Based on an analysis of average water and sewer bills in over 11,000 cities across the country, ATTOM Data Solutions, UtilityScore, and Spread Sheet found that residents in some of the wealthiest communities in California are paying far more for their water each month than residents of the Hamptons with comparable home values.
In Pebble Beach, Carmel, and Santa Barbara, Calif., average home values hover around $1.4 million while water bills range from $469 to $601. But in Southampton, Westhampton Beach and East Hampton, N.Y., where average home values range from $1.1 to $1.4 million, monthly water bills only range from $50 to $54.
Brian Gitt, UtilityScore’s founder and CEO, explains that Long Island’s low rates are largely due to the area’s abundant supply of groundwater. In an email, Jeffrey Szabo, CEO of the Suffolk County Water Authority, concurs, noting that the area has a “groundwater supply that is both plentiful and, relatively speaking, in better shape in terms of contaminant threats than many other areas.”
On the other hand, many California communities are forced to buy their water from outside sources like the Colorado River, which, Mr. Gitt says, involves a variety of “water rights and political issues.”
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