The Rising Cost of Water
Last night I attended a public hearing of our local North Beach Water District, in Ocean Park, Washington. Newly-elected officials are proposing rate increases that total 62% over the next five years, for both fixed monthly service fee and water consumption. Angry locals, both business owners and retired citizens on fixed income, asked questions about why these steep increses were necessary.
One businessman shared that the costs for water to his trailer park will rise from $2K to over $7K and that will require that he find 90 more customers annually, a huge increase in tourism revenue for a small place.
Many locals in our rural area rely on their wells for water (although both the public and private systems are pulling from the same precious aquifer). These folks are patting themselves on the back because they did not hook-up to the public system as they were encrouaged to do years ago.
What is the future of water in our area where, ironically, we get over 86 inches of annual rainfall? And how will it compare to Australia or African countries facing their worst drought in decades?
One businessman shared that the costs for water to his trailer park will rise from $2K to over $7K and that will require that he find 90 more customers annually, a huge increase in tourism revenue for a small place.
Many locals in our rural area rely on their wells for water (although both the public and private systems are pulling from the same precious aquifer). These folks are patting themselves on the back because they did not hook-up to the public system as they were encrouaged to do years ago.
What is the future of water in our area where, ironically, we get over 86 inches of annual rainfall? And how will it compare to Australia or African countries facing their worst drought in decades?
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