Residents report steep increases after smart meters; council hears water‑neutrality and rate study concerns

Residents told the Saint Helena City Council on Sept. 9 that their household water bills have risen sharply since the city began monthly billing and installing new smart meters, prompting public commenters to demand technical reviews and pushing council members to ask staff for more data before deciding whether to accelerate a new water and wastewater rate study.

At the meeting, resident William Wagner told the council his bill rose to about $500 a month after the city moved to monthly billing and new meters, and he said the meter app reported implausible daily use. "There is no way my water bill should be $500 a month," Wagner said. "I have no pool. I have very small drip irrigation. I live in a 1,300‑square‑foot house with three people." He said neighbors and online posts show similar complaints.

Another resident who identified himself in the meeting as Mr. Belt urged council to revisit the city's water neutrality policy, using the proposed Spring Grove development as an example. Belt said the project's mitigation proposal assumes the development would use about 11,462 gallons per day (he said the project's annual figure was "about 4,000,183,496 gallons per year" in his remarks) while the three existing homes on the site use far less. He questioned whether a one‑time in‑lieu payment of roughly $119,392 would offset the projected increased annual demand and said the LEED‑derived usage table in the policy underestimates real use patterns. "I don't believe that a one‑time payment of $100,000 is going to…