Re: Moscow's water policy

["John Danahy" <JDANAHY@turbonet.com>]

First I would like to see some kind of thoughtful stepped response to
situations that need us to conserve water.  The city's response of do
nothing followed by "oh No!!" water alternate days followed immediately by
no watering followed again immediately by water alternate days just doesn't
cut it.  All this did was get about half the community conserving while many
others just shrugged it off as hysteria.

Second, the city's water utility is apparently broke.  Conserving water,
which provides the funds to operate the utility will not produce more funds.
Thus the city has to find other ways of charging people more for the water
we use.  We already have a water surcharge added to the homeowners water
bill during summer, but that doesn't help much.  Perhaps we need to
understand why the system is not self sustainable.  Is it because we have
added to many new homes to the system and have had to subsidize stretching
water to these new homes?  How are we going to pay for replacement water
lines?  Much of the city needs its aging water lines replaced.  Should we
all subsidize the cost of replacement or should there be local LID to cover
the cost.

Consider that, according to the city, water consumption dropped by 40% these
last several days.  The outcome of this is the city will see reduced
revenues from water bills during its normal peak revenues season.  How is
this going to help?

Currently many people drink "bottled water" because for many the water out
of the tap may as well be gray water.  Again, buying bottled water reduces
city water use and reduces revenues.

I hear the city wants to raise water rates by 300%.  This on top of a
increase in sewer rates too.  Moscow will soon become too expensive to live
in.

Maybe it is time for the city to first examine how water is used city wide,
establish a water policy and rate structure that prioritizes the home user,
and rewards those who use effective irrigation systems.

John Danahy
jdanahy@turbonet.com