Residents balk at water bills

WARWICK — Since the beginning of the new year, Mayor Michael Newhard and Warwick Village Board of Trustees have received two letters from residents shocked by their water bills - one totaling $297.54 and the other $1,765.40.

Both residents are seeking some form of relief, which will be up to the board to decide. Although the trustees discussed the water bills, they made no determinations at the regular meeting on Jan. 22.

“We can’t tax outside the village so we put a higher rate of water for (those water users),” the mayor said in an interview about one of the residents whose contiguous property receives village water at the higher outside-the-village rate.

That higher rate makes up for the annual water and land taxes paid by village residents and covers such things as maintenance costs for the water system.

Although the resident could petition to become annexed into the village, he would have to pay the water tax and the higher property taxes.

Detecting leaks of any kind early including any associated with water softeners is the best way to prevent a high water bill.

“We’re looking at every system (including) water and wastewater and the water treatment plant (that is) going to need next level of improvements,” said Newhard.

The village has already undertaken a leak detection program in an effort to not only save water but also save residents money because an undetected water leak can increase a bill significantly. That effort, which was led by trustee Barry Cheney, detected and repaired eleven leaks, saving 208,800 gallons of water per day.

“The water bill clerk makes sure when seeing something abnormal in a read we definitely call the person,” said the mayor, who added that he sympathized with the widow who received the four-digit bill.

In her letter she complained about the water meters getting read every three months. “Anything could happen during that time period,” she wrote and in her case a running water softener was to blame.

What, if anything, the board can do remains to be seen.

The next regular meeting of the board will be held on Monday, Feb. 4, at 7:30 p.m. in Warwick Village Hall, 77 Main St.

- Birgit Bogler