Free ‘winter water’ may go away

New Hampton City Council members didn’t make any decisions during their meeting last Monday night, but they are seriously considering ending a longstanding practice that allows city residents to use extra water during winter months.
For years, the city has allowed residents to turn on taps and allow a “pencil-sized” stream of water to flow into sinks so that pipes don’t freeze. If residents called City Hall, they would not be charged the full rate for their water; instead, they received a water bill for their “average” usage in preceding months.
“I think there’s a concern that some people are really taking advantage of it,” City Clerk Karen Clemens said during an interview late last week. “They’re running way more than a ‘pencil’ and some people are running it way longer than they need to.”
For more on this story see the July 30 Tribune.