[RBS] Water bill -"common" water usage

[Tanya Benchetrit]

If you live in a building you may have noticed that you are billed for
"tzricha meshutefet" ("common water usage") in addition to the water you use
in your apartment. The iriyah calculates this amount by reading the
building's main water meter and deducting the readings of each
individual/private water meter. This amount is then divided equally among
the residents/apartments of the building. The number you find on you bill by
"tzricha meshutefet" should usually be no higher than 2 (this obviously
depends on the number of apartments in the building and how much water is
used).

It seems that several buildings in RBS A have been billed for a much higher
amount (11-19 per apartment for a building with 12 apartments) on a regular
basis - not because of a leak - with a leak the amount will systematically
increase, we've experienced that too); an amount comparable to the average
usage of a family (note that logically much less water is used in the common
areas of the building than in an apartment). I should mention that your
water rate is affected by any increase in usage - the tzricha meshutefet is
not calculated separately - the higher it is the higher the rate you pay.

If you have experienced this problem please reply by email with the address
of your building and amount. If you have solved this problem in your
building, I would be especially grateful if you would let me know how. If
you have any other constructive, knowledgeable insights I would love to hear
them too.

Chodesh tov,
Tanya Benchetrit
tanyab01 at mscc.huji.ac.il