Res. No. 376
Resolution calling upon the New York State Legislature to pass, and the Governor to sign, legislation abolishing the minimum charge for water service imposed by the New York City Water Board.
By Council Members Crowley, Constantinides and Vacca
Whereas, The New York City Water Board ("Water Board") was created by the New York State Public Authorities Law and charged in Section 1045-g(4) to "establish, fix, revise, charge and collect and enforce the payment of all fees, rates, rents and other service charges for the use of, or services furnished by the sewerage system, water system, or both, as the case may be
"; and
Whereas, Pursuant to that authority, as set forth in Part II Section 1.B. of the Water and Wastewater Rate Schedule for Fiscal Year 2015, the Water Board has imposed a minimum charge for metered water in the amount of forty-nine cents per day; and
Whereas, The minimum charge for metered water is imposed even when the customer's actual consumption is measured and where the charges based on the customer's actual measured consumption is less than the minimum charge; and
Whereas, In those cases, customers are being charged for water that they can demonstrate they did not consume; and
Whereas, Many New York City residents are faced with the rising cost of living expenses which are becoming increasingly difficult to afford and many of those residents are living on a fixed income; and
Whereas, One area in their household budgets over which residents have some modicum of control is the water bill which can be decreased by conserving the amount of water consumed; and
Whereas, The practice of imposing a minimum charge for water, even if water is not actually consumed, unfairly penalizes customers who deliberately and successfully conserve water; and
Whereas, Water conservation is a practice that should be promoted not penalized for both economic and environmental reasons; and
Whereas, The New York State Assembly has introduced legislation and the Senate has passed legislation, specifically Assembly bill A.9226 and Senate bill S. 6154, respectively, that would prohibit the Water Board from imposing a minimum charge for the consumption of metered water, or any other type of water; and
Whereas, This legislation is a sensible solution to the disincentive to conserve water and the unfair penalty on customers who actually do consume less water created by the imposition of the minimum charge; now therefore be it
Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls upon the New York State Legislature to pass, and the Governor to sign, legislation abolishing the minimum charge for water service imposed by the New York City Water Board.
RC 07-25-2014
LS#2182