City faces 200m yuan overdue water bill

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City faces 200m yuan overdue water bill

Shanghai residents and companies have accumulated more than 200 million yuan (US$25 million) worth of overdue tap-water bills, Xinmin Evening News reported today. Among these, civil use accounts for 92.84 percent, totaling 123 million yuan. Most of the overdue payments are caused by the public water meters in old houses, villages and neighborhoods, because it's hard to trace the actual users. Besides, companies that faced bankruptcy and residents that relocated caused a delay in the timely payments. In recent years, 98 percent of tap water bills have been paid on time. But the overdue portion is still a big sum. The city plans to increase water fees in the second half of this year to pay for new water infrastructure constructions. The new prices are also expected to encourage water conservation and reduce the amount of sewage discharge. （Shanghai Daily）