U.S. Water News Online
PARK RIDGE, N.J. -- The summer's drought, followed by floods are expected to push the price of water higher for many consumers.
"We forecast the drought and then the floods to push water prices higher in many states as suppliers seek new sources of water and try to improve their infrastructure to meet these periods of high demand," said Richard Soultanian, Co-President of independent utility cost management company National Utility Service, Inc. (NUS).
The recently released NUS 1999 Water Price Survey found people in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, New Hampshire and Vermont pay more than three times the price for their water than consumers in Arkansas, Michigan, and Tennessee.
The independent survey was undertaken as part of National Utility Service, Inc's. work to help organizations obtain better electricity, gas, telecommunication, fuel and water prices, and contracts. The survey compares the price of water in each state capitol, or major center, and Washington, DC.
"Our survey found prices have already risen in many states over the past year, and in one case prices increased 25 percent. We expect this modestly increasing trend to continue."
"As a general rule, price increases follow infrastructure improvements made by municipalities. The obligation to meet tougher environmental standards has also had a significant impact on prices."
"This summer's drought adds to this, as water utilities will be doing a lot more long-term planning and development to better secure supply and delivery in difficult times. This type of long-term preparation also affects prices."
As expected, the NUS 1999 Water Price Survey found big differences in pricing between regions in the U.S. Unexpectedly, the survey also found significant variation in prices in neighboring cities. Soultanian said "water costs vary considerably around the U.S. and are due to a range of factors, including environmental concerns and the age and upkeep of water supply infrastructure. Also, while the Western United States is awash with water, there are no pipelines to move this commodity around the country, as is the case with gas and electricity."
He suggests finding the best water prices does not even mean moving to a city with lower water prices. "If you are a commercial user, prices can vary within the area of a supplier. Some water utilities have a range of rates, and it is up to larger consumers to find the best rate for them."
"Most businesses do not recognize that they have options and alternatives in purchasing their utilities. If consumers think that the utility companies will help them -- they should think again. The utility companies have a very clear policy when it comes to finding the lowest price -- 'it is the customers' responsibility.' That is where NUS comes in. We ensure our clients are getting the best deal from their utilities."
Prices indicated are for an average monthly cost of 220,000 gallons (294,300 cubic feet/883 cubic meters) of water on a two inch meter for commercial use. This is enough water for an apartment block of around 15 units or a smaller office block. Prices are for major cities, but where they were not made available another major city was selected or the state capitol. Prices can vary considerably within a state and within areas, due to a range of factors as mentioned above.
A range of prices for 220,00, gallons for the cities researched in the report are as follows:
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