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Burley1
01-09-2006, 10:27 AM
Happy New Year everybody, so is it just me or is the water and sewer costs in Havi REALLY expensive. I and a new home owner 5 months and I have never seen bills like this.
Now in fairness to the city I have alot of landscaping and a pool and a koi pond but for a weekend home the first bill was $520.00 :eek: for one month and the second was $330.00.
WTF

Havasu_Dreamin
01-09-2006, 10:31 AM
That sounds like you have a leak somewhere. Our water bill has never been over $90.

Mrs.Racer277
01-09-2006, 10:52 AM
OMG that can not be right. My first bill was around $30. Now that was before landscaping and no pool. I would have your meter checked ASAP.

That Guy
01-09-2006, 10:55 AM
It has something to do with the fact that they have no historical rating on your property so you get charged the maximum. I have talked to them and get nothing but mumbo jumbo. They say you can install a second water meter that will measure actual usage, but no one really can explain to me why that will make a difference. My water bills have been similar to yours....

Focker
01-09-2006, 10:56 AM
I've had a home there for almost two years and our bill during the hottest months with front and back sprinkers going twice a day for 20 minutes each has never exceeded 80.00

ChumpChange
01-09-2006, 10:58 AM
It has something to do with the fact that they have no historical rating on your property so you get charged the maximum. I have talked to them and get nothing but mumbo jumbo.
The historical rating on your property is CURRENTLY being monitored. LHC uses the average usage from Jan, Feb and Mar to assess your sewage usage for the remaining nine months of the year. In order to reduce cost for the rest of the year, try and use less water for the next three months. Use your watering system less and anything else you can think up.

GHT
01-09-2006, 11:20 AM
Our bill is relatively low. Can't remember if we had to pay some kind of deposit when we bought our house? $300.00!!!! I would have to agree with Havasu Dreamin' about the leak..

dicudmore
01-09-2006, 11:47 AM
me thinks you have a leak too...
my water bills in Havi run about $25

Bad Puddy Tat
01-09-2006, 11:51 AM
I have lived in Havasu now for about 20 months. I have a pool and a large sprinkler system ( Over an acre is landscaped and watered) The highest bill that I have paid is $125 You must have a leak or faulty meter

RiverRatMike
01-09-2006, 11:59 AM
my water and trash here in LHC is about $25 to $30 a month

SummitKarl
01-09-2006, 12:15 PM
Happy New Year everybody, so is it just me or is the water and sewer costs in Havi REALLY expensive. I and a new home owner 5 months and I have never seen bills like this.
Now in fairness to the city I have alot of landscaping and a pool and a koi pond but for a weekend home the first bill was $520.00 :eek: for one month and the second was $330.00.
WTF
something is way wrong!!!!!!!!!!! I am on sewer now and my bill went up only $20 or so to about $45 a month including trash.
For irrigation stuff you should get a second water meter, the sewer charge is based on the amount of water you use.
get the second water meter installed for your landscape/ car wash etc..
this is a very common thing for many in town, a new meter is $900 installed at the city.
BTW what was the consumption on your bill...?

Ion
01-09-2006, 12:18 PM
Here's the deal: During the months of Jan-April, water consumption averaging is done. During these months it's best to conserve as much as humanly possible because unless you have a seperate meter for your outside consumption (landscaping, pool, spa, etc) your sewer charges are based on your water useage, eventhough the vast majority of it is NOT going down the sewer! Yeah...it sucks!
SBARK: having a second meter for your outside consumption will do exactly that...measure only water consumed that's not going down the sewer and substantially lowering your "base" or average consumption during the winter months. This winter average is used on every month's bill throughout the remaining year as your fixed sewer consumption charge.
The charge for a second meter, which can only be purchased from the city, is only $400 & change, BUT...re-routing all your irrigation lines into it can be quite cost-prohibitive! I had a couple companies out to look at my situation a few years back and both said it would be anywhere from $3k-$4k. This included ripping up my driveway and re-paving it.
Re: plants during the winter...until I spoke with a "master gardener", referred to me by the big cheese guy at the water dept., I had "reduced" my bubbler frequency from every other day to every 3 days during the winter / spring months. According to the master gardener, one only needs to run bubblers every 7-10 days during this period of time. I have been doing this since December and so far, no adverse affects. In fact, upon closer inspection to my landscaping, the ground is still saturated 5-6 days after a watering.
BHC's rates ARE cheaper than Havasu, by the way.

2Driver
01-09-2006, 12:19 PM
Water and sewage are free. Just go to the south end of the channel on a busy weekend and grab a bucket. :D

Ion
01-09-2006, 12:21 PM
...this is a very common thing for many in town, a new meter is $900 installed at the city.
BTW what was the consumption on your bill...?
That might be true for you, but like I previously posted, the flat rate for the meter is $400 & change. Installation varies depending on each individual's situation. It's a lot like me expecting you to quote me a flat labor rate to build a house, without knowing the parameters beforehand.

Ion
01-09-2006, 12:28 PM
Oh...and one more thing to bubbler users who are cutting back for winter averaging: don't reduce duration, only frequency. Plant's roots get used to getting the water at the depth your particular duration allows water to reach. If you cut back the duration, the saturation depth will not be the same as it once was, thus potentially depriving the roots of water.

Burley1
01-09-2006, 01:14 PM
OMG that can not be right. My first bill was around $30. Now that was before landscaping and no pool. I would have your meter checked ASAP.
tell me about it, I almost died.

Burley1
01-09-2006, 01:30 PM
something is way wrong!!!!!!!!!!! I am on sewer now and my bill went up only $20 or so to about $45 a month including trash.
For irrigation stuff you should get a second water meter, the sewer charge is based on the amount of water you use.
get the second water meter installed for your landscape/ car wash etc..
this is a very common thing for many in town, a new meter is $900 installed at the city.
BTW what was the consumption on your bill...?
I am on sewer and last month the sewer charge was $145.00 in addition to $150.00 for water. So last month the bill was $330.00 after I turned the sprinklers down to 10 minutes per station 3 days a week but I spoke to them and said the $145.00 for sewer that we didn't use sucked.
I know it takes alot to keep the pool filled and the koi pond too but the bill is BS and the extra meter start at $230.00 and you still need the stuff hook up oh and she said I have to buy a back flow valve as well.
11/04/2005 to 12/07/2005 usage was 8176 cubic feet for water and they said the sewer was 3398 cubic feet, that is a ton of showers and craps.

Sun burners
01-09-2006, 02:11 PM
$24 no landscape
$32 with landscape

Essex502
01-09-2006, 06:28 PM
We average about $30/month with a high of $40 once. Have landscaped only the front with about 15 plants. Low maintenance for sure. We're there 6 days every month.

SummitKarl
01-09-2006, 06:49 PM
I am on sewer and last month the sewer charge was $145.00 in addition to $150.00 for water. So last month the bill was $330.00 after I turned the sprinklers down to 10 minutes per station 3 days a week but I spoke to them and said the $145.00 for sewer that we didn't use sucked.
I know it takes alot to keep the pool filled and the koi pond too but the bill is BS and the extra meter start at $230.00 and you still need the stuff hook up oh and she said I have to buy a back flow valve as well.
11/04/2005 to 12/07/2005 usage was 8176 cubic feet for water and they said the sewer was 3398 cubic feet, that is a ton of showers and craps.
any lifting/cracking of the pool deck?
how about the tiles around the pool any of those cracked?
2 very common signs you have a pool leak
I think I use about 1500-1800gal a month, but no pool, just a spa I change the water out on every other month 500gals even then my bill is only $55 or so.
The second meter is actually normally a easy job to add on, because the plumbing can be run around the perimeter of the house for your hose bibs and other connection points like your pool.
and yes I have run into people tapping off others water, it's happened twice now when we started a new home, found the thieves line while grading once and while trenching the footing the second time
but I would look for a pool leak first
opps forgot is your sewer conection fee on the installment plan or was it paid upfront thats a additional $20 a month for 10 yrs

SummitKarl
01-09-2006, 07:00 PM
That might be true for you, but like I previously posted, the flat rate for the meter is $400 & change. Installation varies depending on each individual's situation. It's a lot like me expecting you to quote me a flat labor rate to build a house, without knowing the parameters beforehand.
nope WM is $900 I turn in permits all the time, the fees doubled July 11th of 2005, when LHC adopted IRC-2003 building code, it might be less for the second meter (I personeally have not turned in that request yet), all the city will do is stub off the meter for a 1' or so the rest is up to you once it crosses the property line,
but a 3/4" AG. meter is the best way to go if you have a pool in LHC

mmered8299
01-09-2006, 07:22 PM
Do you have an automatic fill on your pool? If so, turn it off and see if the water drops. Also watch and see if your meter runs while everything else is supposed to be off. I found a leak under my slab of the house this way.

cc322
01-09-2006, 07:32 PM
Try this to detect a leak. Turn off all water in the house, then go out to your meter and see if the little red dial is turning, if it is you have a leak somewhere. That means the water is going past you meter and is showing usage in cfs. If no dial is turning then you have no leak.

Burley1
01-09-2006, 07:32 PM
any lifting/cracking of the pool deck?
how about the tiles around the pool any of those cracked?
2 very common signs you have a pool leak
I think I use about 1500-1800gal a month, but no pool, just a spa I change the water out on every other month 500gals even then my bill is only $55 or so.
The second meter is actually normally a easy job to add on, because the plumbing can be run around the perimeter of the house for your hose bibs and other connection points like your pool.
and yes I have run into people tapping off others water, it's happened twice now when we started a new home, found the thieves line while grading once and while trenching the footing the second time
but I would look for a pool leak first
opps forgot is your sewer conection fee on the installment plan or was it paid upfront thats a additional $20 a month for 10 yrs
the sewer was paid when we bought the house,

Sigus
01-09-2006, 07:40 PM
Oh...and one more thing to bubbler users who are cutting back for winter averaging: don't reduce duration, only frequency. Plant's roots get used to getting the water at the depth your particular duration allows water to reach. If you cut back the duration, the saturation depth will not be the same as it once was, thus potentially depriving the roots of water.
Good info thanks.

Ziggy
01-09-2006, 07:48 PM
Also make sure the meter reading they gave you jives with what the meter actually reads.....I have, and I know SummitKarl have had lazy meter readers that don't get out of their trucks and just randomly log a guesstimate reading.
I called and asked for a re-read of my meter(they allow this at no charge like maybe once a year if you're wrong)...my bill was then corrected when the correct reading was logged.
Your bill sounds way out of line........ :idea:

Ion
01-09-2006, 07:48 PM
nope WM is $900 I turn in permits all the time, the fees doubled July 11th of 2005, when LHC adopted IRC-2003 building code, it might be less for the second meter (I personeally have not turned in that request yet), all the city will do is stub off the meter for a 1' or so the rest is up to you once it crosses the property line,
but a 3/4" AG. meter is the best way to go if you have a pool in LHC
You didn't specify "New Construction". I was referring to existing homeowners, like myself, considering adding a second meter, which does cost $400 & change, according to the city. The cost to re-route all your irrigation lines to the new meter varies depending on each individual's situation.

TCHB
01-09-2006, 08:43 PM
I have two homes in Havasu and bills normally run under 50 dollars. Burley when you going to take your casino home.