What Were We Talking About? Oh, Yeah, the Water Bill.

On Saturday, I got a piece of mail from CNM.  They're raising the water/sewage-related fees.

They're raising the water fee by 4%.  Yeah, that's fine.  It's very cheap anyway.  They're also raising the sewage fee by 4%.  Watch your bill for this.  A small proportion of BP residents and homeowners in the northeast corner of the Village are on CNM sewage pipes.  The rest of us, which is by far most of us, have septic tanks.  If you're not on CNM sewage, make sure they don't raise your whole usage bill by 4%.  It's still the same small amount, but you should on principle permit an increase of only 2% of your usage, if you have a septic tank.  Which almost all of us do.

Of course, CNM might say that water and sewage are not 50/50, and that the fee for water is really 95% of the charge, and the fee for sewage is only 5% of the charge.  But I think they'd have to prove that.  I, for one, would feel a lot better having John Hearn or John Herin in the lawyer's chair.  Ed Dion has not impressed me, yet.  If he does, that will be great.

I'm not sure how to understand the other part of the increase.  CNM is increasing "stormwater charges" by 15%.  I have no idea what "stormwater charges" are, or what CNM does to mitigate (I assume that's the intended meaning of this term) stormwater.  We have significant and worsening stormwater (is that like drainage?) problems, and CNM does nothing to help us.

Of course, this may circle back around to things like definitions and obligations, both of which would be in the contract no one can find.

Is it a bad pun if I say it seems we're out to sea without a paddle?

Anyway, watch for this increase.  It will be part of your next quarterly bill, and it takes effect on February 1, 2021.