Water, water everywhere
On Saturdays I have my appointments stacked up all day, with some wiggle room. If I am showing to three households, I will see the first from 10-12, the second 12:30-2:30, and the third 3-5. If some of the houses are duds or couldn’t be set up in time, I find myself with a half-hour to use. From April until October, I follow the yard sale signs to see where they lead me.
What I heard this week: One yard-seller was also selling her house. I overheard her telling someone else why: the water bills. She spent over $6000 last year for water. Her town doesn’t separate the yard water from the house water. She is moving to a town that does. She’s fed up with paying sewer charges for the water she uses to fill her pool and water her lawn...
Would you move to avoid water bills? Are your water bills high enough to affect your budget, or are they just part of the overall inflation?
I generally work within the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA). They charge the towns and cities based on usage. Then each town or city creates a rate for water bills within the municipality. They vary widely. Check out these maps to see the difference in water and sewer charges; it is hundreds of dollars a month.
How does your town fare? Does this make you want to conserve water? Does it make you want to tell your town to plant something less water-needy on the big lawns at City Hall?
