DEP Wants 14% Water Rate Hike

The NYC Department of Environmental Protection is proposing a 14% hike to water and sewer rates, which would, according to the AP, raise an average single-family home's fees from $799 to $911 annually. Why? The DEP says there are higher operating costs and lower consumption from New Yorkers, not to mention the 5% budget cuts the city is forcing on agencies. Acting DEP Commissioner Steve Lawitts said, "We know an increase of any size is never easy - especially now." The Water Board will decide on whether to enact a hike later this spring. More details on water and sewer bills here and in 2007, the rate was raised 11.5%.

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By Jen Chung in News on April 3, 2009 11:40 AM

Comments [rss]

inoyourider

Fuck these increases!

Government is using OUR money to bail out the rich, and then we get all of our rates raised!

FUCK EM

FrankMartin

A tax increase by any other name does suck as much.

Trilby16

Thank you! Yes!

Whether clean water is worth the money or not is beside the point which is: they are sucking us dry in every way they can think of! ENOUGH!

JenChungsBaby

Someone I know from DEP told me they have a saying there "Flush twice, we need the money."

At least we're not hauling water in buckets on our heads. Most of us have had for our entire lives access 24/7/365 to unlimited hot or cold clean and sterilized water. And to reliable sewers that take away our filth. That's better than 95 percent of people can say. Most people in the world would be shocked to know that we'll take gallons of disinfected, pure and flouridated drinking water and piss in it and flush it down the toilet six times a day.

Trilby16

They said that because we asre using less, their revenues are down. Won't raising the price cause another drop in revenues then? Here's my idea, LOWER the price so people use more and they get more money.

Joking, of course. But I'm a little tired of these constant hikes in everything except my wages!

I am already down to one bath every other month, whether I need it or not. Luckily I don't sweat!

babyhitler

The water is cheap. the highest price is actually the sewage, which is actually just shit and piss moving away from you.

Kojak

We don't really pay for the water, we pay for its distribution. Just because we're using less of the stuff doesn't mean their operating costs are going down. I've heard of this happening in other parts of the country too.

glennQNYC

I guess this should be where we hear the "it really isn't a ton of money" argument... :/

pipsy

This is a support I fully support. We have polluted our sources and it is about time water should cost closer to what it is worth. Maybe now people will waste less of it and be more angry with those who don't.

gothamistgal

"The DEP says there are higher operating costs and lower consumption from New Yorkers"

So, we do the "green" thing and conserve water and the thanks we get is a rate hike?