# Water Bill Increase



## debodun (Oct 5, 2020)

My water bill jumped up $10 since April (here in the village, we pay the water and sewer bill twice a year, in April and October). It is now $172.90 (for six months). I paid it today and asked the village clerk why the increase. She said it was because if a rate increase. Well, DUH!


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## Aunt Bea (Oct 5, 2020)

It sounds like a better deal than the cable!


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## Keesha (Oct 5, 2020)

What were you expecting the villiage clerk to say? The rate increased.


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## debodun (Oct 5, 2020)

There's got to be a reason.


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## Keesha (Oct 5, 2020)

Rate went up :
Electricity prices increased?
Employees wages increased?
Cost to run equipment increased?
Extra effort due to covid 19?

Inflation? The cost of living goes up. 
Nothing stays stagnant.


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## tbeltrans (Oct 5, 2020)

Keesha said:


> Rate went up :
> Electricity prices increased?
> Employees wages increased?
> Cost to run equipment increased?
> ...



...except employee wages. 

Tony


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## Keesha (Oct 5, 2020)

tbeltrans said:


> ...except employee wages.
> 
> Tony


What would you suggest the water increase is from? 

Personally I would just be grateful I still had running water and would happily pay the bill. Gratitude goes far.


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## tbeltrans (Oct 5, 2020)

Keesha said:


> What would you suggest the water increase is from?
> 
> Personally I would just be grateful I still had running water and would happily pay the bill. Gratitude goes far.



It is fine to have gratitude and I can see your point.  However, as prices go up and income does not, especially in retirement, it puts people in a real bind, maybe if water was the only thing going up it wouldn't be an issue but it isn't just water.  Look at what was happening with Epi-pens and insulin when the government had to step in.  Why did those prices shoot way suddenly after both products had been on the market for a long time.  Early on, the price would be high as the company recoups the R & D costs, but then prices go down and settle at some point.

I honestly don't know why the price of water in the OP's area is going up like that.  It is just that I find it curious that wages remain relatively flat while costs for everything continues to go up.  Clearly, when businesses say that wages have a great impact on cost to consumer, the reality might be otherwise, leaving us to wonder what really has the greatest impact on cost to consumer.

One product I can tell you about from first hand experience - in the late 9170s after I left the road band, I worked as an engineering tech for a hearing aid company.  This was a family owned company, whose president went to the government saying that (at that time) hearing aids only cost around $150 to make, factoring in all costs, yet cost to consumer (again, at that time) was around $700.  There is the cost of the audiologist, but that doesn't account for the huge markup.  The company president wanted the government to look into what was going on because he felt the consumer was getting royally screwed.  A couple of other hearing companies ganged up on this company and put them out of business and are now the largest companies in that market.  I don't want to name names here, but these things go on all the time (not the part about asking the government to fix the problem, but instead the gouging).

Tony


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## Keesha (Oct 5, 2020)

tbeltrans said:


> I honestly don't know.  It is just that I find it curious that wages remain relatively flat while costs for everything continues to go up.  Clearly, when businesses say that wages have a great impact on cost to consumer, the reality might be otherwise, leaving us to wonder what really has the greatest impact on cost to consumer.
> 
> Tony


I don’t know either nor do I know about wages. I’m merely trying to offer some suggestions as to why there is an increase.

I do however understand that these facts aren’t often  given to us honestly. That goes without saying.  LoL


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## tbeltrans (Oct 5, 2020)

Keesha said:


> I don’t know either nor do I know about wages. I’m merely trying to offer some suggestions as to why there is an increase.
> 
> I do however understand that these facts aren’t offend given to us honestly. That goes without saying.  LoL



There may be nothing unsavory about that water price increase.  However, there are enough abuses in business to be suspicious.  $10 is not a small increase.

Tony


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## Keesha (Oct 5, 2020)

tbeltrans said:


> There may be nothing unsavory about that water price increase.  However, there are enough abuses in business to be suspicious.  $10 is not a small increase.
> 
> Tony


Respectfully agree however, you don’t know Deb like we do and your answers aren’t helping. 
Having said that, mine never do.


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## tbeltrans (Oct 5, 2020)

Keesha said:


> Respectfully agree however, you don’t know Deb like we do and your answers aren’t helping.
> Having said that, mine never do.



Sorry I am no help.  However, I don't see much help in any of the other answers either, but nobody commented on that.  I did provide what possible insight I could and only one other post did that.  So I am finding your comment rather curious in the face of the rest of the posts in the thread.  Was I supposed to simply commiserate instead of trying to provide som answers based on my experiences? 

Tony


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## Keesha (Oct 5, 2020)

tbeltrans said:


> Sorry I am no help.  However, I don't see much help in any of the other answers either, but nobody commented on that.  I did provide what possible insight I could and only one other post did that.  So I am finding your comment rather curious in the face of the rest of the posts in the thread.  Was I supposed to simply commiserate instead of trying to provide som answers based on my experiences?
> 
> Tony


Haha. Snort.
I’m just messing with you.
I’m thinking how invested we both have gotten over deb’s $10 water bill increase. Now I’ve got the giggles and can’t stop. 
Note: your answers were great.


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## tbeltrans (Oct 5, 2020)

Keesha said:


> Haha. Snort.
> I’m just messing with you.
> I’m thinking how invested we both have gotten over deb’s $10 water bill increase. Now I’ve got the giggles and can’t stop.
> Note: your answers were great.



You had me concerned because you are correct that I don't know everybody that well yet.  Guys tend to want to provide answers and fix it, and sometimes women seem to just want someone to listen and commiserate.  I know that from experience too. 

Anyway, thanks for clearing that up.  

Tony


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## RadishRose (Oct 5, 2020)

debodun said:


> There's got to be a reason.


Deb, how should we know the reason? Please ask people closer to your village and it's workings.


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## Keesha (Oct 5, 2020)

tbeltrans said:


> You had me concerned because you are correct that I don't know everybody that well yet.  Guys tend to want to provide answers and fix it, and sometimes women seem to just want someone to listen and commiserate.  I know that from experience too.
> 
> Anyway, thanks for clearing that up.
> 
> Tony


Yesssss. Men seem to be drawn to be very logical fixers and your answers made perfect sense to ‘me.’ You actually dove in deeply and had some great conclusions. 

I’m not a guy but somewhat OCD so can get far too in-depth as to the reasons why. 

Us together, may have had Debs head spinning.


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## RadishRose (Oct 5, 2020)

Keesha said:


> Respectfully agree however, you don’t know Deb like we do and your answers aren’t helping.
> Having said that, mine never do.


...and the beat goes on.......


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## debodun (Oct 5, 2020)

RadishRose said:


> Deb, how should we know the reason? Please ask people closer to your village and it's workings.


Didn't I say I asked? I didn't expect anyone here would know the exact answer, just some POSSIBLE reasons, like tbeltrans mentioned.


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## win231 (Oct 5, 2020)

debodun said:


> There's got to be a reason.


There is a reason.
More people are staying home, which means they're closer to faucets.
It's hotter, so people are drinking more water.
Drinking more water leads to more flushing.
More flushing leads to higher sewer charges.
I gotta go now.
See?  It's a chain reaction.


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## Keesha (Oct 5, 2020)

debodun said:


> Didn't I say I asked? I didn't expect anyone here would know the exact answer, just some POSSIBLE reasons, like tbeltrans mentioned.


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## Don M. (Oct 5, 2020)

debodun said:


> There's got to be a reason.



Primarily inflation, and the towns expenses involved in supply the utility.  $172.90 for 6 months service is a Paltry sum compared to most locations.  When we lived in the city, our monthly water/sewer bills were at least $70/month...and that was nearly 20 years ago.  Most people would be Happy to have efficient service for less than $30/month.


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## debodun (Oct 5, 2020)

Our water bill also includes a "debt service". We have to pay for the new sewage treatment plant.


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## RadishRose (Oct 5, 2020)

You actually never asked the forum why. You just stated what happened and what you did. Like trained seals, everyone tries to answer an implied question.


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## RadishRose (Oct 5, 2020)

The store raised the price of 14.5 oz. cans of diced tomatoes from 45 cents a can to 47 cents.


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## Bethea (Oct 5, 2020)

As much as I hate to say it, perhaps the rates have increased because of increased demand in our homes? Just a thought.


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## Bethea (Oct 5, 2020)

Come to think of it, maybe they're trying to make up for the difference in what they're not getting from local businesses due to covid?


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## Keesha (Oct 5, 2020)

RadishRose said:


> You actually never asked the forum why. You just stated what happened and what you did. Like trained seals, everyone tries to answer an implied question.


Heyyy! Trained seals?


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## RadishRose (Oct 5, 2020)

Keesha said:


> Heyyy! Trained seals?


Just being silly. 
Keesha, can you send down  some of your famous brownies? ♥


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## Keesha (Oct 5, 2020)

RadishRose said:


> Just being silly.
> Keesha, can you send down  some of your famous brownies? ♥


Sure.


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## RadishRose (Oct 5, 2020)

O. M. G. !


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## Knight (Oct 5, 2020)

Keesha said:


> Rate went up :
> Electricity prices increased?
> Employees wages increased?
> Cost to run equipment increased?
> ...


All of the above.


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## Keesha (Oct 5, 2020)

Knight said:


> All of the above.


Thank you. 
A Brownie for you too


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## Kadee (Oct 5, 2020)

We pay that amount +++ every three months @debodun depending on the season , in summer our bills are $300 ++ ( each quarter ) although we use our 10.000 plus ltrs of stored rainwater to water our fruit trees.
We live in the driest state in Australia so need to water every day in summer


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## squatting dog (Oct 5, 2020)

win231 said:


> There is a reason.
> More people are staying home, which means they're closer to faucets.
> It's hotter, so people are drinking more water.
> Drinking more water leads to more flushing.
> ...



I like the way you think.


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## Aneeda72 (Oct 5, 2020)

This thread proves that we are all so bored we will talk about anything.  Deb, I pay 75 dollars a MONTH for my water and sewer which is 900 a year.  If I use more water, the bill goes up.  I will happily trade bills with you.


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## fmdog44 (Oct 5, 2020)

No water bills for me. I live in a water shed. No brain eating amoeba either.......yet.


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## Keesha (Oct 5, 2020)

No water bills here either. We have a well and septic system.


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## hellomimi (Oct 5, 2020)

RadishRose said:


> ...and the beat goes on.......


and on and on....

I wish Deb is bitten by the happy bug for a change.


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