By Bronson Pettitt
Mexico Weekly / March 29, 2011
Thousands of Mexico City residents have recently received water bills that are six times higher than usual.
Last week, residents started receiving their first water bills of 2011 (for January and February) that include new rates. City officials decided last year to increase water rates to encourage residents in high-consumption areas to install water meters.
In addition, water usage for those residents without a water meter will now be estimated using an average of consumption in nearby areas. Rates will then be calculated based on what the water is used for (residential or non-residential), how much is used and the area's socio-economic status (marginalized, low-, middle- or high-income.)
Bills for January and February in several central neighborhoods were reportedly as high as 1,369 pesos ($114), a drastic increase from the approximately 250 pesos ($21) typically charged before the fee hikes.
The unusually high water bills have prompted thousands of residents to seek a reduction at the city's water system main offices. Water system officials have had to extend business hours to deal with people's demands.
“I've spent five hours inside the [city's water system offices] and I'm still waiting. There are 115 people before me in line!” wrote Adita De Aguirre, a Del Valle neighborhood resident, on her Twitter account Monday.
To quell residents' frustration, city officials announced Friday they would offer immediate discounts on lofty bills. The head of the city's water system, Fernando Núñez, said in various radio interviews Tuesday that people without water meters who were charged the fixed-rate fee of 1,369 pesos would only have to pay 410 pesos ($34), and would be able to pay off their bill over a six-month period.
In addition, he said residents can now buy water meters at a discounted price of 1,800 pesos ($150).
Water Meter Installation Surges
Of the 20,000 people who on Monday visited the city's water system offices or who called the offices' customer service hotline, about 900 of them requested that water meters be installed in their homes, Reforma reported Tuesday.
“It might seem like a small number, but if we consider that in all of last year 5,000 meters were purchased, that's an historic number for one day,” Núñez said, according to Reforma.
“Having a [water] meter is extremely important, and it keeps people from paying too little or too much,” Núñez said Tuesday on a radio interview.
For its part, city government officials are working on a list of people and areas affected by the water rate hike.
On Tuesday, Reforma published a poll on its front page asking readers if they would favor an increase in water fees if the quality of the service was improved. Fifty-seven percent said “yes” and 40 percent said “no”.
The water fee fiasco comes as Mexico City enters its dry, hot season, when many parts of the city suffer from water shortages due to a lack of rain.
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