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Officials explain four-tier water rates and warn multi-unit buildings face higher bills without separate meters
Summary
Presenter described a four-tier graduated rate structure and said a base service fee applies per dwelling unit; officials warned buildings with multiple apartments on one meter may face much higher bills unless they install separate meters or submetering.
The Presenter described a four-tier rate structure with tiers for 0–9,000; 9,001–25,000; 25,001–60,000; and over 60,000 gallons and explained the rates are graduated so each tier applies only to consumption within that band. "So your 0 to 9,000 gallons is the base tier," the Presenter said while describing how the marginal pricing works.
Officials stressed the town code requires a base service fee per dwelling unit, which means multi-unit buildings on a single meter could see multiple base fees applied if submetered. "They're gonna be paying these higher costs because they have not separated out meters," the Presenter said, and staff advised affected tenants to press landlords to submeter or to explore auxiliary meters and permitted plumbing options. Officials repeatedly said there is no plan for retroactive charges.
