Affordability has always been a concern for consumers and producers. A recent look at some important data suggests that affordability has become a major concern for providers of water and sewer utility services in the US. For the first time since the 1950's, personal income in the United States has experienced negative annual growth:...
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Customers never want to pay more for something unless they see an increase in value. Paying for water and utility services is no exception. Utility customers expect to receive the same services at the same or reduced costs that they previously enjoyed. This makes raising water or utility rates a tricky proposition indeed.
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Costs associated with settling court cases and in meeting court imposed requirements can impact the fees paid by water and wastewater customers. Recently, the San Carlos, CA sewage treatment system was on the losing end of a lawsuit brought by a bay area group claiming that the wastewater service utility had allowed too many...
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Difficult economic times make water and utility rate increases more difficult to institute. When consumers attend meetings to discuss service rate increases, emotions typically run high. Water Rate Consultants constantly advise clients to keep their customers advised of ongoing issues so that when instances that might necessitate a service rate increase occur, it won't...
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