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Community Corner

1 Billion Gallons per Year - Just Where does Stoneham Water Go ?

The Outside Water Meter is 'perfectly' acceptable. I want to 'iron out' these wrinkles I have just read about.. once........and for all.  I was Water and Sewer Chairman and worked on this 'Rate' System for several years and I feel I know how this is all  'set up' and 'how it has been used 'To raise money' as well...  I will enumerate a few points by 'Category' to 'paint this picture'.1.- The MWRA sends to Stoneham almost the same amount over the last 10 years and that amount is approximately 1 Billion Gallons of water or 1,000,000.2.- This water goes throughout the community dispersed to different segments. 3.- The MWRA 'bills us' a total amount based on 'Prior Years' usage and that bill is for  'Per Million Gallons and it is  A SEPARATE BILL from the Sewer Bill.....****4.- The amount for FY 15 is approximately $ 3, 300 per million gallons. 5.- This billed amount is entitled the 'Wholesale Rate'. This is because the rate 'WE' pay is loaded with Town Costs explained below.6.- KRAFT Foods in Woburn entered into a contract with The Town of Stoneham several years ago.... It is a 25 year contract which uses approximately 1/3 of the Total Water sent to us. AND they pay ONLY 25 % above the 'Wholesale Rate' mentioned above. !  7.- I mentioned we are billed for the 'Previous Year' which includes KRAFT . If Kraft last year had a large usage- We as a town get that bill . It is 'not' a separate bill for Kraft. *** If they use 'less' water the following year.. It leaves the rest of US in a 'deep financial Hole....( Understand that please  ) ? It has happened...Trust me.They have 'Wells' on their property which they also use. There is no 'minimum' usage on their 'contract'. I found that 'Stupid'... very 'Stupid'....8.- Talk about an Outside Meter.. ? Kraft only pays water.. I do not know how they pay for the 'Water' which surely goes into the ground at one million gallons per day. !9.- The 'Rest of the water circulates throughout the Town as Follows :A. - Residence of our Town and a few condos, apartments use approximately 50  percent of the total water supply. 10.- The HOMES of our Town use about  500 million gallons per year for their lifestyles.11.- Approximately ONLY.. 'Four months of the year ( I'll show you below ) we use 'more' than the 'cold winter or early Spring Months which shows definite 'Outside Water Use. 12.- All the water and the 'only' water which gets billed goes through a 'Meter'.13.- In Stoneham  there are 6,272 Meters .A.- 5,942 belong to Residences - FY 2013 use was 517 million GallonsB. - 265 belong to Commercial - Use was  30 Million GallonsC. - 10 Meters belong to Industrial - Use was 335 Million Gallons ( Kraft Foods Major part of this usage )D. - Municipal ( Schools, Town Building, Police, Fire ) - 10 Meters ( I'd like this looked into to... Seems very small for some reason in my 'intuition' )...E. - Total Metered Use for FY 13 - was 892 Million Gallons out of the 1,077 MillionF. - 16 % or 176 Million Gallons was UNACCOUNTED FOR.... A.-  I am 'wondering' if this ' 16 %' was calculated 'with Kraft Foods use' or 'not'..If 'not'.. then the Unaccounted for Water is based on all of the rest of the town.. or 32 %  ! ... If this is true.. it could call for.. a Federal Investigation. 16 % is even high ...14.- Each month has an 'Average Usage'...The 'official' figures on my desk dictate that 'Only Four months' appear to 'spike' higher than others.. which are May, June, July , , August, a part of September. - All the other Months... EVERY SINGLE RESIDENCE  pays.... SEWER BILL BILLS  'Every Month'.15.- For those FIVE Months: Residences , for 'OUTSIDE WATER' .. USE Each month approximately 17 MILLION GALLONS than the 'colder months. 16.- 17 Million X 5 months is 85 Million Gallons total Outside Water Use. 17.- This amount of water costs a total of 85 ( million ) Times $ 3300 ) Per million gallons MWRA Wholesale Cost) of Approximately $ 281,000 Thousand dollars.18- IF everyone on those meters 'had an Outside Water Meter the Stoneham Water Board would be 'hunting' for 'only'.. 85 million Gallons of SEWER Costs. which I shall now discuss with you below.                                SEWER BILLS  - MWRA
1- WE as a town receive Two Bills from the MWRA .. 'Both' based on the 'flows' from last year. 2.- The Sewer Pipes in the ground ( About 80 miles) have great 'sensors' in them which describe the 'amount' and 'type' of flow and other things. 3.- However ****** The 'major' portion of the Sewer Bills in the MWRA  is "POPULATION'.....Some 45 % of the bill .   They are presently using about 23,000 per out town. 4.- EVERY HOME in this town with a 'Meter' pays each month a 'Full Use' Sewer Bills and if they have an 'Outside Meter' : For about 4 1/2 months pay about 85 to 90 per cent of it. Through an 'outside meter'.. the portion they use for their lawns, pool etc. is 'deducted' from the full rate . 5.- All of the MUNICIPAL METERS in Town Government, I do not believe they pay 'ANY SEWER FEES'. .AS THE 'Golf Course, Football Fields, Recreation Park etc. We shall soon find out I am sure.  6.- If we can pass a law that 'Every Meter ' using water in this Town must pay Sewer Use, that would include all of the town.. and it shall be taken from all the budgets on the Property Taxes probably closing down many Sports and many Academic Programs as well... If you really want to fight over this.. ??? 7.- I mentioned about that out of the 100 per cent of water sent to us.. 50 per cent only comes from the Residences.. Kraft uses 33 % and the Town 'Can't Find..' 16 %... That is 49% of water usage that 'NEVER' shall pay Sewer Taxes. 8.- So for 4 1/2 months, you have to have some 85 Million Gallons worth of Sewer Bills out of the 1,077 Billion Gallons we are sent...9.- And for those 4 1/2 months , the Water and Sewer Board which was orginally set up....was supposed to be 'The People's Representative' and not a Government Budget Booster as it has become so evidently...10.- They are after about 10 to 15% of those months we can at least enjoy outdoors 'freely' watering our lawns, gardens.... playing with our children in the pool without  99 per cent ever going near a Sewer Pipe ! 11.- This is all the while we are paying Sports Fees, Trash Fees, and all else Government has done while 'Working Around ' Proposition 2 1/2....12.- This Town when the MWRA Billing was set up.. .saw fit, 'through a loophole'...placed many Town Employees on the water and sewer bills on top of the MWRA rate.... These included the whole salary of the DPW Director and Engineers, Trucks, Cars, Town Accountant Portion, Town Treasurer Portion including the proportional Benefits as Pensions, Life Insurance, Health Insurance and more... and they want more now.. from us who only use 50 % of the damn water ! ..13. - ILLEGAL OVERRIDE ? - When they pulled the people off the Property Taxes ( who were always on it.. that was supposed to.. 'Reduce the property Taxes'...But what they did was... 'Fill the 'hole' left with millions of dollars with 'other town expenses or new employees...This, to me was something we 'never' looked into ....but we .......'should'.. before they start charging for 'Spitting' as part of the............'Sewer Rates'......14. - If anyone wants or needs.. copies of 'any documentation I write, please email me or call me.. 15.- 'Silence... is the 'Virtue' of 'Fools'.. Sir Francis Bacon.....

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