Letters to the editor for Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2015

Stop the water price hikes

It seems that no matter how much we conserve our water use, Carson City Utilities and our Board of Supervisors raise our rates.

According to Carson City Utilities, in the past year my household has lowered our water consumption dramatically, yet our bills keep going up. Carson City Utilities asks each of us to lower our water consumption by 10 percent, but when we do, it makes absolutely no difference because they just keep raising our rates.

People should be given a percentage off as a discount for their efforts to save water. Instead, rates increase. How are we supposed to get ahead in savings? I have noticed throughout Carson City families tearing up their lawns to replace them with rock and cement, and yet I wouldn’t be surprised their bills have continued to climb as well.

Why does the city allow price gouging? When I called Carson City Utilities about this, all I get is a staff member telling me what a great job we have done in conserving water and that it’s all due to water rates going up. So stop the rate increases of our residents. It’s not helping our beautiful city. Take a look around you. People can’t afford to water their lawns so properties are looking worn down and abandoned. This is happening in many towns and being allowed. Carson City local government is allowing the price hikes when they should be fighting it! And we still have two more rate increases coming!

Robert and Kathy Rhea

Carson City