Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
family over 1,100 square feet (0.01 acres) of the lawn, the fi rst garden
at the White House since a Victory Garden in 1943. At the height of the
Victory Garden movement during World War II, gardens were supplying
40 percent of the nation's fruits and vegetables. Someday the pampered
front lawn that today's Americans admire so much may be considered
an ugly vestige of an ignorant time.
What Do We Pay for It?
The average American household spends, on average, only $523 per year
on water and sewer charges, in contrast to an average of $707 per year
on soft drinks and other noncarbonated refreshment beverages.
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Com-
pared with other developed countries, the United States has the lowest
burden for water and wastewater bills when measured as a percentage
of household income. Where water is concerned, price does not indicate
value to Americans.
Many studies have shown that water demand is responsive to price
changes. An attack on the consumers' wallets is the surest way to get
their attention, and to encourage consumers to conserve water, prices
need to be increased. State utility commissions must allow utilities to use
a rate structure that refl ects a consumer's water usage. Consider these
examples of price structures for water use:
•
Most of the 60,000 water systems in the United States charge uniform
rates; consumers pay the same rate per gallon no matter how much they
use each month. One-third of municipalities do the opposite: the more
water you use, the less you pay. Only one-fi fth of utilities charge higher
rates for those who use more. In Israel, where water shortages are
common, a system of block rates or tiered pricing is used: the per-unit
charge for water increases as the amount used increases. The fi rst block
of water (gallons) is relatively cheap, recognizing that everyone needs a
basic amount of water for sanitation, cooking, and cleaning. But the
price increases rapidly for each succeeding block; those who take fi fteen-
minute showers, fi ll swimming pools, wash their cars using a running
hose, and regularly water large lawns have exceptionally large water
bills. According to an EPA study in 2000, only 9 percent of utilities in
the United States use block rates.
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•
Utilities can charge seasonal rates, in which prices rise or fall depending
on water demands and weather conditions. Water should be more expen-
sive when demand is high. Only 2 percent of American water companies
charge more during summer months.
