Although many customers do not make a sufficient effort to conserve water, water companies must also be held responsible for wasteful consumption. Their own policies, in fact, encourage excessive water use, and attempts at conservation will succeed only if the water companies change their practices.

Which of the following, if true, would most strongly support the view above?

A. Most water companies reduce the cost per unit of water as the amount of water used by a customer increases.

B. Most water companies keep detailed records of the quantity of water used by different customers.

C. Most water companies severely curtail the use of water during periods of drought.

D. Federal authorities limit the range of policies that can be enforced by the water companies.

E. The price per unit of water charged by the water companies has risen steadily in the last 10 years.

The correct answer is A. Most water companies reduce the cost per unit of water as the amount of water used by a customer increases.

Explanation:

Volumetric rates are calculated per unit of water used; those related to production are charged per unit of production obtained with water; those linked to inputs are calculated per unit of a complementary input used (such as fertilizers); and in relation to the surface, per hectare irrigated. Level rates are based on the volumes used, but the unit price increases each time a volume threshold is exceeded. Binomic rates are proportional to the volume plus a fixed fee for access to irrigation.

Some methods are basically variants of others; for example, rates by levels and binomics are types of prices related to the volume of water. In practice, there are still other variations. In India, the rates per unit area may vary from one crop to another or between seasons, according to the method of irrigation (flooding, ridges or furrows), and in some cases they can be paid whether used or not. use the water.