The cost of water (February 22, 2016)
A letter writer on Feb. 8 said I had made three curious statements in my Jan. 29th letter regarding hookups.
I said the ratepayers of Apple Valley pay for them. He said it was amortized over years. I called Liberty and could not get an answer. However, by not receiving the money up front which could be drawing interest, we are paying for the hookups.
He goes on to say if the town took over we would be paying. False. A public utility is forbidden to use ratepayers’ money for this. The home builder would pay up front and that could be drawing interest. Look, I don’t have a degree in public finance but that makes sense to me. I do use about 8 to 8.5 ccf. per month. We bathe daily and wash clothes often.
Some people only do this 1 time a month. Each to his own. I have seven neighbors who I know well and I asked about their water use. None knew their ccf’s but they said that their bills were between $50 and $75 per month. Mine is $80.
Next thing is the P.U.C. rate of $3.41 for the average ratepayer clearly states monthly. Not bi monthly.
When Ranchos requested a 31.55 percent increase it was before the governor’s executive order for the drought. That is a rough average of 10 percent per year. For a $50-a-month bill, you would be paying 65 dollars a month at the end of the three-year period.
Next rate period Liberty will be asking for another 30 percent on top of the $65 a month you would already be paying. Ranchos was guaranteed a 9.7 percent profit. Now in today’s paper there is a article about Liberty possibly using paid shills to ask for Public Records Act documents. This has cost us $237,000 so far. If it is true that is disgusting.
John Pedigo, Apple Valley
Source: Daily Press