The costs of water

Water has not only to be collected, stored and distributed; it must also be pumped. Running pumps use electricity. Electricity is not a cost of water that comes immediately to mind; nevertheless as electricity costs rise, so do some of the inputs to water costs. The water billing software prices charged o customers should reflect all of the inputs.

Everybody wants to cut their electric bill including the Lewisburg Water and Wastewater Department (TN) and last week the utility's board decided to investigate a way to do it. The utility might save $1,000 a month, thereby lowering a $15,000 part of its monthly $20,000 bill by almost 7 percent at a cost of $36,000, but that means the system pays for itself in three years, officials said.