Nishinomiya City appears to be considering revisions to its water rates and sewerage fees.
(Info provided by Hank @ Nishitsu SP)
Quoted from Considering Revisions to Water Rates and Sewerage Fees | Nishinomiya City Website
Why are they considering revisions?
Simply put, the reasons given are:
- Water usage is declining due to population decrease, which is also reducing revenue from water rates
- Aging water pipes and sewer pipes need to be replaced
- Earthquake resistance upgrades also need to move forward
- Costs for construction, repairs, maintenance, and management are rising
When are the changes expected?
It says revisions are expected to be needed for sewerage fees in FY2027, and for water rates in FY2029.
Finally
I looked into it a bit, and Nishinomiya’s population has also been declining, down about 1.1% over the past 10 years. Japan as a whole has apparently declined by about 2.7%, so Nishinomiya’s decrease is less than half the national rate, which seems relatively mild. Rather than simply “water bills going up because of population decline,” the bigger reasons may be “people are using less water + water pipes need to be replaced + rising prices.”
*Hank @ Nishitsu SP, thank you for the tip!!
■■■Send us your tips!■■■
