In “Water Board Needs To Set New Course,” (PostOpinion, May 7), Comptroller John Liu argues that the “rental payment” that the water system makes to the city should be eliminated.

But eliminating the rental payment would not save money. It would simply shift that cost to the taxpayers.

The water system pays the city for essential services, like fire and police protection, that are necessary to protect our water infrastructure. Such payments are made by major water utilities across the country, and ours is actually below average.

We agree that water rates should be as low as possible. Our 8% budget cut helped us propose a rate that was below last year’s projection for the first time in years.

Cas Holloway, Commissioner, Department of Environmental Protection, Queens