Comptroller DiNapoli report: Busted pipes lead to leaking municipal revenues
ALBANY — Local governments are seeing millions of dollars in revenue flushed away because of water loss, inaccurate meters or improper billing, a new comptroller's report on municipal water systems shows.
Audits of 161 local government and seven public authority water systems statewide between 2012 and May of this year conducted by Comptroller Tom DiNapoli's office show that in some cases, water loss between the source and customers exceeded 50 percent of the water produced. A review of 22 audits that found water loss was an issue for those systems estimated that as much as $2.2 million could be saved if the losses could be eliminated.
"Water leaks, broken pipes and aging infrastructure are costing local governments millions of dollars annually," DiNapoli said in a statement Thursday. "Across New York, my audits have revealed infrastructure problems, poor budget practices and a lack of long-term planning are straining municipal finances and increasing costs for taxpayers. If these problems aren't addressed, the issues plaguing water systems will only get worse."
In some areas, money set aside for water operations actually was used for other purposes. The report uses Troy as an example, with the city using its water fund to subsidize its general fund to the tune of $6.4 million over three years.
Read more: http://www.timesunion.com/news/article/DiNapoli-report-Busted-pipes-lead-to-leaking-12291388.php