Water is perhaps the one source many people ignore. The price of it is getting crazy in some places, as some people have crazy water bills that are practically draining them dry. Source of article: Higher water bills are likely on the way Cost of updating Public utilities have the problem that they get old every so often. When this occurs, infrastructures have to be replaced. Upgrades and repairs are typically paid for by the citizens with an increase in bill. For example, Atlanta saw water bills go up from $200 to over $1,800 in some instances. The highest water bills in the country were already seen in Atlanta before that. CNN reports that many cities have been seeing these kinds of changes because of upgraded according a March 2011 report. [Monthly bills are a common reason people get installment payday loans] Many people were getting bills as high as $7,000 a month, although those ones were due to faulty water meters for the most part. Many places have high bills without that issue though. Higher bills coming According to CNN, the American Water Works Association estimates that fixing and upgrading the aging drinking water system in the U.S. is going to cost more than $1 trillion between 2011 and 2035. In that time, AWWA expects that the monthly water bill is going to double or triple, depending on the area; residents of rural areas are anticipated to be hit the toughest. The typical American is currently forking over $335 per month for water. Many places are already seeing massive increases in the water bill. In Chicago, the water system is over 100 years old and needs to get fixed. This is why many projects will go into the system. Mayor Emanuel has decided that by 2015, water bills in Chicago will increase to double where they are now. His plan is to increase the rates from the 2011 average of $339 per month by 25 percent a year until then. Fixing water pipes significant About 25 percent of the drinking water in the U.S. is lost to leakage, the EPA estimates. Sewer systems across the country need $300 billion in upgrades, the Washington Post explains. The EPA said that it wants to make $335 billion in repairs throughout the country, although it is not necessarily a pleasant thing to have to do. In order to keep people from sewage contamination and water shortage, the American Society of Civil Engineers believes that the government will need to spend $9.4 billion yearly. Every year, it is expected that 1.7 trillion gallons of water are going to be wasted. It is also anticipated that 900 billion gallons of raw sewage get put into waterways annually. Sources CNN Chicago Tribune Washington Post Bloomberg: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-02-27/u-s-water-systems-face-credit-stress-on-repair-needs-supply-s-p-says.html CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/03/01/water.bills.war/index.html
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