On The Stepped-pricing Model Of Urban Household Water Consumption

Urban water supply, whose key issue is the price, is fundamental to the existence and development of the city. Establishing a reasonable price mode of water consumption in a city contributes greatly to the sound development of its water-supply field, and promotes the overall well-fare of its citizens. This paper is based on the characteristics of household water-consumption in a city and demonstrates clearly the duality of tap household water as a social welfare and a commodity. On the grounds of the above analysis, the paper dedicates that a price mode focused on step price balances household water-consumption in a city, and studies how to apply the price mode in reality to set a stable urban household water price. The paper also makes special research on the essential factors of the stepwater price - basic volume, basic price, and step levels. A relativeconclusion is made upon a comprehensive analysis of all aspects of the mode. In order to represent the mode directly, the paper illustrates and evaluates a case concerning the household water-consumption in Xiaoshan District, Hangzhou. Finally, a sound establishment and operation of household water price mode in a city require a good social environment and policy environment. Therefore, the paper also makes some special policy suggestions.