From The Trussville Tribune staff reports
TRUSSVILLE –With the current drought now reaching 61 days with no measurable rainfall in the local area, Trussville Gas and Water will begin imposing surcharges for excessive water usage for bills rendered after today. The surcharges can be as much as eight times the normal rates for the highest usage.
The northern half of Alabama, including the Trussville area, is currently under an extreme or exceptional drought warning, according to the National Weather Service in Birmingham.
“Generally we have had excellent response to our request to conserve water that was issued during in October,” general manager Mike Strength said. “I’m sure part of that response was the fear of surcharges, but I also think most people are trying to do the right thing to help the community.”
However, there are some customers that have not heeded the request to conserve. Water consumption continues to be about 20 percent higher than January volumes so it suggests there is still a fair amount of irrigation taking place, according to Strength.
“We hope these surcharges will persuade everyone to end outdoor watering,” Strength said. “The worst offenders appear to be the entrances to neighborhoods. Frequently, these areas are on an automatic timer that was set up by a management company that is not local to the area. Residents can greatly aid us in water conservation by contacting their homeowners associations if they see sprinklers running in common areas.”
The surcharges should not impact normal household functions such as cooking and sanitation even for very large families, but they are designed to make it very costly to irrigate during a drought. Water meters that are set up strictly for irrigation will have the highest surcharge rate applied to all usage. The hope is that this will effectively ban all outdoor watering during this exceptional drought.
Surcharges are not being put in place on commercial accounts unless they have an irrigation meter. Trussville Gas and Water will be working with their commercial customers to make sure they also reduce usage where possible without putting them out of business.
“During the 2007 drought, we heard comments that some people thought water companies institute surcharges to make more money,” Strength said. “That was certainly not our experience in 2007 and I don’t expect it to be this time. While the Board does make more from the very few number of people that do not reduce usage once surcharges are in place, it sells less water to everyone else and the result is a dip in revenue. Surcharges are not about revenue but about changing behavior to protect a limited resource for the benefit of everyone.”
Others think it might be a fault that a utility does not build resources that are capable of an unrestricted supply of water even during the worst droughts. From a strictly engineering view this is possible, Strength said. But such a system would need to be paid for month after month with high customer bills even during non-drought years.
“The right mix for our community seems to be to try to keep water bills more reasonable and occasionally have to conserve,” Strength said.
The long range weather predictions suggest continued dry weather so the surcharges will likely remain in effect for many months. Trussville Gas and Water will put a notice on customers’ bills when the surcharges are removed.
30 Comments
Rachel Glass Williams
Donn Williams
Jennifer Chinnis Lawley
Jack Dunn Lawley III
Toni Graves Whitten
Everything I have to save is way past watering anyway. The deep cracks in my yard can testify to that. Along with the dustbowl that used to be a lawn and our shrubs that are just dying a little more every day. I keep praying for rain….good soaking rain.
Justin Williamson
See that’s why I haven’t done dishes or laundry
Scott Coffey
That’s funny. I do not remember getting a discount on water when it rains for days and floods. I need to look back at those bills.
Chuck Biddinger
“During the 2007 drought, we heard comments that some people thought water companies institute surcharges to make more money,” Strength said. “That was certainly not our experience in 2007 and I don’t expect it to be this time. ”
Mike Strength, I have a question. What have you done to improve the water system since 2007? In nine years nothing has been done to have more water for times like this. I can understand the Birmingham Water Works doing nothing, but I would have thought Trussville would have more common sense and they would have done something. I guess not. 🙁
The Trussville Tribune
Trussville Gas and water has increased capacity and added a new well house since the last drought.
Debra Ann Gray-Elliott
When are they going to notify customers?
Scott Coffey
The Trussville Tribune since the last drought Trussville has had close to 500 houses added to the community too. Might need to add another.
Randi Brown
The neighborhood across from Deerfoot Animal Cinic might need to turn the sprinkler off the neighborhood entrance.
Christina Anderson
I (and some others I know) are collecting water in a large bowl in the kitchen sink when I wash my hands or rinse a dish or refill my dog’s bowl. Then, I throw that water outside when the bowl is full. I know it’s a drop in the bucket, but every little bit helps! And, I called Trussville Utilities about a water leak in the road in Grayson Valley on Sunday morning. They were there within the hour and had heavy equipment out digging to fix it very quickly! They are doing their part too!
Ryan Fitzwater
Does that apply to industrial areas of town where the company has to use huge amounts of water to keep dust from blowing accross the city? Such places as rock quarries and material storage yards?
Ryan Fitzwater
Check your mailbox this morning
Debra Ann Gray-Elliott
Ryan Fitzwater Nothing there. The W & G man came out yesterday to paint gas meters,but did not mention drought restriction, but did mention Trussville gets its water from wells.
Melissa Fletcher Morris
Allan Morris
Stephanie Morris Cleveland
I called them this am about a leak in our driveway and haven’t heard back. That was about 10 til 8.
Dale Taylor
All this while Center Point is out watering the flowers in the medians today with a water truck.
Dale Taylor
All this while Center Point is out watering the flowers in the medians today with a water truck.
Ryan Fitzwater
Oh there are materials plants all around Alabama flooding their job sites to keep the dust down. Are they paying the surcharge? Sure doesn’t seem like it the way they are using it.
Ashley Renee
Greg Baethke have you seen this yet??
Sharee Green
Will Green
Jennifer Chinnis Lawley
Ryan Fitzwater
So the little guys pay the surcharge and the big guys get a free pass. I see.
Greg Baethke
Yes, I’ve heard about it. Don’t wash your car in the driveway.
Lindsey Emanuel Brown
Ben Brown
Myra Ashmore Mabire
Anita Johnston
Anita Johnston
What about the Pet Grooming business’s?? 🙁
Michael B. Moore
I’ll be expecting my discount when it rains for days and days in a row
Matt Coleman
How do they expect people to obey something most people don’t even know about ? I haven’t received anything in the mail ,if I didn’t have facebook I wouldn’t have known !
Jeff Galey
I washed my truck off at the car wash next to old gas station ….. It needed it….!