RE: Moscow's water policy

["Tom Hansen" <thansen@moscow.com>]

Greetings Visionaires -

It seems that Moscow has established a newly formed "Oh No!" committee (a
committee that merely stands around a problem saying "Oh No!" without
providing any viable option to rectify the problem).

It is apparent by John Danahy's posting below that he is abundantly
qualified to head this committee as he complains (whines) about how poorly
things are going without making any suggestion of any type.

Take care,

Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho

***********************************
Work like you don't need the money.
Love like you've never been hurt.
Dance like nobody's watching.

- Author Unknown
***********************************

> -----Original Message-----
> From: John Danahy [mailto:JDANAHY@turbonet.com]
> Sent: Tuesday, August 27, 2002 10:58 PM
> To: vision2020@moscow.com; Priscilla Salant
> Subject: Re: Moscow's water policy
>
>
> 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
>