Now divide $153.40 by 14 to figure the cost per 1,000 gallons. Ouch! That's $10.95 per 1,000 gallons.
That's $613.60 per year! Until the next rate increase! $196 dollars of that is for a "Service Charge". If you don't pay the "Service Charge" your water will be shut off, so it is included in the cost per 1,000 gallons.
Please define "Service Charge".
Sheeple! We are getting hosed!
Your water use is around 150 gallons per day. That is about the national average.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.home-water-works.org/calculator
The calculator shows how you could cut that use. But if every customer did that, the rates or the service charge would likely go up. They have fixed expenses.
At what point would it make sense to drill a private well? Is that even allowed if your home has access to town water?
If you buy water at the grocery store, it is .59 cents per gallon, so 1,000 gallons @ .59 = $590.00?? That water may or may not be fluoride free! What is happening at Templeton Water is a limited customer base with a good amount of debt and ever increasing fixed costs which have to be paid somehow. Now as to the USDA loan for painting water tank, according to the big letter from the DOR, the one that said Templeton Water is separate from the Town, well the first line in the third paragraph states with regards to MGL c 164, a municipal light dept. is NOT a legal separate entity so with regards to borrowing, they (muni light) need to get approval from the legislative body (Town Meeting) and part of that may be, that although Templeton Water would be the first party responsible for the debt, if they fail then the responsibility rests with the Town. You can see that language in the Town meeting vote when the present L&W building on Bridge Street was built. The borrowing went before Town Meeting, with 1.5 million being requested for a 12,000 sq. ft. building and when the lowest bid came in at 1.9 million, the other $400,000.00 was taken from another account handled by the Light commissioners. As for all the water main breaks, those happen every where in cities and towns in the state and the country. Until we as a nation invest in OUR infrastructure, they will happen. Which in Templeton, is why we should not use chapter 90 monies to buy equipment, but should keep it to use as base money for those CDBG programs, as was used in the back bay area to replace old water mains, install drainage, sidewalks, and rebuilding roads. And that benefits the whole Town. Remember, before prop 2 1/2, that is what cities and Towns use to do, need money, raise taxes. Look at what may happen in Gardner, cut back on contractor use and the first thing that will happen is build a 2.5 - 3 million dollar building which then has to be maintained with taxpayer money.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion extortion beats murder any day. Water fluoridation according to Dr. Burk of the National Cancer Institute stated that "fluoride causes more death and at a faster rate than any other substance." If my memory serves me right Mr. Blais stated he would not turn off the fluoride no matter what town meeting voted because the Light and Water have Special Legislation that being Ch93 Acts of 2000 (which in many peoples opinion was created in a fraudulent manner). If the "Special Legislation" gives the water commissioners the right to poison the users, can they not also shut off the poison?
ReplyDeleteCDBG programs don't work out so well unless the income of the area chosen is low enough.
ReplyDeleteYes Pete you remember it correctly. The light and water make money off the town buildings and schools. This is a cost to taxpayers also. So as i see it the light and water town owned departments of Templeton profit from the other parts of the town and school district. Why have the electric rates stayed high when others around us have been lowered?
Sort of like highway plowing schools and your boss Bud saying Town makes money off schools. Which costs taxpayers too. Of course the school district is a legal separate entity from the Town. But Dave would know that as he ran for light commissioner.
ReplyDeleteThe amount for the town to plow is to cover cost of doing it. Water and electric are a for profit to them department.
ReplyDeleteWhen the town charges each town meter to be a customer one has to wonder who is being played.Only when the town was missmanaged and the money was not there to pay them for lights was it not a profit for them.
Jeff to prove my point look at the bills for power the schools pay. You may have a real cause if you ever do. Chips ahoy!