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John Hollenhorst ReportingOver the last few years of drought, water rates in Utah climbed; but the drought seems to be over, so will water rates go down? You can probably guess the answer to that.
The agencies that supply our water generally raised rates during the drought. The average monthly water bill went from 28 dollars in '98 to well over 40 dollars. More money for less water.
The state's water conservation coordinator says Utahns are responding well to a crisis. Usage has declined from 321 gallons per person per day, down to 267 gallons a day.
Molly Waters, State Water Conservation Coordinator: "We are, we're doing a great job."
So we've all been good little water users. The crisis is over. So will we keep getting soaked or will they lower our water rates?
Karen Knudsen, Salt Lake City: "Yeah right! They're going to reduce our rates? Once they're up, they're always up."
That homeowner attitude is on target. Growing demand is pushing up prices anyway.
Molly Waters: "I would be very surprised if anyone lowered their rates, simply because costs that need to be fulfilled in the water system are always going to keep going up as long as there is growth."
Some water suppliers were losing money before and the drought crisis became a political opportunity.
Molly Waters: "It becomes more politically feasible to raise money that the water system already needed from before."
Bob Van Wagenen, Bountiful: "It just seems to me like it's always going up, with the promise that when the emergency's over it'll go back down again. But I've never seen that happen."
And it's a good guess it won't happen this time, as growing population puts more financial pressure on water systems.
