City Council Continues to Wrestle with City Water Cost Woes

"If you remember last summer we had a difficult time with sticker shock for many residents of the city regarding costs for water and sewerage usage," acting City Manager Paul Lemont told the council at its' May 19th meeting. "A number of factors are causing this including the fact that United Water rates came into play. They borrowed $50 million to improve the Veterans Parkway station and to run a line all the way to Riverside, plus other improvements," said Lemont. Officials said the amount of water used by residents sent rates skyward. "People came in here with fire in their eyes," said Lemont. Lemont maintained that the council and city manager were "innocent" in this rate hike as it goes to the Providence Water Supply board rates. "So what we did was to sit down with companies to re-write our billing process, hoping to bill monthly. Steve Coutu and I also have some ideas to lower water rates for high end users and raise the rate for lower end users to be things in better balance, I think you will want to modify rates, some receive high bills due to summer outdoor water usage," added Lemont.

The former budget commission had started this process by recommending a changing rate structure," said Coutu, DPW director. A consultant outlined a process whereby people who use a lot of water would have their cost lessened and people not using a lot would have their rates raised. "Some customers receiving very high sewer bills due to summer outdoor water use while declining consumption trend results in lower revenues," quoted the consultant's report to the council. The report went on to say that: "For some customers, the exemption may not be enough to address outdoor water use. This could be addressed by raising the exemption; capping the sewer billed volume and lowering the volumetric rate and raising the fixed charge.

Under an initial proposal a high end user of water could see an average bill drop by $11.22. A low end user however would see their bill raise by $65.00. This didn't sit well with Ward 4 councilman Tim Conley. "I will keep an open mind, but your recommendations cause me significant concerns," Conley told the consultant. "Your recommendations create more inequities. Unlike with other utilities, a lower volume user pays more but uses less water. It's extremely unfair and I can't support that. What you use (in water) is what you should pay for. It's a personal choice to use more water. Trying to subsidize high end users by charging low end users more - I have no desire to support that," continued Conley.

"This obviously needs more work and thought, it is just an introductory report, said Mayor Tom Rose. Council member Tracy Capobianco looked for a common ground. "We don't charge people the entire rate that we are charged by the Providence Water Supply board ($210.). Maybe we should balance out the real charge for everyone. I understand that I'll have to pay for water if I want it," said Capobianco. Mayor Rose again said that it was only an initial report and would be taken up again at future meetings. No further conversation took place.