EID not really concerned about water conservation

EDITOR: Is the EID REALLY concerned with water conservation? NOPE.

There is something very, very wrong over at the EID … and it’s easily fixed, but what is their motivation to fix it? Well, there’s none!

Like many of you, I have been hearing the rants of water bill increases over the last four years. So, when my water bill steadily increased, I simply chalked it up to rate increases. In October, our water/sewage bill got to a point of absurdity, so I called the EID to complain. They were very accommodating and said my usage appeared to be extremely high and they would send out an auditor. Apparently after the audit, it was discovered we had a very large undetectable leak under the concrete in my back yard. A leak in which the equivalent of a fully open hose was discharging water into a fissure in the ground. The problem is, this leak apparently originated in Dec of 2008. That’s when, according to meter readings, my water usage increased 108 percent from the previous year. Wow … 108 percent increase and no customer service call from EID. We’re not talking “Hey guys! You might want to check your toilets for leaks,” but “Hey guys, is there a fire hose running in your back yard?” What is EID’s motivation for notifying us of high usage and possible leaks? Well, I don’t think there is any.

This is where it gets a bit scandalous … EID makes a little profit on water usage, but where they really make money is on sewage charges. Your bi-monthly sewage bill for the year is based off your usage in January and February. If that usage is artificially high, the EID is making money on every cubic foot of water they say you are using, but not actually running through their sewage system for the entire year. There is no chance for adjustments until the following year’s January and February reading. In our case, I was being charged every two months for 4,760 cubic feet of sewage usage when in actuality, I was running about 1,400 cubic feet through the EID sewage system. Since 2008, I have been overpaying approximately $1,000 per year in water and sewage costs. I was very disturbed for the overpayment, but willing to accept the responsibility for the wasted water. I approached EID for a $1,800 refund on sewage never used. Keep in mind, this water was running into a hole in the ground, not down the drain. Their response for four years of overcharges was a $98 refund. Are you kidding me? At this point, I think there needs to be a serious policy change over at EID. How hard would it be for them to run a report once a year and notify customers of a 25 percent increase in usage? Well, it wouldn’t be hard, except it means less revenue for the EID. What’s more profitable than charging people for services not rendered? It seems to be an acceptable source of revenue at the EID, which is apparently bleeding money out of the ears, eyes, nose and mouth. I will be addressing the EID board at the March 26 meeting regarding this issue and it’s going to be interesting how they respond.

DOUG LINK
El Dorado Hills