Water users, not sales tax, should pay for water

By John Todd. A version of this appeared in The Wichita Eagle.

An article in the Wichita Eagle (“City Council OKs four projects for proposed 1-cent sales tax” May 27 Eagle) reports that even with the sales tax water rates would increase 1.3 percent, and without the sales tax, rates would go up 6.2 percent for a net increase of 4.9 percent. This means that my $50 per month average home water bill would increase a total of $2.45 per month to pay for what City Council members have said is the most attractive option for a new water source. I’ll take this type of increase anytime over a 1-cent sales tax on everything I purchase each month including groceries.

It strikes me that people and businesses that use water should pay for the water they use including the costs of needed water resource upgrades in their monthly water bills. A sales tax allows public officials to charge different rates for different groups of water users and is not as transparent and fair. By paying for the water I actually use I can control my individual cost for this valuable resource. Paying for water usage through a sales tax reduces any incentive individual and business users might have to conserve water than if they are writing a monthly check to pay for the water they actually use.