Salem to stick with water rates
The city recently completed a new pressurized irrigation system for most residents, tacking on an additional $25-a-month base rate to the city's average $30 monthly rate for culinary or drinking water. New rates include a $21 monthly base rate for culinary water, then residents are charged an additional amount for how much water they actually use.
Residents pay 50 cents per 1,000 gallons up to 5,000 gallons for culinary water. The price then escalates to $2 per 1,000 gallons beginning with 5,001 gallons, and it goes up from there.
Residents who have pressurized irrigation water have unlimited use because it isn't metered. Already, Mayor J. Lane Henderson said, people are overusing it, which could lead to the city imposing controls. Conservation is an underlying theme of the new system, he said.
"We are overwatering as a community," public works director Bruce Ward said.
Culinary water continues to be metered, however, so residents whose homes are too far away from the new secondary water system continue to pay for the amount of water used whether in the house or to water the lawn.
Brian Bodey's house is not on the secondary water system, but his water bill more than doubled to $240 in August when the new system kicked in. Jon Cope, who also is not on the secondary water system, complained that residents with just culinary water are paying 55 percent more per 1,000 gallons than users with pressurized irrigation water.
"That's not fair. It's not right," Cope said.
Ward disagreed with Cope and offered to go over his bill with him, while Henderson said a city crew would go by Bodey's house and check out the water meter. Average bills should run from $45 to $60 a month under the new system, regardless of whether residents have the new secondary water system, Ward said.
The rates were a "shocker" for some residents, Henderson said, but the city has been warning people for the past two years that water costs would go up with the new pressurized irrigation system.
Councilman Stanley Green said his water bill went down.
"I don't use much culinary water," he said.
The pressurized irrigation system is fed off two ponds above the Strawberry Highline Canal south and east of the city. The system was built to handle future growth, City Recordercity recorder Jeff Nielsen said.
E-mail: rodger@desnews.com
Comments
- Funds for new courthouse approved 1:48 a.m.
- Godfrey vetoes Ogden budget 1:48 a.m.
- Odd Fellows Hall move 1:47 a.m.
- 2 country groups to perform 1:47 a.m.
- Rumor has Boozer with Bulls 1:20 a.m.
- Jazz in back of line for free agents 1:19 a.m.
- Okur signs two-year extension 1:18 a.m.
- Marion to Mavs, Stackhouse to Griz 1:16 a.m.
- Price for redistricting plan challenged 1:04 a.m.
- Basketball campers learn service 1:02 a.m.
- Rumor has Boozer with Bulls
- Stadium of Fire flag burning was fake
- Jazz in back of line for free agents
- Okur signs two-year extension
- Restaurant destroyed by fire
- Jazz won't meet Lopez on Europe trip
- A primer for the 6th Potter film
- AK will not play for Russia this summer
- Jazz rally for OT win at Orlando
- Blazers may offer Millsap a contract
- Bronco collecting a galaxy of recruits
138 - Letters: Palin mistreated
136 - Teachers struggle with district cuts
134 - Blazers may offer Millsap a contract
122 - Rumor has Boozer with Bulls
82 - Fairness of BCS debated
81 - Moon landing: Let's hear from you
73 - Chaffetz eyes challenging Bennett
72 - Services bids farewell to Jackson
70 - Letters: Time for a revolution
69
As more and more dads are put out of work in this economy, I've been...
The photographs are mysterious, brooding, dark. They show dimples and...
Blazers get the unbalanced trade they seek while not signing Millsap away...
Ricky Bobby - THE JAZZ DO NOT WANT TO TAKE BACK EQUAL SALARIES. They want to...
Despite the fact that logging has all but stopped in the pacific northwest...
My understanding of what FAIR is trying to do, is to provide well thought out...
Jazz will resign Milsap. If they don't it will be ahuge mistake. First off,...
I was waiting for it to be burned on the big metal structure right by the...
Hey Ute fan... the Utes had a good season. And keep throwing that BCS bowl...
Tyrus Thomas is in the last year of his contract too so what is the point for...
CougarKeith, people don't know how to properly retire the flag, what they did...
It is just talk but since it was brought up: IF we can get Prizbilla &...


You can be the first to comment on this story.