Water bills?

Hey folks just reaching out to get a feel from the group if I’m just being cheap but in the process of doing the books for the end of year accountant and noticed our water bill for a small 6 apt building is now up around $3019 for 2014. Is this normal or do we have a problem?

deanbh

in Plumbing 10 years and 6 months ago

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DouglasAlan | 10 years and 5 months ago

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We’re at around $850 per year in a two-family with three adults and two small children. So multiply that times three for $2500, and yours seems a little high, but not ridiculously so.

deanbh | 10 years and 6 months ago

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Just responding to everyone….its $3019 in total. Only 6 apartments and all but 1 are single person occupant studios. Just seems like a lot per person etc.

majorhints | 10 years and 6 months ago

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At $3 grand for a 6 family building assuming 2 BRs per unit you are doing pretty well. If it went up by that much you def have a problem.

resident2 | 10 years and 6 months ago

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Yes, I filed a dispute for one of my buildings, they eventually changed the meter. But it took two years of their (sub) contractor, missing appointments, changing contractors, loosing files….the usual when dealing with the City. And then still getting the final bill + late charges etc wrong. Eventually it was billed frontage until the new meter was installed and checked. Good luck.

concord | 10 years and 6 months ago

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I just contacted the NYCDEP and I am filing a ‘dispute’ with them as our water bill for 3 apts, 6 people (one resident 81 yrs old) is $1,000/month. I did the math and this works to 800 gallons per day! Impossible! No leaks, all new construction. i am also asking for a meter ‘accuracy test’ – for which there is a charge of $180. I am not hopeful about the dispute as what they will say is that the meter has the reading and they billed accordingly, etc. Definetely something wrong…as I type this post i just got the idea that i should look at the meter make/model (2 years old) and do a search for known problems. Anyone here filed a water bill dispute?

alfredsutton | 10 years and 6 months ago

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No, idea regarding this. If you get some information then please share it with me also.

resident2 | 10 years and 6 months ago

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If your total water & sewer bill is just over $3,000 per year; then you are doing OK. If you are saying that it has gone up by just over $3,000 per year, do an inspection of your whole building; have any tenants got additional roommates, family members moved in? Washing machines or other water using appliances. Any tenant started a home “business” like “doing hair” taking in laundry etc. dog grooming? ( I have had them!) Check all the toilet tanks, any leaks anywhere. In one of my buildings in Fort Greene, I had a tenant once who would invite all his buddies to play tennis at the S. Oxford tennis courts, up to 12 a weekend! they would all take showers and stay for dinner….showers, flushing toilets!! for 12 extra weekend “guests”… yes the water & sewer bill went nuts that summer. The increased water & sewer rates do not help preserve water if their is no accountability by rent stabilized tenants.

daveinbedstuy | 10 years and 6 months ago

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Seems cheap for six units.

ventilated | 10 years and 6 months ago

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You’re saying that your annual total has increased by $3019 this past year? There was a rate increase in July: http://www.nyc.gov/html/dep/html/water_rates/index.shtml But if your annual cost is substantially greater than last year, it’s also possible there’s a hidden leak in one or more unit: http://home2.nyc.gov/html/dep/html/ways_to_save_water/waterleak_wide.shtml http://www.nyc.gov/html/dep/pdf/ways_to_save_water/toilet_brochure.pdf

williamsburgguys | 10 years and 6 months ago

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No idea on a 6 family, but we are a single family of 5 in a single family home, and ours runs about $300 per quarter or about $1200 a year. Of course we have a dishwasher and washer/dryer we use daily, and I water the back garden flowers all summer and also hose off the front stoop and courtyard regularly. No idea what amenities you have for your tenants, but to me that sounds about normal for a yearly bill amount for 6 familiaes.