Cut-Rate Water for New Businesses

16Jun2008 Filed under: Economic Development, Economy, Erie, Manufacturing Author: Peter Panepento

Dennis Weed at ErieBlogs pointed out over the weekend that the Erie Water Works has a newly redesigned Web site, which includes a previously undiscussed nugget of info that had escaped my notice.

Erie Water Works has an economic development policy aimed at helping make Erie more attractive to businesses that use a lot of water.

Particularly noteworthy (besides a couple of typos and grammar errors) is the fact that the Water Authority offers a 40 percent discount on water rates to new commercial and industrial properties in the city of Erie. The discount applies for five years.

For some businesses — particularly those that use a lot of water — that could add up to a pretty hefty savings. But I wonder whether it has helped put Erie over the goal line for any businesses that have chosen to locate there since the policy was instituted back in 2002.

Tags: Economic Development, Erie, Erie Blogs, Erie Water Works, water rates

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3 Responses to “Cut-Rate Water for New Businesses”

Rob
June 16th, 2008 at 7:21 am

I don’t think this is something that is well publicized. As a result, who knows about it? This is the first I have heard about it and it does not seem like you knew about it either, Peter. I am not sure why anyone would want this to fly under the radar for six years now, but it is a great idea.

Lake Erie is not going away any time soon, so it would make good business sense to have a business that requires a lot of water, to be near a place that has lots of it. Especially fresh water. Perhaps if the word were to get out about this program, businesses may be willing to give Erie a second look.
Dan
June 16th, 2008 at 10:26 am

I wonder if a “tires to energy” plant uses a lot of water.
Y-E-OW!
I just couldn’t resist that one.
I do think its agreat idea. This could only help stimulate some of the lost manufacturing jobs for Erie.
Jim
June 16th, 2008 at 4:11 pm

If I remember correctly, after the leak repair began in earnest in Erie, the reduction in leakage, along with the drop in industrial usage by places like I/P gave rise to concern about loss of take point authorization, as we were authorized to withdraw far more than we were. I suppose the bulk discount could be looked at as a sort of “water LERTA”.

However, I am still of the opinion that it masks over what should really be in the public eye, and that is a consolidation of the various water authorities into a single authority, with a single rate structure. As a regional economy, municipal lines should not have the dramatic impact they currently do, and become drags on the development of industrial parks outside the city lines. I fail to see how the city, Millcreek and Fairview all putting a markup on the same gallon of water makes the Fairview industrial park more competitive.

In these days of rapidly rising energy and commodity prices (like steel) an unnecessary additional cost, caused by multiple authorities is one that should be done away with.

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About 'Outside Erie'

Peter Panepento After more than six years working as a journalist in Erie, I'm now the web editor for the Chronicle of Philanthropy in Washington, D.C., and the publisher of GlobalErie.com. I still maintain close ties to Erie - a community that I care about deeply. I hope this Web site can help inspire a better future for Erie.

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