Water bills hiked by 9%
Posted on Thu, 11/01/2012 - 10:34 in Local News
(CNS): Residents in Cayman face even more financial misery, as water joins the list of necessities that keep going up in price. As people reel from growing CUC bills, soaring food prices and endless increases to fees and taxes, the Water Authority has joined in the squeeze with an increase of 9.2% on water rates on Grand Cayman and 6.68% increase on Cayman Brac. Although the authority has now scrapped the minimum monthly fee, all customers of the government-owned company will be facing bigger bills this month after the rate increase on water and sewage services was implemented today. The problems the authority now faces borrowing cash because of the FFR was one of the reasons cited for the stiff increase.
Despite removing the $16.04 minimum fee, the increase from $4.01 per cubic metre to $4.38 for the first 3,200 gallons, and from 5.10 to 5.57 for usage over the first 12, residential customers will be feeling the pinch.
On top of the increasing cost of water sewerage and septage rates will increase of 10% and there will also now be an energy adjustment charge (EAF) on those services as well as on the water bills. The authority said EAF is expressed in CI$ per sewerage fixture unit and CI$ per 1,000 gallons of septage covers fluctuations in the cost of electricity used to process the sewage and septage. Other changes include an automatic annual rate adjustment and increases to statutory fees.
“The rate adjustment is driven by the need to invest in our water and wastewater infrastructure to ensure their proper and adequate operation in the years to come,” said Dr Gelia Frederick-van Genderen, Director of the Water Authority, as the government-owned company announced the bad news for its customers.
“The last comprehensive rate adjustment took place in 1995, with a minor rate adjustment in mid-2007. The Water Authority is facing increased difficulties with borrowing due to the FFR (Framework for Fiscal Responsibility) bill. However even with borrowing, a rate adjustment would still be necessary in order to maintain and expand the water and wastewater infrastructures in accordance with public demand.”
The authority said that the automatic annual rate adjustment will reflect the changing costs of doing business in the Cayman Islands.
In the face of the more than nine percent hike, the authority said its water was still much less costly than bottled water. A typical gallon of bottled water purchased at a retail store is $1.25-$1.50 compared to water from the Water Authority at less than $0.02 per gallon.
“The potable water produced by the Water Authority exceeds World Health Organization guidelines for drinking water quality,” it stated, advising how customers may reduce their consumption.
“A rate increase may cause concern for residents, however there are things people can do to minimize the impact on their pocket book,” it said. “The Water Authority continues to encourage customers to take charge of their water consumption and monitor their usage closely to manage and control their expenses. This can be as easy as identifying and fixing leaks without delay, avoiding unnecessary toilet flushing, installing water-saver shower heads and limiting water used for gardening.’
Customers can monitor their usage by keeping an eye on their water meter. By becoming familiar with the normal readings on the meter, customers can more easily identify abnormally high usage and take immediate steps to remedy problems.
The authority provides information on meter reading on its website www.waterauthority.ky.
Customers can also read the Water Authority (Amendment) Regulations 2012 there which provides an explanation of all the new changes.
Email this pageViewpoints
Latest Classifieds
- WTS: BB Q10...BB Z10 & Samsung Galaxy S4 BBM Chat: 23A0C377
- Work permit as Online Investor (Personal Investor)
- House for sale - Mt Pleasant WB
- \'09 Honda Fit 4sale
- New Blackberry Q10 Gold Plated and Gold Porsche Design (24 HRS BBM Chat:295941E1)
- Town - Extra Large Bedroom with XL Walk-in Closet
- ONE BEDROOM SHARING $325.00
- CINSA RElays
- Retirement plan
- Make Money Now - Easy as ever
Comment Policy
The comments posted do not necessarily reflect the views of CNS or any individual staff member. All comments are posted subject to approval by CNS. Read more
Recent Comments
- Errr... no they shouldn't
1 hour 6 min ago - Let me start by saying that I
1 hour 10 min ago - This could be
1 hour 20 min ago - Would that be a white or
1 hour 31 min ago - Bye-elections or
2 hours 17 min ago - That was no ego trip. She
2 hours 18 min ago - Yes, you see Madam Governor
2 hours 40 min ago - West Star is obsolete. I used
2 hours 49 min ago - No need for any external
3 hours 5 min ago - Cayman should look at this
3 hours 9 min ago
Search
Follow CNS via ...
Facebook Twitter RSS
Comments
Cant the Minister responsible
Cant the Minister responsible do something about this?
Yeah higher
This is a crying shame to
This is a crying shame to raise the water bills, because the water is NO GOOD, it bleaches clothes leave marks when used to clean up, it ruins your hair, and it stinks, and dont talk about drinking it. It is no good. What a shame. Friends go back to your wells or build a cement holding tank.
The water is coming out of
The water is coming out of the ocean they aren't importing it in, so how come such a high increase??????
You aint seen nutin yet just
You aint seen nutin yet just wait till they sell the water authority. Then it will be just like Cayman Water they wont even tell you when they raise the rates. I guess its like they say ignorance is bliss.
Cisterns are part of the
Cisterns are part of the answer. Unfortunately many of you are saying it for the wrong reason; to cut out the WA of their profit or just to cut the bill. We should all be trying to live lighter on the planet. We should all be taking responsibilty for what we do and use on a daily basis. Reverse osmosis requires energy and manpower , that means diesel costs, wear and tear on equipment etc.. If we try to utilize all the 'wasted' rainwater that runs off our roofs we would be doing us all a big favor. There are more effective ways to deal with rising costs than moaning. I'm tired off people complaining of how expensive their monthly electrical bill is... do something about it; look at how inefficient your home is and make a plan to change things that make the biggest impact. 1) Put some insulation in your ceiling. 2) plant some shrubs around the house blocking direct sun radiating heat or possibly shutters, or a pergola for shade 3) put window film on windows 4 ) invest in an energy efficient ac unit. If you are renting a place that is inefficient look around there is lots of options out there. The difference between a home with these energy saving measures and one without can be $220/mos compared to $800 plus/mos .... thats over $6000/year if your in this latter category you can see that taking a loan out will pay itself off in a short time if you plan reasonably. Or you can just compain and play the blame game. Life isn't fair....adapt and win rather than be set in your ways and be miserable about it.
Water meter rip off! A water
Well-water aka "country
Well-water aka "country water" never tased so good.
Until they build a dump
Until they build a dump nearby...
What about the mooching 9000,
I guess the funds raised from
I guess the funds raised from these fee hikes will pay for the annual cleanup??????
Happy thanksgiving and Merry
Happy thanksgiving and Merry Christmas Cayman. this is your combined gift from your illustrious leader. Those of you without a brain who still support him - just think, even though you are selling out your country XXXXX, he is taxing the most important thing you need to live - Water. Surely even you cannot be so stupid as to continue to support such a monster.
Ooh I wouldn't be so sure
Ooh I wouldn't be so sure about that. He cause most of them to loose their jobs when he hiked the business fees up and guess who he asked to show up to his rally? The same idiots he caused to loose their jobs. So not withstanding an electrical storm that fries the WBayers brains we are just out of luck there.
Right now they are too busy trying to complete their set of appliances to worry about the rest of the Cayman Islands.
West Bayers still pay 10%
West Bayers still pay 10% more for their water, even after the increase, than Water Authority customers.
Why should they worry? The purpose of a West Bay MLA is to pay their water and electric bill, plus any other bills that they might need a little "hep" with, and to give them a new fridge or stove every Christmas.
An increase in the water bill is neither here nor there for the many who depend on government or someone else to pay their bills.
I would like to know when
I would like to know when they plan on extending the piped water through Cayman Brac. It goes no further now than when they first started piped water here. If we pay more, we should have more service.
When you pay the same duties
When you pay the same duties and fees as everyone else, then we will start listen. All Brackers do is want other people to spend money on them. Here is a suggestion for extended piped water in the Brac; a 20% levy on water bills in the Brac to pay for it. What do you think about the need for extended piping now? Didn't think so.
Cayman Brac dont seem to pay
Cayman Brac dont seem to pay for anything, and definitely DONT contribute anything
You all didn't have no
You all didn't have no problem using everything in Brac after Ivan though. Really, Grand Cayman people are so hateful towards Brackers after all the help they gave after Ivan. You all should be ashamed of yourselves.
We pay for water and light
We pay for water and light just like you. I'm not asking for free water. I'm just asking for better service. Do you think it's fair that only the western end of the island has piped water? What about Little Cayman? They don't have piped water either. I'm just saying that we are paying more so why not put the money to use and extend the piped water?
This is a dilemma for JuJu
This is a dilemma for JuJu Banton. She just spent $500,000 of other people's money to pave private parking lots, plus another $3 million to pave the road. She is going to need some new trenchers to dig up the road parking lots she just paved, but on the bright side it will provide employment for her supporters to be digging up and repaving the roads for as long as she remains in power.
I have never accepted
I have never accepted anything from her or any other politician and never will. The 1st elected member is Mr. Moses so obviously not everyone is for JuJu.
Brackers pay for piped water so it should be extended but why bother whne they can make more money out of trucking water.
Why they nah use money to
Why they nah use money to extend pipes? Cause it go in tings called pockets.
I am an expat who left Cayman
I am an expat who left Cayman a number of years ago (some Caymanians will say "good riddance").
Financially I am better off paying income tax in my home country than paying the cost of living in Cayman. The warm tropical weather in nice, but happiness is in my heart, not in the weather.
London and her new taxes will
London and her new taxes will greet you with open arms. :)
Nice of you to let us know.
Nice of you to let us know. Bye!
Thanks for the feedback. How
Caymanian but right behind
Caymanian but right behind you this place is going fast. This mess is gearing up to be the perfect financial storm. Unemployment, high cost of living, restricted government, increase in crime.
"The problems the authority
and why do we have to have
and why do we have to have this FFR?
Any UDP Idiot want to comment.
The problems that Cayman are
The problems that Cayman are now facing have to do with no vision and lack of planning financial and otherwise. The FFR does not even factor into the equation. The first down fall of these islands is the mess that was created with immigration and control. Second the spending like we had a money tree in the government administration back yard. Now don't get me started on the greed of our politician and people. Until we get these solved this place will never get any better unless there is devine intervention from above that will take all things undesirable far away. In short this place is one big mess and we choose to believe other wise until we are forced to stare reality in the face, we all live in a castle some where in Disney land far away from Florida or California.
Well time to shut the main
Sorry Mckeeva..It was abd
Sorry Mckeeva..It was abd enough tha you taxed the bread of our table but to further tax on the water our bodies need for survival, that is low even for you.
Come on man, you are going to have to live with us after May next year and you won't be able to bathe in "Voss water" for the rest of your life.
Have a heart please!! This is ridiculous! Are we going to last until next May?
Coming right up. Taxes on the
Coming right up. Taxes on the air we breathe. Mac does need to travel and collect multiple pensions, and a little cash for wote buying and nation building doesn't hurt either.
And don't forget he needs to
And don't forget he needs to have at least 2 million on reserve at all times to keep his backside out of court.
Ya Mac. Stop being
Ya Mac. Stop being "honorable". Its killing the rest of us.
"The problems the authority
"The problems the authority now faces borrowing cash because of the FFR was one of the reasons cited for the stiff increase."
WHAT? So the WA is ALSO not self-sustaining, even with their monopoly on water? Borrowing money to stay *cough* afloat?
I don't think it has squat to do with the FFR; I think it has to do with the ponderous government thumb that keeps tacking on fuel taxes and other taxes, and the grief gets passed on to the customer.
.......... and so it will continue, eventually, in virtually every facet of our lives, that this government will continue to inflict their financial snafu upon us, and continue to demonstrate absolute noncompliance with any semblance of accountability for the funds raised, until they are voted out.
The END.
Everyone who has cisterns,
Everyone who has cisterns, needs to reactivate them. Others need to build and some needs to buy the redi-made ones from the pre cast place. We need to take our own actions and cut these greedy monopolies out. Don't sit still and let the Government ram their agendas down our throats to satisfy their greedy appetites.
Its about time I tap/plumb
Its about time I tap/plumb into the communal complex strata water pipework - any good plumbers out there willing to do me a favour????
A simple question, in 3
I am not sure why everyone is
I am not sure why everyone is whining again. Conserve water and your water bill will remain low. I never have more than $25 water bill. And I am a clean freak.
Even 100% increase will not make any difference to me. How much do you pay for your mobile??????
something is stinking up the
something is stinking up the place...go take a shower...pleaseeeee!!!
And we all belive you.
And we all belive you.
The water is dirt cheap in
The water is dirt cheap in Cayman. Increase was overdue to facilitate its conservation. Less water in, less treated (dead) water out into a sea. Better for environment.
The water Bill I received in
The water Bill I received in October was 3 times my normal water bill. I am already using my well and not using the Water Authority water.
Lets cut back our water usage
For many years now, I have
For many years now, I have been fortunate enough to have a low water bill by using ground water, cistern water and city water in various configurations. RIght now I only use city water for the kitchen sink and the fridge/icemaker and my bill for city water is always the minimum which includes the meter rental and the 4 cubic metre minimum of $16.04. Everthing else in the house is using ground water including toilets, baths, basins and the washer. Therefore, with the new charges and the removal of the minimum purchase of 4 cubic metres, my bill will actually be lower by about $10 per month. If you can afford to put in a deep well and supply at least part of your water needs, you will save a lot of money very quickly. I have calculated that with a family of 5 which includes 3 children and a lot of weekly washing, we probably save about $80 - $100 per month, or about $960 - $1200 per year. Over the past 7 years, (since the first child was born), that's a savings of between $6720 and $8400. It does not take a rocket scientist to see the huge potential for savings if you are able to install your own water service. I realise that not everyone has good ground water, but it might be possible to have a system installed that treats the water before it ireaches your home. When my ground water was tested they called to confirm that it was really a ground water sample, due to its purity. I can't see where many banks would deny a small loan to put in such a system for those who would not be able to pay for the upfront installation cost. The savings each month would more than repay the loan.
wow my low flow toilets will
wow my low flow toilets will pay for themselves even faster now.
Has anyone actually stopped
Has anyone actually stopped to look and what the other water company is charging its customers? Well I have water service to properties in both West Bay and George Town and I can tell you that even with this increase by Water Authority, their fees per gallon are still lower than what I currently pay Cayman Water Company for water in West Bay. It is funny how we talk about the Government must be accountable but yet we criticise the government entity for only raising rates once in the last 17 years and trying to break even, but yet we don't question why Cayman Water rates have been increasing annually or why water service in West Bay is still much more than what customers of the Water Authority will pay with the new rates?
Check Cayman Water Company rates, do the math and get the proof.
Screw 'em. I have a cistern
Screw 'em. I have a cistern and septic tank. FINALLY an increase that does not hit me directly. Laa, la, la, la, laaah!.
However, I do realise that indirectly we all take a hit as the cost of doing business increases and thus prices go up accordingly. Bad time to own a car wash!
I am moving to Cuba where
I am moving to Cuba where there is almost no crime and stress and no worry about greedy companies milking middle class/poor people......................Now I don't give a flying flip who wanna get mad about me supporting socialist Cuba but i just can't take it anymore,Cayman gone!!
Post new comment