Could someone please explain to me why the Alexandria Sanitation Authority or Renew Enterprises or whatever they call themselves charge more than double for water usage that does VA American Water? Or why Alexandria residents effectively are subsidizing users in one of the richest counties in the country?

The letter sent out last week may as well have stated:

"PREPARE TO BE GOUGED."

I don't understand, are we now going to pay for clean water, and dirty water separately? And, who will we be paying for our trash pick up?

I thought Alexandria purchased water from Fairfax and by the time City fees and water services are added, Alexandria City residents pay double for their water. Having lived in Fairfax I was shocked to have to pay double for the same water usage. The water authority indicated in was Alexandria City taxes - essentially, you never receive a straight answer.

Nate & Nat: AlexRenew services 350,000 people. The 2010 Census says there are approximately 168,000 residents of Alexandria. Do the math. That means the water users in Alexandria are paying for 182,000 residents of one of the wealthiest counties to have their water cleaned.

Nat: Alexandria does not purchase water from the Sanitation Authority (Alexandria ReNew). All it does is treat the wastewater before it goes wherever it goes. Fairfax residents are not charged Alexandria city taxes, to the best of my knowledge.

Darn. I was hoping that VA American Water would be eliminated from the billing process all together. They're the only company I've ever done business with that sends water shutoff notices before your bill is even due!

To KM: According to the Sanitation Authority's web site, the semi-public firm services "350,000 people." If that is accurate, that would mean actually people - although it could mean customers (i.e., residents and businesses).

Here is another water question. who is resposible for our storm and waste water pipes? The whole sewer system in this City is a disaster. Pipes are breaking everywherew all the time.

Leslie: T&ES....

Well Matt, As you and I know, the water and sewer lines in both our neighborhoods are in horribe shape. That plastic liner idea of about ten years ago has been a total disaster. Another City infrstructure totally ignored.

Leslie: I was not apologizing for the city's handling of the sewer lines, merely ansering your question. You are accurate about the plastic liner idea.

What is the problem with the new plastic liners which have been installed? Are they leaking or disintegrating?

As a one-time fix for a single small leak in an old cast iron water pipe, a plastic sleeve works. The problem is that since this repair method was started years ago, sleeve after sleeve has been inserted into the same leaky pipes until many of them are now plastic sleeves with broken bits of cast iron around them. Sleeves were never meant to replace the pipes. A few years ago, I had a conversation with a water company worker who told me that many, if not most of the water pipes in the older parts of Del Ray (between Mt. Vernon and Rt. 1) were in this kind of shape. Since the traffic that once went down Monroe has been diverted down Howell, Custis, and some of the older neighborhood streets, the vibration from the extra traffic, especially the trucks, has caused a lot of breakage of these frail old pipes. The sleeves can't remedy that.

So I don't mind if they separate the bills, although it is annoying. I do mind that now I am PAYING MORE when you add the two bills together. So its not just separating the bills, ITS ADDING COST!