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Roxborough Residents Paying Hundreds For Water
Water Board Blames Poor Conservation During Summer

POSTED: 10:08 pm MDT September 15, 2005
UPDATED: 12:48 pm MDT September 16, 2005

Residents in Roxborough are boiling mad over big water bills. Some Douglas County residents say the cost of paying for their water could force them out of their homes.

Tension was high at a water board meeting Thursday night where more than 150 Roxborough residents complained that their bills skyrocketed this summer. They claim their bills have doubled from the same period last year.

Some of the residents' bills totaled $500 and $600 and some were even paying more than $1,000 during their two-month billing period.

"Why should I be paying such an extraordinary amount of money for a fixed fee because you guys made the problem!" one angry resident asked during the water board meeting.

The residents wanted to know why their rates were more than five times the rate that Denver Water customers pay.

The Roxborough Metropolitan Water District explained that the water woes date back to the early 1970s when the wells didn't work. Now, the community of 3,000 people leases its water from Aurora and has to treat the water itself. During the summer, the high demand on the aging system drove up operating costs, the board said.

The water board blamed the high bills on poor conservation during the hot, dry summer months.

"We were told that they were charging us that because they felt that we need to be punished," said resident Lauren Wright.

Wright said she nearly cried when she saw her water bill. At first, she thought it was a mistake. How could she be paying $1,200 for water, she wondered.

"Our intent was never to punish anyone. Our intent during the drought was to set rates in place to keep people from using higher levels of water," said Linda Dillon with the water district.

However, there is some relief in sight. The water board now is proposing to lower rates if residents agree to a two-day-a-week outdoor watering restriction.



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Always best to worry about the rate hike after its bitten you in the ass with a huge bill, rather then worry about it before hand and conserve.

Quoted: Always best to worry about the rate hike after its bitten you in the ass with a huge bill, rather then worry about it before hand and conserve.

No doubt.  Barn door.

IALEGEND, if you live in Douglas County,  then I apologize for what I am going to say.

Fuck them, and the horse they rode in on. Just a bunch of fucking crybaby Californians. If they stop moving here,  they will stop building new developements that don't have the resources to support them. We don't want them here anyway. And if they do insist on moving here, STFU and pay the fucking water bill. They are the ones who decided that they need a 4 acre lawn, now pay the fucking bill to keep it green. Assholes.

$1200

That's insane. Of course I don't really feel bad for these people. They had to have known about the problem before they moved there. If they didn't like it, they should have moved somewhere else. Either that, or maybe they shouldn't have been watering their lawn.

I average about $50/month for my water and sewer bill.

too funny. i really hope it is only the people that were abusing the system. to me, a lush, well manicured lawn has to be one of the most pointless ways to spend time and money. and with the water troubles brewing out west, even more so.

Quoted: $1200 That's insane. Of course I don't really feel bad for these people. They had to have known about the problem before they moved there. If they didn't like it, they should have moved somewhere else. Either that, or maybe they shouldn't have been watering their lawn. I average about $50/month for my water and sewer bill.

We're around 100 or 150. Nothing I'm going to raise a stink about.
But, I have 2 strikes against me. First, 5 in the family. That adds up to alot of laundry, dishes and baths.
Secondly, my wife likes tropical plants and a green lawn. Its her job, so its only natural to assume she wants to keep her plants and lawn looking good.

I dont mind much though.

Quoted: IALEGEND, if you live in Douglas County,  then I apologize for what I am going to say. Fuck them, and the horse they rode in on. Just a bunch of fucking crybaby Californians. If they stop moving here,  they will stop building new developements that don't have the resources to support them. We don't want them here anyway. And if they do insist on moving here, STFU and pay the fucking water bill. They are the ones who decided that they need a 4 acre lawn, now pay the fucking bill to keep it green. Assholes.

Nice disclaimer.

No, I'm in unincorporated JeffCo.

Quoted: too funny. i really hope it is only the people that were abusing the system. to me, a lush, well manicured lawn has to be one of the most pointless ways to spend time and money. and with the water troubles brewing out west, even more so.

Absolutely.  We're in the fucking HIGH DESERT for crying out loud!

$1200??? It would take me 9-10 years to get a water bill that high! Ouch.

Dude!    My water bill averages about $20/month!  That is nuts, unless they are in the middle of the freakin' Sahara.

Just wait till they get their natural gas bill…

I love having well-water

Quoted: I love having well-water

I would love to have my own well.

Quoted: I love having well-water

+1



Vulcan94