Forums > General > General Forum

caldwelld

Jan 26, 2006, 7:09 AM

Post #1 of 25 (1710 views)

Shortcut

Fodder for the Revolution

Can't Post | Private Reply

Just as an example, today the local TV had an extensive piece on water. What struck me was the relative costs in various places that they displayed:

Mexco: 2.5 pesos
Toronto: 11 pesos
New York: 19 pesos

Something has to give here.
dondon

johanson

Jan 26, 2006, 11:49 AM

Post #2 of 25 (1662 views)

Shortcut

Re: [caldwelld] Fodder for the Revolution

Can't Post | Private Reply

Please help. I have no idea what I just read. Some unit of water sells for 2.5 pesos in Mexico and 19 in New York?

PLEASE EXPLAIN

Ron Pickering W3FJW

Jan 26, 2006, 12:25 PM

Post #3 of 25 (1655 views)

Shortcut

Re: [johanson] Fodder for the Revolution

Can't Post | Private Reply

A unit of water is what the charge is based on for billing purposes. I believe a unit is about 748 gallons of water.
Getting older and still not down here.

johanson

Jan 26, 2006, 1:10 PM

Post #4 of 25 (1640 views)

Shortcut

Re: [Ron Pickering] Fodder for the Revolution

Can't Post | Private Reply

Ron I am not questioning you, but what the heck did you just say? Smile

Is there some unit of water that is 748 gallons? (748 gallons times 3.8) or 2840 liters.

What on earth is that unit called?

Or is the point of this post that for the same amount of water in Mexico, one pays much more in New York and Toronto?

I know the amount I pay for water in Seattle is cheaper than what I pay for it here in Ajijic.

I'm not trying to be a wise arsh here, being a nerd, I am just trying to understand. Really
and I am still very confused. It must be old age setting in. Smile

esperanza

Jan 26, 2006, 1:40 PM

Post #5 of 25 (1634 views)

Shortcut

Re: [johanson] Fodder for the Revolution

Can't Post | Private Reply

It's the moss growing on the north side of your brain, Pete.

http://www.mexicocooks.typepad.com

alex .

Jan 26, 2006, 1:45 PM

Post #6 of 25 (1630 views)

Shortcut

Re: [johanson] Fodder for the Revolution

Can't Post | Private Reply

Boxcars per light-year is one of MY favorite obscure units of measure.
Alex

caldwelld

Jan 26, 2006, 2:42 PM

Post #7 of 25 (1610 views)

Shortcut

Re: [johanson] Fodder for the Revolution

Can't Post | Private Reply

I have no idea what the unit was. It doesn't matter. The point is that in their example water costs more than 4 times as much in Toronto and 8 times as much in NY than in Mexico and in my book the figures should be reversed if real cost were being charged as I believe they are in NY and TO. I thought it begged the question: what is wrong with this picture?
dondon

Rolly

Jan 26, 2006, 2:42 PM

Post #8 of 25 (1611 views)

Shortcut

Re: [alex .] Fodder for the Revolution

Can't Post | Private Reply

I am fond of measuring acceleration in furlongs per fortnight.

Rolly Pirate

(This post was edited by Rolly on Jan 26, 2006, 2:43 PM)

esperanza

Jan 26, 2006, 3:04 PM

Post #9 of 25 (1601 views)

Shortcut

Re: [Rolly] Fodder for the Revolution

Can't Post | Private Reply

I like that, Rolly, and I like this too:

There was a young lady of Wight,
Who traveled much faster than light,
She departed one day,
In a relative way,
And arrived on the previous night.

Just goes to show you that everything is relative--even the price of a boxcar full of water.

http://www.mexicocooks.typepad.com

johanson

Jan 26, 2006, 3:34 PM

Post #10 of 25 (1582 views)

Shortcut

Re: [caldwelld] Fodder for the Revolution

Can't Post | Private Reply

Thanks for clearing up the picture. I was confused by your post. Now, what I would like to know is if what was reported to you is really true. And I am not questioning you, the poster here.

First I pay a good deal less for water in Seattle than I do in Mexico. Yes I know it rains a lot there. But even if I were to irrigate as much in my Seattle home, my water bill would be about the same as I pay here in Mexico, certainly not 4 to 8 times as much.

How much water do I use in Mexico? I do not know. In my part of Mexico, they do not measure the quantity of water you consume, rather they charge by the # of bathrooms etc.

Question; Is it normal in Mexico to charge by the # of bathrooms etc, or do many water districts charge by the number of liters consumed?

Ron Pickering W3FJW

Jan 26, 2006, 3:42 PM

Post #11 of 25 (1580 views)

Shortcut

Re: [johanson] Fodder for the Revolution

Can't Post | Private Reply

I should have added that the unit is the standard measurement of water for billing purposes here in the US. How it became to be 1 unit=748gal I don't know. Maybe they didn't have a convient way of measuring large amounts of water a thousand years ago and so decided to simplify it (for meter readers who couldn't count high enough or ran out of fingers and toes).

Or is the point of this post that for the same amount of water in Mexico, one pays much more in New York and Toronto

I believe that was the point of the discussion, however, water does cost more in MX I suppose as they probably don't have the infrastructure to purify and distribute it economically. I don't know. But don't forget, the government has to get their chunk of profits also (NOB) and just maybe, they're thirstier. (no pun intended).
Getting older and still not down here.

(This post was edited by Ron Pickering on Jan 26, 2006, 3:45 PM)

Esteban

Jan 26, 2006, 3:45 PM

Post #12 of 25 (1577 views)

Shortcut

Re: [johanson] Fodder for the Revolution

Can't Post | Private Reply

In Mazatlan, we have meters. In my own apartment with about 60sq. meters and the house I watch, 1000 sq. meters, both haven't gone beyond the minimum..which turns out to be approx 40 pesos a month including sewer charges. We are being billed by the cubic meter. There are 264 gallons in a cubic meter and we used, in the big place, 11 cubic meters last month. That's approx. 3000 gallons. In the city limits of Bremerton, Washington, the average water usage, per household was 200 gallons a day. Just to give you a perspective of some sort.

DoDi2

Jan 26, 2006, 4:14 PM

Post #13 of 25 (1565 views)

Shortcut

Re: [caldwelld] Fodder for the Revolution

Can't Post | Private Reply

In Reply To

It seems pretty reasonable if you add in the shipping costs.

ignacio

Jan 26, 2006, 4:19 PM

Post #14 of 25 (1564 views)

Shortcut

Re: [johanson] Fodder for the Revolution

Can't Post | Private Reply

Here in Veracruz, in the 'fraccionamientos' (or better neighborhoods) all have water meters.

In the 'colonias' (or less advantaged side of town) they collect by type of house, be it a single standalone structure, one or two levels, or in a 'vecindad' (many little houses side by side, all looking into a narrow callejon).

The city is slowly converting everyone to water meters.

The 748 gallon measure probably came to be the amount of water used by a king in England in all the baths he took in his life. ;-) ....just kidding.

caldwelld

Jan 26, 2006, 6:33 PM

Post #15 of 25 (1527 views)

Shortcut

Re: [Ron Pickering] Fodder for the Revolution

Can't Post | Private Reply

What you and Johanson say is that you are paying more here in Mx than you paid NOB. Certainly that is not my experience here in SMA where water is metered. My bill is roughly a third of what it was in Ottawa.
dondon

caldwelld

Jan 26, 2006, 6:37 PM

Post #16 of 25 (1525 views)

Shortcut

Re: [DoDi2] Fodder for the Revolution

Can't Post | Private Reply

Thanks for the clarification. It all makes sense now.
dondon

Rolly

Jan 26, 2006, 8:03 PM

Post #17 of 25 (1497 views)

Shortcut

Re: [caldwelld] Fodder for the Revolution

Can't Post | Private Reply

When I lived in Los Angeles, my water+sewer ran US$100 or more per month, here in Lerdo we're on a fixed rate of about US$7.00 per month. Of course I had a lot of landscaping to water in LA, but still it is much cheaper here.

Rolly Pirate

sfmacaws

Jan 26, 2006, 8:11 PM

Post #18 of 25 (1494 views)

Shortcut

Re: [Rolly] Fodder for the Revolution

Can't Post | Private Reply

It would seem to me that what you are getting in the US and Canada is not the same as what you get for your money here in MX. In the north, you can drink what comes out of the faucet without significant health risks and the sewage goes to a treatment facility that doesn't dump into the creek or the sea. You are getting a lot more service for your money.

We don't pay for our water here in Akumal because they are all feuding over it, there was no way to cut anyone off and thus only some people paid. So now, it's gotten even worse than it was and if the current pump dies we will be back to buying it from the water truck. Even when the water flows from the faucet it is so salty that it feels about like bathing in the sea. All kitchen and bath fixtures become coated with minerals in a year and have to be replaced. There is some hope that someday we will be on a municipal water but it hasn't happened yet. It's worth about what we pay for it.

Jonna - Mérida, Yucatán

johanson

Jan 26, 2006, 8:21 PM

Post #19 of 25 (1486 views)

Shortcut

Re: [sfmacaws] Fodder for the Revolution

Can't Post | Private Reply

Good point about water quality, Jonna. I just checked what I paid for water here in Ajijic during 2005; $8,631.38 pesos. I thought my bill was over $10,000. So maybe things are a little cheaper down here than I suggested above.

(This post was edited by johanson on Jan 26, 2006, 8:26 PM)

Don

Jan 26, 2006, 8:36 PM

Post #20 of 25 (1477 views)

Shortcut

Re: [johanson] Fodder for the Revolution

Can't Post | Private Reply

Water in my part of Jalisco is cheap. Everyone pays their water bill at the begining of every year. We have no meters. I paid for my water for the year 2006 this month, for two homes, at a total cost of 1019 pesos.

Ron Pickering W3FJW

Jan 26, 2006, 8:36 PM

Post #21 of 25 (1476 views)

Shortcut

Re: [johanson] Fodder for the Revolution

Can't Post | Private Reply

That didn't come out right (too many cervesas). Sorry. I meant that water should cost less in MX; if it cost more, the MX population would have died of thirst 'cause they couldn't afford to drink. Read it as "water does cost less" (add the rest).
Getting older and still not down here.

julian3345

Jan 27, 2006, 7:46 AM

Post #22 of 25 (1420 views)

Shortcut

Re: [Don] Fodder for the Revolution

Can't Post | Private Reply

In Jerez, Zacatecas which is said to be sitting on top of five subterranean lakes, a person eligible for an INSEN card pays 50 pesos a month. Everyone else pays 56 pesos/month for a very generous allotment of water which is metered in case that amount is exceeded. I pay my bill every six months because the water company won't accept payment for a whole year. Joan

shoe

Jan 27, 2006, 8:58 AM

Post #23 of 25 (1398 views)

Shortcut

Re: [Ron Pickering] Fodder for the Revolution

Can't Post | Private Reply

1 cf = 7.48 gallons; 1 ccf = 100 cubic feet = 748 gallons

This is hte way wter is measured in most areas.

shoe

Nothing is intrinsically good or evil, but its manner of usage may make it so.
-St. Thomas Aquinas

jerezano

Jan 27, 2006, 9:54 AM

Post #24 of 25 (1376 views)

Shortcut

Re: [johanson] Fodder for the Revolution

Can't Post | Private Reply

Hello all,

In many municipalities water is delivered to senior citizens at a discount or in some, actually gratis. Just in case you haven't checked that out, it might be worth your while to do so.

Adios. jerezano.

johanson

Jan 27, 2006, 10:20 AM

Post #25 of 25 (1364 views)

Shortcut

Re: [shoe] Fodder for the Revolution

Can't Post | Private Reply

Thanks Shoe. That is what I was wondering about, 748 gallons did not mean squat to me. Yet now that you explained it, I vaguely remember same, and I mean vaguely.