By now, I hope you've seen the story how most Spokane users paid less on their water bills this summer. It puts the controversy in perspective doesn't it? Tis the campaign season, after all, and people buy into misinformation since fear sells.

 

But the facts remain.

Spokane's utility billing department said 53 percent of bills were less than they would have been under the 2010 rate structure.

The reason some folks were upset:

- 37 percent paid up to $50 more during the two-month cycle.
- 7 percent paid between $50 and $100 more during the two-month cycle.
- 3 percent paid more than $100 more during the two-month cycle.

 So if you're the Hank Hill of watering your lawns, then you noticed an increased rate. After the jump is the more detailed response from City Council and for more data click HERE.

The Spokane City Council adopted a new water rate structure last year that became effective Jan. 1, 2011. The new structure was designed to provide both a “lifeline” rate, which allows fixed or low income customers to pay for essential indoor water needs and to encourage water efficiency. The rates were restructured by a consulting firm hired by the City. Their recommendation was based on the success of similar water rate structures in other communities.

As a result of this restructure, 53 percent of households had lower water bills this summer, and 60 percent of households anticipate a lower annual water bill.

Conversely, 3 percent of customers—those using 82,500 gallons or more per month (or 165,000 gallons per two-month billing cycle—are seeing water bills with increased water consumption charges of $50 or more per month (or $100 per billing cycle) during summer months. A graph depicting summer 2011 water usage by customers is attached.

The average summer household consumption is 22,500 gallons per month. Larger bills were mostly seen by residents who had grown accustomed to abundant, inexpensive water. These residents are using between 82,500 and 600,000 gallons per month.

“A number of customers, whether they have large or small lawns, have discovered for the first time that they are consuming more water than 97 percent of the City’s residential customers,” Council Member Richard Rush explains.

“I regret the City did not share this information with these customers prior to the implementation of the new water rate structure, and that this has been a hardship for those on fixed incomes.”

“The assertion that fees for water consumption have doubled is inaccurate,” said Council Member Amber Waldref. “For the water consumption charge to double, a single-family residential customer would have to be consuming more than a half million gallons per month.”

“The new structure is more equitable because everyone pays the same amount for each unit of water they use in each tier,” she adds. “Under the previous rate structure, each time your consumption rose into a higher tier, all your water usage was charged at the highest rate.”

Read the rest of the press release HERE.

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