During a severe drought, a 28% discount for Richmond residential customers using over 74,800 gallons per month is proposed! Richmond’s minimum water/sewer fees to remain the highest of any city in the United States!

A new water/sewer rate structure advocated in a report submitted by Richmond’s Mayor Douglas Wilder would not correct Richmond’s inequitable residential minimum water/sewer rates, which remain the highest of any city in the nation. In fact, the report recommends that the minimum water bill be raised by an additional 19 cents per month while the minimum sewer bill would be reduced by only $1.03. The Mayor’s proposed minimum water/sewer service charge of $42.72 would be three times the minimum water/sewer bill of $14.05 charged by Henrico County, which purchases some of its water from Richmond.

The new water rates do not go far enough in encouraging conservation of this precious resource. Proposed during the serious Fall/2007 drought, the Mayor’s recommendation would offer a 28% high volume discount to those residential customers who use or waste MORE than 100 hundred cubic feet of water a month. By contrast, Henrico County offers a 38% discount for water and sewer customers who use LESS than 6 CCF per month.

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