(May 20, 2009, KGW Channel 8)
Proposals to increase water and sewer rates were introduced at Wednesday’s meeting of the Portland City Council.
Under the proposal, water rates would increase 17.9 percent, or about $2.76 per month for the average household.
Sewer rates would increase 6.5 percent, or about $3.02 [...]
(May 7, 2009, The San Diego Tribune)
The city of Escondido is considering stepping up its water-conservation efforts from the current Level 1, voluntary water conservation, to Level 2, mandatory restrictions, starting July 1.
That could mean watering lawns only three days a week, Escondido’s utilities director Lori Vereker said.
The City Council is expected to decide [...]
(April 28, 2009, The Mercury News)
Water restrictions will begin Friday for about 90,000 residents from the North Coast to Capitola, after Santa Cruz leaders on Tuesday unanimously approved an emergency order to save water.
As a result, customers with Santa Cruz Water Department will be restricted to watering outdoors on two assigned days each week. Restaurants [...]
(April 14, 2009, The Quincy Herald Whig)
Quincy aldermen heard a first reading of ordinances Monday that would raise water rates by 25 percent and sewer rates by 30 percent.
(Original Article Here)
(April 14, 2009, The Los Angeles Times)
It would be nice if only the overusers picked up that higher tab, but without a further, and very time-consuming, overhaul of the city’s rates, those higher prices would be borne by everyone. The council should take up that challenge too, but for now, the drought-year rates and the [...]
(March 20, 2009, The San Diego Tribune)
The top 10 percent of residential water customers in Poway account for roughly 40 percent of all water used by the city, and the top 5 percent use about 25 percent.
They would be most affected by a proposal the City Council is considering to institute tiered water rates that [...]
(March 9, 2009, DelwareOnline)
Newark City Council is expected to raise its water rates 20 percent today, after backing off a controversial plan to increase rates for out-of-town customers by 30 percent.
Council members, facing criticism from area lawmakers and a crowd of about 100 at their last meeting, agreed to a 20 percent, across-the-board increase. Instead [...]
(March 7, 2009, CBCNews)
The Federation of Canadian Municipalities has asked Canadian cities and towns to phase out the sale and purchase of bottled water on municipal property.
The federation board of directors passed the anti-bottle resolution at a meeting in Victoria on Saturday.
The move carries no legal weight and aims simply to encourage municipalities to speak [...]
(March 7, 2009, The Mercury News)
Foster City residents who take their time in the shower or run the washing machine with just a few shirts inside will soon pay for their wasteful ways.
At a meeting Monday night, the Foster City City Council will consider approving a water rate structure that escalates the cost of water [...]
(March 5, 2009, The Sacramento Bee)
Sacramento leaders on Tuesday said the city’s enormous thirst for water does not mesh with its Earth-friendly aspirations, and vowed to change.
In a workshop on water conservation, a majority of the Sacramento City Council said aggressive new policies are needed to save water. This may include stronger enforcement of water [...]
(March 2, 2009, The Houston Chronicle)
Water bills in Houston are poised to go up about $2.26 a month for an average homeowner under a plan City Council is expected to begin weighing today.
Under procedures put in place after 2004 – when water bills went up as high as 10 percent for many residents – rates [...]
(Feb. 24, 2009, Coloradoan)
Plans to ramp up water conservation efforts in Fort Collins include a couple of tried-and-true methods – education and financial incentives.
Putting those plans to work would likely mean higher rates for water customers even as average per capita demand for water decreases, officials say.
Using less water has broad impacts, including prolonging the [...]
(Feb. 20, 2009, The Kansas City Star)
KC’s Water Services Department is discussing the possibility of up to 90 layoffs, Mayor Mark Funkhouser’s budget SWAT team heard Friday.
At the same meeting, the budget panel proposed asking the department to chip in $4 million to help the city get through its budget crisis.
If the City Council approves [...]
