South Salt Lake uses a 3-tier water billing system where water gets more expensive per gallon as water use rises.
This is meant to encourage conservation and penalize water wasters. But what happens when a building supports multiple families? The city does not account for this. I own a 4-unit apartment building supporting four families, which means more sinks, showers, toilets and more water used.
However, just because I use more water does not mean it is wasteful.
The city tells me my building uses less water than some single family homes, but I am routinely charged the tier 3 billing level.
The city needs to develop policies that account for multiple units when charging based on a tiered water system.
If I am guaranteed to end up in tier 3 billing, what is my motivation for investing in efficient water use? Also, with every level of government striving to create affordable housing, lower water bills translate into lower cost to the landlord, thus lower rents while higher cost result in higher rents.
James Reed, South Salt Lake
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