We may soon be asked to support some fundamental changes in the manner that water, sewer and storm water rates are to be calculated for residential, commercial and non-profit property owners in the City. The BOA Public Facilities Committee and the City have been addressing issues of fairness and equitability, while being extremely sensitive to the potential for any financial burden that might be imposed on our most economically fragile citizens.
But…in all the presentations and calculations I have noticed something missing. Not Wells Avenue, but wells. The kind that people can and have installed on their properties. (I believe Health Department permits indicate that there are 200-300 already in service in Newton, with more being dug.)
What do these well owners know that the rest of us don’t? Where is the economic argument pro or con? I would appreciate a discussion that might clarify these muddy waters!
Before a rate structure change, we need to ask questions like: Do well users pay for water used within their homes? (One Alderman told me that they do. Is this a fact?) Users of wells for irrigation have been able to avoid sewer charges for their outside water use for years, as people who choose to install double meters will likely now be allowed to do. However, people with double meters will likely be charged for their outside water use at a very high rate per HCF (hundred cubic foot). Well water users will continue to get (at least) their outside water for free. I know wells are expensive to install, but where is the public economic discussion here? Is there is a flat fee charged to the City of Newton by MWRA for either water or sewer? If so, is that flat fee supposed to be paid by “all property owners”? Then, are the well users paying their fair share? Also, at what point do either small or large water users (think shopping malls) leave the Newton water supply for well water, leaving the rest of us to carry a larger percentage of the total Public Works budget necessary to repair and replace our essential infrastructure on which all of us depend?
I have been told that a couple of Aldermen have wells on their properties. Perhaps they can tell us why they dug them!
Two of my neighbors have wells. If this becomes more popular the underground waterways may be depleted. The city has dug many wells for parks and then install large scale sprinkler systems. Does anyone know what long term effect this has on our aquafers?
Sorry, aquifer.
As I understand it (admittedly no expert): The water coming into your house is metered. Based on that meter reading you are charged so much per gallon for the water, and so much per gallon for sewer – under the general theory that nearly all water coming in, ends up in the sewer.
Now the folks that want the city to allow double metering want a separate meter for their outside water use because that water (mostly) doesn’t end up in the sewer, yet they are now being charged sewer fees for it.
I believe that if you get all your water from a well then you have no water meter, and no city water bill and consequently no sewer bill either. If so, then that is definitely an inequity since your well water will mostly end up in the sewer.
As for the aquifer, I don’t imagine that’s much of a concern since there are so few wells in the city. I suppose it could become one if there was a suddenly a massive increase in wells. If that were to happen it would cause all sorts of secondary effects since the whole water/sewer rate structure is based on nearly everyone using city water rather than their own wells.
Jerry, I can’t believe the city would allow for any sewer hook up without some sort of metering. There’s also a big difference between wells used exclusively for outdoor watering (replenishing the ground water and not putting a burden on MWRA treatment) vs. well or rainwater entering the sewer system.
Using treated water for irrigation isn’t just financially inefficient. What about environmental issues or the burden on our infrastructure?
@Adam – You could be right. As I said I’m “admittedly no expert”
If you use well water for a pool or Vegetable garden – how is that well water ending up in the Sewer system?
I am still not certain whether well users can legally use well water inside their residences. If they can, then they are not carrying their part of any MWRA base charge to the City for sewer services. Does anyone know for certain? (Alderman Beuller? Alderman Beuller?) Also, who are the well users? Golf courses? Shopping malls? Universities? Does that move any of the cost burden to the little guy? Are there any economists and/or environmentalists out there who can talk about the pros and cons?
@ Joanne: “Inflow and infiltration (I/I) is clear water that enters the sewer system from a variety of sources. Infiltration occurs when groundwater seeps into sewer pipes through cracks, leaky pipe joints and/or deteriorated manholes. Inflow is storm water that enters the wastewater system through rain leaders, basement sump pumps or foundation drains illegally connected directly to a sanitary sewer pipe.” (Source: The Metropolitan Council website in Minnesota.)
So, leaky pipes allow at least some of your garden’s well water to flow into the sewer lines. MWRA then charges the City an incredible amount to transport the sewer contents to Deer Island for treatment.
Sorry for so many posts…
By the way…well water is drawn up from around 200 ft. below the surface. When we irrigate, we lose some to evaporation, some to plant, lawn growth, some to runoff (if we live up on a hill, we may be sending our water to our “lower” neighbors’ properties or, as I pointed out above, to leaky sewer pipes.) Some eventually gets back into the aquifer…I don’t know the percentage volumes. Does anyone on Village 14 or earth (not necessarily mutually exclusive) know?
The towns that I have lived in over the years had policies established that answerred these questions. Does Newton? I am on both water and sewer in Newton so I’ve never checked. In the last place I lived, in CT, if you were within the area that had sewer service, you had to pay a fee for it whether you used it or not. We had a 350 ft deep well for our only water source and a septic system because we were so far out, but when they laid the pipe and city sewer became available, we paid a monthly fee even though we didn’t hook into it. People who had city water and sewer but used well water for pools and yards, had two meters. They paid for both water and sewer on their inside use but still paid something (fee or percentage) for sewer on the outside use meter.
So any property that is using the city’s sewer system or is within the area where it is available, should pay sewer fees of some sort on all water use. And with Jerry’s scenerio with water coming only from a well, there would still be a sewer bill unless no city sewer is available and there is a septic tank. In my experience.
Don’t miss the Public Hearing at City Hall tonight at 7pm on the proposed new water-sewer-storm water rate structures.