by Professor » Tue Jun 24, 2014 8:28 am
Really, who can't afford a water bill? You have to be a homeowner to pay a water bill (unless you live in some effed-up apartment that makes you pay water, which I've never heard of). If I use 15,000 gallons per month, my bill is barely $30. That's a dollar per day, for an a$$ load of water. If I really conserve, then I can even get it down to $13.
I don't mean to come off as "wow, I make lots of money, and I can afford this, so they can too." I know that there are LOTS of people who cannot afford an extra dollar per day. But, if you own a home, you are obviously at a certain level of income. To be sure, some homeowners will be going through bankruptcy procedures, but not 24%.
I think that there is something else going on here. Like, word has gotten out over the past few years that you can not pay your bill and get away with it. Now, your chickens are coming home to roost. Pure speculation, mind you, but Occam's Razor.