Some customers of Aqua North Carolina have not seen a water rate increase since George H.W. Bush was president. It will be at least another six months before they eventually do, which illustrates a problem with water in the state. Private water utilities (just like the energy companies) are encouraged to invest in infrastructure to justify higher rates. There’s no way to know if this leads to overinvestment because the utilities face no competition. The Utility Commission’s slow response also means that water rates cannot adjust to sharp changes in conditions, such as last year’s drought, like they should.
How about we skip the water police, the million-dollar ad budgets, water restrictions, and the utility commission, and work on pricing based on better-defined water rights.
