The Washington herald., 1907-01-28

The people of the District of Columbia
are paying . per cent more for the water
they use than they did a year ago-and
few, If any, of them know it.
The old rate at which water was sup
Piled to residences was 3 cents per LOCO
gallons. The rate now is still cents, but
II is 3 cents per 100 cubic feet. The Diff
ference is that one cubic foot of water is
about seven and one-half gallons, so that
the change means cents for $50 gallons,
an advance in cost Of = per cent
The law which vested the Commission
ers Of the District of Columbia with au-
thority TO regulate the water supply for
the District, dated July H. 1870 declares
(section 19S. chapter s, revised statutes for
the District of Columbian:
THE water rates levied in Washington
and Georgetown shall never be a source
Of revenue other than as a means Of keep
ing up to said cities supply of water
but shall constitute a fund exclusively
for the maintenance. management. and
repair of the system of water distribu-
ton"
In spite Of this pToviso. the report of
the engineers department of the District
shows that in 1903 there was surplus or
profit 10 the water department of 1864
and in 1905 of S3l 900.
Comparative Statements.
A curious thing in the report of the
operation Of the engineer department is
the Comparative statements of reve-
nues." In the report for 1903 the esti-
mated revenue for the year 1896 was SILL
600. In the report for 1905 the revenue is
shown to have been S405000 The esti-
mated revenues for 1907 in the report of
1893 We're $4,000. while in the report for
1905 they are estimated at $4,000
on August H. 1906. there was issued from
the executive office of the District a state
ment Of new rules and regulations. and
this was advertised once in a daily news
paper of the District This dealt alone
with the subject of water meters and
water supplied through meters and the
nineteenth regulation OF this statement
declared that The rate to be charged for
water supplied through meters shall be
3 cents a hundred cubic feet"
Many private consumers have noticed
that their latest bills showed a marked
increase over former bills, and the rea-
son for this they now see
In the report for 1906 the Commissioners
point out that they have projected q large
number OF Improvements: a number OF
new mains are to be installed at costs
varying from $35, Geo 20 S3J2, 900; a new
pump of 100000 gallons capacity has
been contracted for al "A cost of $4,000.
and they state that within a few years
Il VIII be necessary 10 erect an additional
pumping engine for the second high
service system at an estimated cost Of
$4,000. The report goes on to say that.
Further, minor extensions and improve
ments will also be necessary, bringing the
cost up to about S1Gl0 0l0. exclusive of
smaller mains laid under the assessment
system. It is expected that all of this
should gradually be completed within
about ten years, and that the income from
water rents will be sufficient 10 pay for
the Improvements
Raise In Water Rates.
Later on in the report comes the state
ment about the raise in water rates It
says: In order to meet the expenses
mentioned above. it has been necessary
10 increase the water rates about p per
cent. this increase taking effect NJ the
beginning Of the fiscal year. tt is esti-
mated that with this increase OF rates the
revenues Will amount 20 S453.1l. which
viii make a per capita rate Of 81 A."
Commissioner Henry p. +. Mcfarland
when asked about the increase of rates
said: The increase in water rates was
decided upon last spring, and the citizens
of the District We're notified through pub
ucati0n I'm the newspapers. All Of the
revenue from the supply OF water 90 cit:-
zens-all over and above current ex-
ptases-is 90 Dee used for the extension
and the betterment of the service. Even
as f. IS, with our per capita rate under
the increase. of SLH, Washington cIti-
ze0s are getting their water service very
much cheaper than other cities. i think
We have the lowest rate OF any city in
the country
"In 1875 and again IN 1896 the reports
show that the water system turned in
surplus over and above all expenses Of
more than $4,000 for each year What
became Of that surplus?
Il do not know what the figures are
Just now. bUt If there was d surplus it
was turned into Ihe fund In the Treasury
Tor use for Improvements and extensions.
one Of the Improvements contemplated is
the installation of water meters as soon
as practicable. During the past year
meters were installed I'm squares "a, 30.
and g3f. 4 test made of these squares
prior 10 the establishment of meters
showed an average daily consumption of
about $50 gallons in each premises. Under
the meter system this has been decreased
90 per cent, and at the end of the year
the consumption had been an average Of
about so gallons for each premises. All
these Improvements cost money, and all
OF the revenues from the supply Of water
viii be used to defray the cost"