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ORIGINAL: sappatoti

Let's see... the one just received... $176.00 total. $146.00 was for actual water. The rest is for trash/garbage/recycling collection and street lighting. There is no sewer charge for everything around here has its own septic system.

That's been about the average for the past 12 months or so.

The water use is metered.

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ORIGINAL: sappatoti

Yes, that's for one month. But, I live in FL, so any similarities between my situation and yours will most likely be coincidental.

But, to put this in perspective for you...

When I was a kid growing up in Upstate NY, there was a big debate in that area over raising the water level of one of the reservoirs to help collect additional water to send to the downstate/NYC area. While the downstaters were saying that raising the level an additiional 8 feet was "no big deal," what they failed to realize is that raising the water level that much would have consumed 25% of what was state constitutionally protected "forever wild" conservation AND private properties within the blue line of the Adirondack Park. To make a long story short, it was a classic "upstate vs. downstate" political struggle, wherein the upstaters eventually won. It was decided that before that particular reservoir would ever be enlarged, the entire NYC and downstate areas would have to install water meters on every building.

At the time, practically no buildings in those areas had water meters, so installing them on every single line was going to be a huge, expensive undertaking. Those areas gave up their plan for drawing water from the Adirondacks and instead embarked on a water conservation policy.

I've been out of NYS now for 15 years, so I have no idea how many buildings, if any, that the downstate/NYC area has installed water meters on. I do know that there has been no construction on enlarging the original reservoir... which is a good thing. Friends tell me that there has been a years-long drought over the Adirondacks and the level of the reservoirs is way down.

I guess, if water meters are being thrust upon you, it's because your area is facing a water shortage, is looking to grab water from somewhere else, and the people who live in those outer reaches are demanding that you install water meters before they send water to you. Either that or the utilities that serve your water want better control to make sure that the largest water users/abusers are paying their fair share.