Not being current on the way your local politico's and government do things. But I'm getting the idea that most don't have water meters coming from the mains into the house?
In the states in most areas that have water mains and service by a city town or village.
So say in larger cities London, Brighton, Cambridge, Oxford of Inspector Morse fame, do they have meters or is most estimated.
Every,every house, store, shop and factory has a meter. Our small city Mount Clemens built a separate water and sewage treatment system a long time ago (1888). It only serves our city,and some border areas.
The Big dog Is the city of Detroit that serves as the Main intake and treatment for the surrounding South East Michigan. They have been fighting about what the city charges the surrounding communities. They overcharge them and under charge Detroit residents plus they don't collect from a lot of the city residents that don't pay their bills. They are always in court against the city about the charges.
They have for years tried to take our system away from us as they say they are the only ones that should be allowed to use the water from the lake. They don't want to buy the system they want the courts to give them the system as they are two steps away from going broke all the time.
They want our system so they can use it to pump the water and sewage treatment for their northern communities.
Here is the current rates for our system, this is copied from the web site.
We pay for three months For wifey and me, its $170.00 to $185.00 per each 3 months, Depends on how much she waters the gardens. They use to add on the trash collection fees for the private contractors. Till the current one said we want it up front for the year. now they add it on the taxes.
Water Rates
Water rates are to be charged and collected monthly or quarterly in accordance with the following schedule:
Effective June 28, 2007
Service Charge: $6.97 (Monthly Billings), per inch of meter size (minimum 1 inch)
Service Charge: $20.91 (Quarterly Billings), per inch of meter size (minimum 1 inch)
Consumption Charge (Per 100 Cubic Feet): $2.44 (Residential)
Consumption Charge (Per 100 Cubic Feet): $2.52 (Non-Residential) See Cross Connection Fees.
**1 unit of water = 100 cubic feet or 748 gallons
Sewer Rates
On June 28, 2007 the following monthly wastewater disposal service charges shall become effective:
1) There shall be a minimum fee per customer of $6.67 per month per dwelling unit for all residential customers and of $6.67 per inch of meter setting size (minimum 1 inch) per month for non-residential customers, including residential and non-residential customers located in areas outside the corporate boundaries of the City. The minimum fee shall be due in (and) payable whether the building being supplied service is occupied or not.
2) In addition to the minimum fee, each customer, including customers located in areas outside the corporate boundaries of the City, shall pay $3.50 per each 100 cubic feet of water consumed (as recorded on the customer's water meter).
**1 unit of water = 100 cubic feet or 748 gallons
They also will install a second meter:
Outdoor Water Meter Use Option
The City of Mount Clemens, like most other cities, uses the water meter in your home to determine charges for sanitary sewers. The assumption is that most of the water used in your home eventually flows into the sanitary sewer (showers, clothes and dish washing, toilets, etc). Therefore your water and sewer bill has two rates, one for water and one for sewer. Both are based on the water that flows through your water meter. This assumption is appropriate in most instances. However, water that is used outside on sprinklers doesn’t end up in the sewers. Therefore it you use a lot of sprinkler water, you are paying sewer charges for water that doesn’t end up in sewers. With the popularity of sprinkler systems, this cost can be significant.
The City of Mount Clemens, in an effort to save you money, allows the installation of a second water meter that measures only water that goes outside of your house to the sprinklers. When your water and sewer bill comes, the sewer rate will only be charged on that water that is used in the house.
This program is optional for the property owner/building owner. A second or dual meter can be installed to meter water that is directed exclusively to a sprinkler system or outside spigot/connection such as to a swimming pool and will not enter a sanitary sewer. The installation of a dual meter in the home would allow the sewage rate to be billed only on that amount of water that enters the sewer system through the home. Sewage fees would not be charged on the water that flows through the second meter for outside use. An estimated cost for the second meter installation is currently $561. Although the cost for the permit and meter is fixed ($236), plumbing work in your home will also have to be completed. These plumbing costs will vary depending upon the complexity of the changes in piping required to install the second meter. For estimating purposes, we recommend using $325.
Any water and sewer customer can take advantage of this program. The customer, however, should evaluate individual circumstances based on use to calculate cost effectiveness.
So far it isn't worth the hassle or cost for me to do it. As I have always wanted to pave it and paint it green
