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Residents report sharp water-bill increases as council weighs advancing utility rate study
Summary
Residents described sudden, large increases in monthly water bills after the city's smart-meter rollout; staff reported revenue shortfalls and a list of high-priority water projects and asked whether the council wants to accelerate a rate study while hiring an owner's representative to help deliver capital projects. Council directed staff to provide requested financial data to the Water and Wastewater Advisory Committee before engaging a consultant.
Residents told the Saint Helena City Council on Tuesday that many households saw steep spikes in water bills after the city switched to new smart meters and monthly billing.
"There's no way my water bill should be $500 a month," said resident William Wagner, who told the council his usage and charges jumped after the change and that his app sometimes reports implausible daily readings. He said dozens of neighbors reported similar experiences.
Why it matters: City staff said preliminary fiscal accounts show revenue shortfalls for the water enterprise (about $1.15 million for fiscal 2024 and roughly $900,000 for fiscal 2025) and that…
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