Local News
Changes in water bills could come in La Crosse
More you use, less you pay idea may be ending
Big change in how La Crosse charges for water may be coming in the name of conservation.
Water utility manager Mark Johnson says ending the current process of paying less for water the more you use might come within the next couple of years, and that will have a huge impact for some.
“Certainly from the standpoint of the larger users, so residentially, probably not much of an impact,” Johnson said.
Tens of thousands of gallons of water per quarter would have to be used to see a water bill increase once a new rate schedule is adopted, Johnson noted.
The changes come as environmental groups have pressured regulators into forcing utilities to mandate water conservation. Johnson says the conservation-minded are pushing regulators to force higher rates for water use in order to conserve.
It’s working in Wisconsin, and Johnson says it’s needed in some places.
“There’s def issues with water supply – just raw water supply – in some areas right here in Wisconsin,” Johnson said.