26% more to dump human excremate in the bathroom in Indianapolis

[dmcowen674]

4-24-2014

http://www.ibj.com/citizens-gets-state-ok-for-steep-wastewater-rate-hike/PARAMS/article/47313

Citizens gets state OK for steep wastewater rate hike



State regulators on Wednesday approved a rate hike that will increase monthly wastewater bills by about 26 percent, or close to $14 on average, for Citizens Energy Group customers.

Please take better care of the language you use in your thread titles.

Perknose
Forum Director

Just put whatever word you say is ok for human waste there. Unless redacted means human waste these days.

 

[dmcowen674]

Could be worse.

If I was still in Chicago they would be doubling or tripling or even quadrupling the shitwater rate.

 

[AViking]

I don't think I've had a specific bill for waste water. I always just had a water bill. They're paying $56 a month for waste water and then a water bill on top of that? Was there a waste water section on my water bill that I never paid attention to?

 

[brycejones]

Does the op ever do anything but whine?

From the article..

“Underinvestment over the past 100 years has resulted in an antiquated sewer system that is discharging four billion gallons of raw sewage per year into waterways,” Citizens said. “The wastewater rate increase will allow Citizens to continue our program to virtually eliminate sewer overflows by the year 2025. It will also allow us to continue eliminating failing septic tanks that are endangering human health and the environment across Marion County.”

 

[Bowfinger]

I don't think I've had a specific bill for waste water. I always just had a water bill. They're paying $56 a month for waste water and then a water bill on top of that? Was there a waste water section on my water bill that I never paid attention to?

Yes. A "water" bill usually has two components, the water rate and the sanitary sewer rate, both assessed per thousand gallons. The presumption is that almost all of the water you use will then be dumped into the sewer, so they use your water meter to measure both.

 

[cabri]

Does the op ever do anything but whine?

Shock therapy - He can not comprehend what the meaning is; OP relies on Anandtech P&N to explain to him the big words and what they mean.

Citizens sought the rate increase in response to a 2006 order the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued to the city of Indianapolis, who owned the wastewater utility at the time.

And this is a result of being mandated by the Federal government to the local government.

 

[Londo_Jowo]

I don't think I've had a specific bill for waste water. I always just had a water bill. They're paying $56 a month for waste water and then a water bill on top of that? Was there a waste water section on my water bill that I never paid attention to?

Here's what what I pay the respective Municipal Utility Districts (MUD) for where I live in Texas.

WATER 32.75
SEWER 30.29
SWC FEE 9.00
FIRE 20.00

SWC = Surface Water Conversion

http://www.ci.richmond.tx.us/mud140.html

What is surface water conversion?

• The Fort Bend County Subsidence District, which was created by state law, has mandated that all water providers reduce their pumpage of groundwater and convert to the use of surface water to reduce subsidence in the area. The conversion to surface water will take place in stages culminating in conversion to using 30% surface water by the year 2016 and 60% by 2025. The MUD is a participant in the City’s groundwater reduction plan.

 

[hal2kilo]

Yes. A "water" bill usually has two components, the water rate and the sanitary sewer rate, both assessed per thousand gallons. The presumption is that almost all of the water you use will then be dumped into the sewer, so they use your water meter to measure both.

A lot of municipalities use that system but not all. From experience.

 

[IronWing]

My water/sewer bill runs ~$75/month. I live in a desert. $75/month for clean, running water and to make my poop go away is the best money I spend. It is a hell of a deal.

 

[glenn1]

Could be worse.

If I was still in Chicago they would be doubling or tripling or even quadrupling the shitwater rate.

Let me enter dmcowen mode:

The EPA couldn't have found a better guy to raise rates on than the OP. Hopefully he doesn't have a pot to piss in after this.

 

[Bowfinger]

A lot of municipalities use that system but not all. From experience.

Yes, agreed. I know my area used to have them billed independently many years ago, when this area was unincorporated and water and sewer were provided by two different private companies.

 

[brycejones]

So from this thread we can only conclude the OP likes untreated poop in rivers.

 

[Londo_Jowo]

So from this thread we can only conclude the OP likes untreated poop in rivers.

Maybe he has an outhouse............possibly a two holer to boot.

 

[werepossum]

Seems to me that the sewer fees definitely need to go up. A smaller community flanking Chattanooga has continuous problems with broken sewers overflowing in heavy rain periods and some creeks are labeled as too contaminated for human use. A buddy who is an even bigger native fish nut than I asked a city health department official if it was safe to take his kids collecting there outside of a heavy rain period. The guy told him "I'm not going to tell you not to do it, but let me show you the bacteria count first." Turns out that this beautiful, crystal clear creek is so clear because bacterially it's effectively the "sweet water" at the top of a mature septic tank, so that anything organic is immediately broken down. That's a damned shame, endangers the public health and greatly limits the fauna it can support, plus the federal fines cost more in the long run than simply raising sewer fees and fixing the damned problem.

None of us like higher fees and taxes, but sometimes that's the best thing.

 

[brycejones]

Maybe he has an outhouse............possibly a two holer to boot.

If he has a two holer we should be hitting him with a wealth tax.