Blue Mound Residents Boiling Over Water Rate
BLUE MOUND — Minnie Wengert does not have a washing machine or a dishwasher. The 94-year-old conserves water by hand-washing dishes, using her shower sparingly and not watering the lawn.
Despite these efforts, she says, her monthly water bill averages about $125 for 5,000 gallons.
“I have had to cut back on everything just to pay for that water bill,” Wengert said.
In this small North Texas town, the water infrastructure and billing are owned by Monarch Utilities, a private corporation. Residents say this privatized structure, which is duplicated in a number of other rural communities around Texas, results in ...
Comments (19)
Dormand Long
Public policy for generations in Texas called for very cheap prices on water.
As a result, people treated it with little value or respect, even though it is absolutely essential for life processes.
It is almost certain that the population of Texas is going to grow exponentially over the rest of this century. The amount of rainfall that we receive will probably not increase over normal historical levels,
This suggests that public policy needs to be dramatically changed. We have far too many wasteful habits, including thirsty lawn turfs, leaking municipal water mains, failure to use native grasses like Buffalo on thirsty golf courses, parks and roadways. Buffalo grass has the additional benefit of low growth, so it does not have to be mowed.
We need to study and to be ready for the more expensive water processing protocols which at some point in time may be the only means that we have of accessing the quantities of water we require, such as desalination, sewage water reclamation, natural cleaning via lagoons, etc.
Ten years from now, everyone in Texas is going to wish that the rates that they pay for water were as low as they were back in the good old days of 2013,
Blue Mound, the rest of the state is not far behind you in water rates.
Another 99%
Of course, since humans can not live without Water, we want the best pricing possible.
Yet the Texas public just refuses to accept the real truths..........<strong>Too many people, not enough water, period</strong>. As long as the voters continue to vote for more and more population, the water issue will contine to grow and be more expensive.
New overdevelopment should bear 100% of the cost of the new water infrastructure, and increase rates for the expense of new water.
Frank Kenisky via Texas Tribune on Facebook
duh. Ok don't tell me the people here didn't know that the water system wasn't owned by a private water system. See they have to supply water to the oil frackers guys. And there is more profit in oil than supplying you with enough water to flush your toilet. You voted for this you bunch of dumb fat red necks now you have to deal with it. Sorry to be so harsh but that's the way it goes. It's all about capitalism didn't you get the right wing memo?
Jonathan Trammell via Texas Tribune on Facebook
If they don't want the private companies water then build your own resevoir. Sounds like the town has tried to do things on the cheap and is now paying for it. This is why we need to build more resevoirs in TX but I am sure if they proposed one in Blue Mound they would whine about the land being taken to build it.
Tim Thomas via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Vote Blue. When you vote for small government Republicans who advocate privatization you get the bills that come along with it. These bills are the Republican party platform.
You don't like it, you vote for the party that believes some things (like water) are too essential to be provided by companies with a profit motive.
Karen Spivey-Cummings via Texas Tribune on Facebook
But, but, but I though privatization was suppose to cost the taxpayers less?
Karen Spivey-Cummings via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Yep, vote Texas Blue. Say NO to privatization. You also have no accountability.
Flora Choate Batts via Texas Tribune on Facebook
62% increase since 2007? I don't read any justification for that other than, "Things break." Generally, a strong business model will factor in maintenance and repair into their budget structure; it sounds like they are pocketing all profit and using none of it to support the infrastructure - if it breaks, they pass ALL the cost to the consumer.
It's no wonder they are fighting moving the oversight to the Utilities Commission. And all the more reason it should be moved.
Sergio Jaramillo via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Pay attention people. they want to privatize the highways (all tollroads), the airports, and the schools. They sell this to you as "free market". You'll see who gets to pay the bill so a CEO can make money off it. Perhaps you'll learn then, but it may be TOO LATE.
Robert Adams via Texas Tribune on Facebook
This is exactly why some things are best done by the government. This is for the general welfare of the people, which is not a concern for a private business.
Matthew Cowan via Texas Tribune on Facebook
" if it breaks, they pass ALL the cost to the consumer" That is what cities do now under public works. What people fail to realize is that most people are not paying the true cost of the water. It is a subsidized commodity.
Jake Edel via Texas Tribune on Facebook
So what happens when a City owns it? I'll take mine - SAWS - we conserved all last year and let our lawns die, and now they are hiking the rates again. When it comes to things like this, competition is best, but some will have only that one private company. No different than privatization, I'd rather have public options, not monopolies.
Dormand Long
To paraphrase Mr. Keninsky:
.......With choices, there are repercussions!
Susie Martinez-Dominguez via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Uh....wow. Business reigns in Texas ...reigns even rain
Steven Felfe via Texas Tribune on Facebook
All those folks should drill a well in their backyards or install rain catch systems and collect in tanks. Then who would the private water company sell too?
John Mikla via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Water's a great investment - "Water Asset Management, a water-focused fund in New York, discovered that one way to boost equity returns is to go the private equity route. Co-portfolio managers Disque Deane and Matthew Diserio launched their flagship Reservoir Fund in 2006, which now runs about $150 million. By 2007, they had devoted 10% of their fund to private equity ventures, such as taking SOUTHWEST WATER COMPANY private with J.P. Morgan Asset Management late last year and this year purchasing a private farm with plentiful water resources in Nevada.
Since inception, the Reservoir Fund has clocked a compound annual return of 10.5%, with hedge fund clients who opted for the private equity sleeve making 150 basis points in excess of that on a compound basis, Deane says. Best of all: Water is generally uncorrelated with other types of equities, so it has a tendency to smooth out returns. At the end of June, the fund was up 2.9% for the year. Disero says Water Asset also will be lauching a separate water-resources private-equity fund by the end of the year."
V Marshall
I live in an area where the water is not privatized. My rates have doubled in the past year to pay to meet the mandate of surface water to protect ground water. In addition to the drastic rate increase, we are also subject to watering restrictions particularly for those of us with irrigation systems. I don't live in Central Texas where there are still significant drought conditions. I live outside of Houston where last year we got over 50 inches of rain and the reservoirs are back to 90-100% of capacity. It would seem that regardless of the method of funding infrastructure - public or private - Texas has a water problem. So for those of you who insist that this is a Red/Blue problem I suggest that you pull your heads out of your preferred party's nether regions. If you want the jobs and taxes that comes along with the businesses moving to Texas, you are going to have to accept the population growth that comes with it.
David Spratt
Anytime you can pump it out onto the ground and grow grass that you have no practical use for except to mow and then discard the product , you know water is cheap.
David Spratt
In most of these locations these people are not part of Ft Worth and do not pay property taxes to Ft Worth. As with most businesses there is an economy of scale reached when they are larger. large cities can spread the costs over a larger number of people paying in. This is done with all city services.
Amazing that some people are very quick to attack the water company,, but then again liberals are always quick to attack any business that makes a profit claiming they should just provide whatever service or product they make,,,, for minimal profit or no profit at all.
Maybe the water system is old and antiquated ? Maybe it requires extensive maintenance? Maybe the costs of running a smaller system exceed the costs of running a larger one on a per million gal basis?
Water is a necessity for life , and I read into this article that some people seeing it as such expect it to be supplied to them for the price they can afford or think they can afford. If it is too high then that is just not fair and it is the water companies fault. Food is also a necessity,, should farmers be required to provide food to you for whatever you determine to be a " fair price?"
Maybe they are gouging maybe not,, but some here jump to the assumption they are.
The obvious solution is more regulation. Yes this will solve their problem. More regulations will mean more cost , and the water company that was greedy to begin with will not pass these costs along?
The rainy day fund is projected to reach 8 bil. Moves have been made to invest a couple of billion into water projects with more than a few people objecting. Teachers are protesting on the Capital Steps wanting 5.5 bil $ out of this fund claiming it belongs to them. Today all over this country there are people marching , protesting and demanding their fair share from the money tree , but with the exception of taxing those evil rich people , corporations and small businesses,,, nobody wants to pay any more for what they get.
A reminder ,,, it is spring and summer is right around the corner. It is time to check your sprinkler systems and make sure they are ready to keep your lawns green and lush. Pedro, Juan and Manuel are counting on you , even the price of tortillas and beans has gone up and the food stamps are not going as far as they used to.