St. Pete man paying more for ‘savings’ on water bill as city changes rates

A man living in St. Petersburg said he bought into a city service to save money on his water bills, but now it’s costing him even more.

Warren Bucknam paid the city to add a second meter at his home for what’s called “irrigation-only water service.” It’s the same as the drinking water that flows through homes, but the irrigation meter doesn’t charge a sewer fee.

“That’s literally the whole point of it, it’s a way of cost savings,” Bucknam said.

THE GRASS ISN’T ALWAYS GREENER

A few times a week for a couple of minutes, Bucknam said he runs sprinklers in his small front yard.

He said he spent around $2,000 to buy and install the irrigation meter, which he believed would pay itself off over time. However, last fall, Bucknam noticed his irrigation bill nearly doubled to $150…

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