that are forced to deal with a government mandated monopoly, which is the only type of monopoly that can exist.

 

[ogibillm]

so privately held utility companies would not pass on costs of maintaining their equipment to consumers? is that the argument?

 

[Mr. H.]

Simple economic equation, limited supply, higher prices.

Like the hydrocarbon industries? You don't like private enterprise, then make it public.

Then sit back and enjoy the price of THAT.

 

[Manonthestreet]

but ...but .... I thought water was a human right= free....Detroit and libs told me so

 

[Quantum Windbag]

so privately held utility companies would not pass on costs of maintaining their equipment to consumers? is that the argument?

They aren't privately held, if they were they would have upgraded their facilities over a period of time instead of turning to a captured customer base to pay for it when it is way too old.

 

[ogibillm]

so privately held utility companies would not pass on costs of maintaining their equipment to consumers? is that the argument?

They aren't privately held, if they were they would have upgraded their facilities over a period of time instead of turning to a captured customer base to pay for it when it is way too old.

they also would have been charging more the entire time and making profit off the water. and you don't believe that the public utilities have upgraded some of their infrastructure over time?

 

[Quantum Windbag]

so privately held utility companies would not pass on costs of maintaining their equipment to consumers? is that the argument?

They aren't privately held, if they were they would have upgraded their facilities over a period of time instead of turning to a captured customer base to pay for it when it is way too old.

they also would have been charging more the entire time and making profit off the water. and you don't believe that the public utilities have upgraded some of their infrastructure over time?

You would have a point if the public utilities weren't making money off of it themselves, with the added advantage that no one can switch to another company because they have a government enforced monopoly.

By the way, I assume you don't live in Toledo. Or perhaps you just like shitty water.

 

[ogibillm]

They aren't privately held, if they were they would have upgraded their facilities over a period of time instead of turning to a captured customer base to pay for it when it is way too old.

they also would have been charging more the entire time and making profit off the water. and you don't believe that the public utilities have upgraded some of their infrastructure over time?

You would have a point if the public utilities weren't making money off of it themselves, with the added advantage that no one can switch to another company because they have a government enforced monopoly.

By the way, I assume you don't live in Toledo. Or perhaps you just like shitty water.

explain to me how competition in water supply would work logistically. how many sewer systems will a city support and have room for?

where did all this city water utility profit go?

 

[idb]

so privately held utility companies would not pass on costs of maintaining their equipment to consumers? is that the argument?

I think so.

 

[idb]

They aren't privately held, if they were they would have upgraded their facilities over a period of time instead of turning to a captured customer base to pay for it when it is way too old.

they also would have been charging more the entire time and making profit off the water. and you don't believe that the public utilities have upgraded some of their infrastructure over time?

You would have a point if the public utilities weren't making money off of it themselves, with the added advantage that no one can switch to another company because they have a government enforced monopoly.

By the way, I assume you don't live in Toledo. Or perhaps you just like shitty water.

Fairfax Water - one of the utilities listed in your article.

Chartered in 1957 by the Virginia State Corporation Commission as a public, non-profit water utility,

https://www.fcwa.org/about_us/index.htm

According to them they aren't making money.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

they also would have been charging more the entire time and making profit off the water. and you don't believe that the public utilities have upgraded some of their infrastructure over time?

You would have a point if the public utilities weren't making money off of it themselves, with the added advantage that no one can switch to another company because they have a government enforced monopoly.

By the way, I assume you don't live in Toledo. Or perhaps you just like shitty water.

explain to me how competition in water supply would work logistically. how many sewer systems will a city support and have room for?

where did all this city water utility profit go?

The fact that I don't have an answer to every question does not prove anything other than my inability to answer every question. Why don't you explain to me why we should trust a system that obviously doesn't work? I know you think government is the answer to everything, so this should be pretty good.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

they also would have been charging more the entire time and making profit off the water. and you don't believe that the public utilities have upgraded some of their infrastructure over time?

You would have a point if the public utilities weren't making money off of it themselves, with the added advantage that no one can switch to another company because they have a government enforced monopoly.

By the way, I assume you don't live in Toledo. Or perhaps you just like shitty water.

Fairfax Water - one of the utilities listed in your article.

Chartered in 1957 by the Virginia State Corporation Commission as a public, non-profit water utility,

https://www.fcwa.org/about_us/index.htm

According to them they aren't making money.

Non profit does not mean they don't make money, it just means any money they make is spent on the business, like all those exorbitant salaries they pay to people who can barely add 2+2.

 

[ogibillm]

You would have a point if the public utilities weren't making money off of it themselves, with the added advantage that no one can switch to another company because they have a government enforced monopoly.

By the way, I assume you don't live in Toledo. Or perhaps you just like shitty water.

explain to me how competition in water supply would work logistically. how many sewer systems will a city support and have room for?

where did all this city water utility profit go?

The fact that I don't have an answer to every question does not prove anything other than my inability to answer every question. Why don't you explain to me why we should trust a system that obviously doesn't work. I know you think government is the answer to everything, so this should be pretty good.

the system does work. we have clean, potable water throughout the united states. there are temporary exceptions and hiccups - toledo being an example. of course, i'm not sure how a private company would have dealt with toxins from an algae bloom either, but i can guess that it would have tried to cover it up and inform as few as possible to protect the bottom line.

and you have to realize that it's unrealistic to expect multiple sewer lines or water supplies for homes - hell, most places around the united states can only get one cable provider and that's incredibly simple when compared to the infrastructure needed for water and sewer.

 

[Old Rocks]

There are just a whole bunch of cities that do not have a limitless supply of water. In fact, many of them are at the end of their supplies. Simple economic equation, limited supply, higher prices.

You don't like public utilities, go ahead and pay for private utilities. That is going to cost you a lot more.

I guess you missed the part where everyone is using less water, and the utilities are raising the rate because they are using less water. In other words, your post is ignoring the facts laid out in the OP, this has nothing to do with the amount of water the utility has available, it is all about stealing money from people that are forced to deal with a government mandated monopoly, which is the only type of monopoly that can exist.

I guess you missed the part where there are a lot more everyones. Less water use, but the more infrastructure for the amount of water used. So, how is that going to be put into place? Sorry, no magic wand. It will be put into place by paying people to build it. And that raises the cost of water.

Supply is irrelevant to cost? Demand is irrelevant to cost? Tell you what, read 'Wealth of Nations', Adam Smith, and get back to me.

 

[hipeter924]

So my hot 15 minute showers and drinking a lot of water, helps bring down prices, that's good to know. Water is one area where I use what I want.

 

[Rikurzhen]

There are just a whole bunch of cities that do not have a limitless supply of water. In fact, many of them are at the end of their supplies. Simple economic equation, limited supply, higher prices.

You don't like public utilities, go ahead and pay for private utilities. That is going to cost you a lot more.

You know what would solve that problem? More immigrants.