An Answer Withheld is a Conclusion Drawn

 A reader responded sadly to the post I wrote about not asking  questions from town staff any more.

The  answer  I sought  was specific.

When I get answers, the information is yours to receive. When I don't, that's  also your business

In a normal Council, staff would never  refuse to answer. As the story unfolds so will my meaning

The  unanswered question  related to this years substantial  increase in water rates.

First, there was a switch in accounting. A charge which had previously  made to a specific account in the  amount of a quarter of million dollars was switched to water rates. The treasurer and public works director decided that's how it should be.

We buy water from the Region. They increased the rate 10% this year.The increase had to be passed on to consumers.

If there was any interest in making that increase less of a hardship, it seemed to me to be the wrong year for  changes to the accounting process to add to the burden.

But that wasn't the key question.

I wanted to  be assured   no water use by a tax supported service was being used in the calculation of the  separate domestic  or retail water meter rate.

I asked about use  by fire  protection services. Fire halls have meters. Tankers are filled at the fire hall. Fires are mostly put out with  water from tankers. After the fire is out,  the tankers are  re-filled from hydrants at the location.  Hydrants are not metered. Water taken from a hydrant  can  not be shown as a  fire department expenditures.

It's not a significant factor. Fires aren't fought on a daily basis.

That wasn't the key question.

The Treasurer and  works director decided this was also  the year to increase the "water loss" factor.
It went from 8% to 12% of  all water bought from the region.  It's a substantial increase.It's a hell of a lot of water to be "losing".

Why  increase it this year when the rates are taking such a significant jump ?

What constitutes "water loss"? Why is water loss increasing?  We' ve been replacing old water lines for years? Why should there be an increase in " water loss" ?

The  key question was how many more water breaks did we have last year?

That's the  one  they refused to answer.

Homes are metered.  We  believe we are paying  for water we use and waste to the sewers. We are encouraged to conserve water . We change toilets  and shower gadgets to reduce consumption.

We think we are saving water and cost.

However, if  the  cost per unit of water  includes "water loss" in town operations, and water loss went from 8% of  total consumption to 12% , then we need to know why.What are we not doing right to
account for all that water lost?

They wouldn't tell .

 Council colleagues were not interested in  knowing the answer . Look who  was asking.

Councillor MacEachern scolded and expressed  confidence in the  staff competence.

I wasn't challenging  competence. I was asking how they arrived at the calculation.

They refused to say.

There are town  water uses  which are not metered. Ice surfaces in winter are created from an unmetered  source.

Two water parks  use a  million  gallons  of water  each during a  season from an unmetered source.

Where does it show up as an expenditure in  parks department expenditures?

When  water meters were first installed, the purpose was to measure  water and sewage flow and transfer that cost from the general tax rate to a separate water and sewer rate  billing.

Our sewage consumption  is calculated on the basis  of water measured by meter.

But if the rate charged includes "water loss", we are paying for  consumption we are not using  in our homes.  We are paying for water  used in the parks  from unmetered sources and by the fire department from hydrants.

Is that  the source of "water loss".

I  need town employees to assure  me  rates charged to users  for water and sewers are  a true reflection of   residential  consumption of water and  sewage treatment.

If they do not ,  I am forced to conclude the  cost is vastly inflated.

I think, if the municipality's  rates  for water  and sewage treatment came under the same scrutiny as the energy rate for hydro and natural gas, our town would be found to have committed and be committing, on a quarterly basis , morally  reprehensible acts  against consumers.

The people we have sworn an Oath to protect against such practices.

I voted against water rate increases.

Another one of  those solitary negatives. referenced  regularly  to prove my practice of disruption.