Non-Usage Water CHARGE - Are you kidding me?!

reply to post by showintail


I hear ya! I had read over the initial offer of hooking up to their water; They also have some pretty tough rules on timeliness of water usage payments and related penalties for late payments including shut off if not paid within 30 days. That's one payment I would hate to be late on! They got ya by the kishkes.

WTF? It's cheaper to actually pay a water USAGE bill! (At least here in Utah, it's $25 unless you go over something like 25,000 gallons... which is hard to do unless you have a lot of land I guess)

That would be like phone companies charging people extra because they use their cell phones instead of a landline. Or grocery stores charging you because you grow your own food. Sorry man, that is a seriously messed up scenario. And I agree with everyone else - fight it. And make it public if they give you crap.

reply to post by SumerianSoldier


Yes sir, a NON-USAGE CHARGE.

I had initially considered getting hooked up, thought if I ever sold my property it may help the value a bit if I had both well, and city hook-ups. Until I read this:

“The customer agrees that no other present or future source of water will be connected to any waterlines served by the Authority’s waterlines and will disconnect from the present water supply prior to connecting to and switching to the Authority’s system and shall eliminate their present or future cross-connections in the Customer’s system.”

So I said forget it! I am not unhooking my well.

reply to post by CeeRZ


That was the other thing if I had chose to hook up to their water, I would have paid a fortune for it. I have 6 children, we use a LOT of water. Between dishes, showers, baths, laundry, etc...hooking up to them would have killed me. Probably would have been my second highest bill next to electric.

u can always do what i did. i have the same clause on mine where i cant hook my well to it. so what i did was run city water into my house but ran a seperate line straight to my cold water on my kitchen sink, hooked in a back flow preventer and let it ride. they dont hook crap up. they just run it to your yard and you tie it in yourself here. so what they dont know wont hurt them lol. i refuse to drink or cook that nasty city water. i just wanted the higher pressure for bathing to be honest lol.

reply to post by summer5


Hey summer - good to hear from you, but sorry about the circumstances - sounds ridiculous. Do you have any neighbors in the affected area who made the same choice to stick with their well water? Just know that there may be more options in vocal numbers.

Originally posted by summer5
reply to post by jude11

 

That just sounds crazy. To think you could be sued for not paying a water bill that you don't even have!! OMG!

Good point, I'm not using their water, so technically, going by the info here, I owe them money also.

If they force you to use their water by means of fine enforcement, then shouldn't you be able to sue to the high heavens should you get ill from their water?

2 things....

1. You need to check it out maybe with an attorney to make sure if you decide NOT to pay it and fight it that they can't put a lien on your property.

2. You coulod always hook up to their water and just put a manual pump handle on your well. You won't be "hooked up" to your water lines but can still pump well water for use (drinking water).

I am sorry that you are going through that. It is very unfair. One question comes to mind. Where are they getting the "City" water? It would really suck if they are getting some of it from the aquifers beneath you and your neighbors homes in the area. You really need to find out. If they are using that water, it will dry out one day, and you will be forced to use their water anyways. I wouldn't put it past them to try to dry out you and your neighbors wells just so you have to buy theirs.

Another injustice being done by the Government.

Good luck to you.

Try talking to a newsstation, a big one. Companies hate bad PR, and may drop it when they see it. If this doesnt work, see a free attorney conssultation.

Utter bull, my friend. My uncle owns a farm in the country and was forced to switch to city water >.<

you go !!!!

in the last crap little town i lived in they had to put new sewers in...a $40 million dollar project.....and if your home is below the level of the sewer, it is your responsibility to connect to it...on average $15,000

in a small town where the average annual pay is around $22,000

Sorry to hear this is for real.
I live in the country too, I'm on the town water supply, but it's not fluoridated, it has traces of naturally occurring "calcium fluoride" though which is nothing compared to sodium fluoride.

When I lived alone I used water sparingly, but when I got my quarterly water/sewer bill, I noticed I had to pay a "minimum usage charge". What I used was less than their minimum charge, didn't matter if I was conservative with water, I have to pay a minimum amount every time regardless of how little I use.

I'm afraid you're probably screwed on this one.
I doubt a lawyer can help you do anything except relieve you of more money.
Maybe try calling the water department and city hall every day requesting an explanation for the charge.
Kill them with tenacity a la the million paper cuts strategy.

This is one of those cases where main stream media will come in handy..I bet you aren't the only resident this is happening to. Ask around,and get together and start calling local and national news agencies-television and newspapers alike.

Outrageous!

Above all,best of luck for a positive outcome. We are all pulling for you!

I live alone and generate almost no trash...I also use very little water.
The County still charges me a flat fee for "refuse disposal" and I pay a minimum water bill.

I'd be fine with paying a fee each time they collected my refuse, and for the water I actually used.
I could have a well dug on my property...but that would mean I'd pay a recurring "well inspection fee".

It's Government out of control.

reply to post by FrenchOsage


Yes,it is-On every level.

Who owns the utility companies and decides these things,charging people for NOT using a so-called service? Sad,infuriating times we try to live in..

This is absolutely unacceptable, governments are going insane now days. It's getting worse and worse. Wow this is scary.

reply to post by summer5


to review: you don't have water hook-up. you don't pay the town. you don't pay a monthly fee.

what you have here is a non-issue. you're unhappy about a non-usage charge you are not paying.

i'm happy for you that your life problems are not more than you can handle.

try living in europe dude, they tax you for wiping your arse here!

That is just appalling. Charging you for not partaking in their water piping scheme. Next you will probably be taxed for using a wood furnace! because of not using electrical heating.. who knows what. The governments really need to back the # off. I hope you take it up and the courts and blast these SAPS.