Every time I receive my water bill, my blood begins to boil. It's difficult to remain cool when the sewer portion is 57 percent and the water portion is 43 percent. Am I interpreting this correctly? Why is it that dirty water costs more than clean water? In the meantime, the name of the department should be changed to Board of Sewer Supply. Don’t blame water board
for high sewer chargesDon't blame the Board of Water Supply. The board only carries sewer charges -- set by the City Council and administered by the Department of Wastewater Management -- on its bills to save the city postage, said spokeswoman Denise De Costa.
"We only manage the clean drinking water section," she said, charging $1.77 per 1,000 gallons.
Basically, you pay more for dirty water because it requires a lot more handling than clean water. It's one of the most heavily regulated government services, said Wastewater Management spokesman Doug Woo, noting stringent federal regulations and heavy fines for violations.
So a lot of money is poured into regular repair, maintenance and expansion, he said.
However, the city is working to revise the formula for setting sewer fees to be fairer to all users. That includes reducing the rate for watering lawns because that water does not have to be treated like raw sewage.
Sewer fees now reflect a base charge ($24.85 for a single-family home, $17.40, apartments), a lifeline allowance of 2,000 gallons a month, an 18 percent credit for irrigation and $1.05 per 1,000 gallons after that. Your bill reflects a two-month usage.
More Kokua Line
in today’s Star-Bulletin:
- Aliens no longer required to register annually
- Bike chained to signpost since February
- Mahalo
See expanded coverage in today's Honolulu Star-Bulletin.
See our [Info] section for subscription information.
Need help with problems? Call Kokua Line at 525-8686,
fax 525-6711, or write to P.O. Box 3080, Honolulu 96802.
Email to kokualine@starbulletin.com
Text Site Directory:
[News] [Business] [Features] [Sports] [Editorial] [Community]
[Info] [Letter to Editor] [Stylebook] [Feedback]
© 1997 Honolulu Star-Bulletin
http://starbulletin.com
