Much of this laxness in paying the water bill has come in recent years, when water/sewer rates skyrocketed. This is due to the fact that Balt city water & sewer system is over 100yrs old and needs to be rebuilt. After WWII all American cities were screwed by their local government into providing water & sewer to the new suburbs. The cost to get them this service goes way up the farther out they are from the system. This means the Baltimore rate payers pay for part of Columbia MD and the outer burbs, and this still goes on. Now that the city needs a rebuild, there is reluctance to charge the suburbs higher fees, to pay back the city.