I can't speak with authority on #1, but I can say that Steve Meldahl is incorrect with his assumption in #2. The reason for this is because the three houses on three lots are surrounded by three yards that absorb storm water whereas the 22 unit building on three lots has a great deal more paved surface area (especially if there's off-street parking as well) that does not absorb storm water and it must instead run off into the storm sewers.
Whether there's enough of that going on to justify the price difference Steve cites, I don't know, but there are justifiable grounds for having a price difference. Especially when we consider just how much water is being lost to the storm sewer system rather than replenishing our ground water through infiltration (sinking back into the ground). According to a report issued this past August, Minneapolis ranks among the top ten metropolitan areas in ground water infiltration losses. Based on 1997 figures, we lose around 21 billion gallons of water per year. This is more than double what was lost annually in 1982, when it was 9 billion gallons annually. Why is this important? Because diminishing ground water supplies contributes to drought conditions. And of course, since we all have to have pristine green lawns, we consume even more water to maintain them. Those interested can read more at: http://www.americanrivers.org/landuse/sprawldroughtreport.htm#execsum And if you're wondering what you can do to reduce your impact on storm water runoff, a simple thing is to redirect the downspouts on your gutters so that they empty onto your lawn or garden (away from your house, of course) and not a paved surface like a driveway or sidewalk. And if you really want to make a difference, you can quit water your lawn during the driest part of the summer and allow it to go dormant as nature intended. I haven't watered my lawn in about 20 years. It still comes back just fine every spring. Mark Snyder Windom Park (59A) On 11/18/02 9:05 PM, "steven meldahl" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > You are not quite right on this matter. Steve Frenz is complaining based on > 2 reasons: > > 1. Sewer rates for homes and duplexes are based on water consumption levels > during low-use winter months, while sewer rates for all others are based on > actual water use, including the high-use summer months - see the difference? > > 2. The cost of storm sewer projects is based on water consumption, not on > the size of the lot as it should be. I do not think it rains more heavily > on apartment buildings than houses or duplexes. A 22 unit building that > sits on 3 city lots does not produce any more runoff than 3 houses on the > same 3 lots, yet their proportion is 7 times higher - see the difference? > <snip> > > Steve Meldahl > Jordan (work) _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
