LETTER: New Las Vegas water rates punish residential users

I just received my water bill from the Las Vegas Valley Water District. Enclosed was a flier referencing the January 2023 changes. If you go to the district website you can access their “new rates estimator.”

Trying out my estimate, and others, I discovered an interesting fact. Residential customers will be subject to an “excessive use charge.” Business customers will not have to pay that charge.

For example, a residence with a 1-inch water meter that uses 30,000 gallons in January (maybe refilling a pool) will pay $337.34, including a $144.00 “winter excessive use charge.” A business with a 1-inch meter, using that same 30,000 gallons in January, will pay $168.09, with no “excessive use” charge. That comes out to about 50 percent less than the residential cost for the same amount. This is from the district’s website.

I contacted the district to make sure I was not making a mistake. Nope, business users will not have to pay “excessive use” charges. Who thought this up?