Murthy Vemparalla has used a lot of water in the last six years. According to the city of Schenectady, he and his wife have poured about 2 million gallons down the drain.
Now, he has to pay for it, at a cost of about $6,800 in water and sewer charges. But it's not clear to Vemparalla how the city arrived at that huge number. And he's frustrated that the only response he's received from the city is a sympathetic e-mail from Mayor Brian U. Stratton and a past-due notice. Vemparalla, who has lived on Elm Street for 17 years, said there is no way he could have consumed that much water, enough to fill three Olympic-size swimming pools, or about 47,000 bathtubs, and about 20 times the average consumption of a family in that time frame. If there were a leak of some kind in his system, he surely would have noticed, he reasoned. Where does all that water go? The city of Schenectady told him his water meter is working fine. He must have a leak. And so he must pay. Here 's what I found out when Vemparalla called me. First, the bad news for the homeowner. Unfortunately, as absurd as it sounds, it is possible for a small leak in a pipe to drain millions of gallons through your system over several years. According to the American Water Works Association, a 1/16th-inch hole in a pipe can drain 74,000 gallons in 90 days, which adds up to a stunning 1.7 million gallons over the course of six years. And, Tom Darling, the owner of Empire State Plumbing in Albany, said that such leaks could go undetected as it leaks from the pipe into the storm drain. "I do see this sort of thing," he said. However, don't let Schenectady off the hook so easily on this one. The city has been estimating Vemparalla's bill for three years. In that time he has been charged $130 to $150 for six months' usage, which is not an unusual amount. Last summer, after noticing a sudden spike in his water bill, water department workers tested his meter and found that it was working. The officials also found that Vemparalla had been seriously underbilled. His estimated water use from late 2002 was about 179,000 gallons. In fact, the Water Department said, it was closer to 1.9 million. "Water that passes through the meter must be billed," according to city code, wrote Arthur Clay, who works for the Water Department. Mayor Stratton told him the same thing. "It's unfortunate," Stratton wrote to Vemparalla in an e-mail, "But code says that water that goes through the meter must be billed." Homeowners need to be responsible for their homes, of course. But I don't think Vemparalla should bear the entire weight of responsibility in this case. He dutifully paid his water bill, which was based on the city's estimate. But why was the city estimating his bill for so long? If there really is a leak in his pipes, it would have been detected after a few months if the meter was being read.And the letter from the Water Department leaves some questions unanswered, too. The Water Department came up with Vemparalla's past-due bill by measuring water usage in the last six years. But three years ago, the Water Department came to his house and physically read the meter. There's no explanation for that, either. Stratton, who said he personally looked into the situation for Vemparalla, has so far refused to return my call about this issue. And Vemparalla said he can no longer get any calls back from city officials, either. So if you see his honor, could you please ask him to give me a call at 454-5523? Vemparalla hopes this can be resolved. Meanwhile, the past-due water bill has been attached to his tax bill, which means if left unpaid it could lead to foreclosure on his house. "That is giving me an anxiety attack," he said.
Guess we know where this guys stimulus check is going!
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
That story has to be bogus. Schenectady city does not have metered water.
Optimists close their eyes and pretend problems are non existent. Better to have open eyes, see the truths, acknowledge the negatives, and speak up for the people rather than the politicos and their rich cronies.
That story has to be bogus. Schenectady city does not have metered water.
Oh comon now Mikechristine... if it moves, lives, breaths, or is tangible, the city WILL find a way to tax you on it:
Chapter 255 of the City Code, WATER
Quoted Text
§ 255-46. Metering of consumers.
Water used on the following services can be metered: bakeries, bathing establishments, bottling works, breweries, foundries, large garages, hotels, hydraulic elevators, laundries, livery and boarding stables, malt houses, manufacturers, milk depots, pump houses, railroad stations, restaurants, saloons, tenement houses (for four families or more), theaters and all other services using large quantities of water and where it is impracticable to determine flat rates.
§ 255-47. Right to order metering. [Amended 12-12-1988 by Ord. No. 88-93]
The Department of Water and Wastewater reserves the right to order a meter to be placed on any service or take out a meter and place the consumer on a flat rate whenever, in the opinion of the Director of the Department of Water and Wastewater, it is for the best interests of the City so to do.
§ 255-48. Metered water to be chargeable.
All water passing through a meter will be charged for, whether used or wasted.
Oh, of course the city taxes water, but it is is not based on usage. The city uses a math formula but it is not based at all on the amount of water used. the cost is determined by a flat charge on various "things" about the house, I don't know the exact costs these days, but it might be something like $X.00 per toilet, $Y.00 per tub or tub shower combo, and some charge for every, X number of feet of properly lot width. So if X was $50 and Y was $60 and $40 for each 50 foot width of property, then maybe someone would have $80 for the two boilets, 100 for the two tubs, and say $80 for property width. So using these numbers someone would have a water bill of say $100 for two baths, $120 for two tubs, and $80 for 100 ft property width, so the bill would be $300 regardless of how much water is used.
Optimists close their eyes and pretend problems are non existent. Better to have open eyes, see the truths, acknowledge the negatives, and speak up for the people rather than the politicos and their rich cronies.
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