Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-01-23
R|VERTON WATER CO.
MAKES STATEMENT
Asserts That 1t Wants Only Fair
Return on Money 1t Has
Invested

Asserting that 1t has no intention of
trying to raise water rates in Camp
Hill beyond a figure that will not a
legitimate. profit, the Riverton Con-
solidated Water Company this morn
ing issued the following statement:
The Riverton Consolidated Water
Company feels that 1t has not been
properly represented in the matter
of water rates for Camp HILL The
company is only striving for a rate
that will net it legitimate profit on
the money 1t has invested.
THE facts are these: Last year
there were 146 meter users of water
In Camp Hill and the total receipts for
the year for the Riverton Consolidated
water Company were $S35.5O, or an
average cost to eachuser of a little
over So.
During the past twenty years the
company has never realized a penny
on the investment and the receipts
from the entire territory served must
be largely increased before the COM
pany can hope to realize any return.
Notwithstanding the fact that the in
vestors have already waited patiently
Tor twenty years in order that the
lower end might obtain water service
Camp Hill residents maintain that
their rate should be no higher than
that or Harrisburg, but there are Co.
OOO FEWER water users in the territory
served by the Riverton company than
In Harrisburg. Where the operating
expense is practically the same, in
the case of Harrisburg there are seven
times more users than in the lower
N n ftty IL, l.
could De amazingly smaller and at the
same time produce a profit. Thus
camp Hills contention for a Harris
purg rate is clearly unjust.
IN the case of the Reverton Con-
soiidated Water Company, the plant,
including revervoirs, pumping stations
and pipe lines. represents an invest
ment OF more than - half million dol
lars. AT the rate charged for the en-
tire territory no profit has been made
In nearly twenty years.
The bill in equity filed by the
citizens of Camp Hill is based on an
ordinance in 1897, which called for
raw Susquehanna river water. The
borough was served with this water
tor number of years until objection
was raised to it's quality and to the
pressure, which was claimed to be
too light. AT the same time the mat
ter was called to the attention of State
department of Health, and as a re-
suit the public service corporation was
forced to find new source of supply
other than the Susquehanna river
AT an expenditure of nearly SIS
ooo the company provided additional
pumping facilities and pipe line
across the Susquehanna river, in order
to connect with the filter plant of the
Harrisburg water supply, in order that
we might serve Camp Hill with fill
tered water. Be sides the $4,000
Investment, 1t cost approximately $751;
O0O Tor the water alone Remember
that last year the total receipts from
the meter users of Camp Hill were
$4,000 and a total revenue from
camp Hill of less than $4,000.
In order to adequately supply the
lower end borough as we'll as other
patrons OF the company and upon the
compulsion of the State authorities,
the Riverton corporation purchased
what was known as Ross Mill on the
Yellow Breeches creek and erected a
pumping and filter plant at an eXpen-
dlture of S15O,000. AT the same time
lt was found Necessary to construct n
huge trunk line from the pumping
plant and filter station to Camp Hill.
rms the company has done in order to
give the complaining borough one of
the best water supplies in the State,
and appreciation has come In the
shape of bill of equity attempting
to force price under actual cost of
up to within two years the entire
receipts from Camp Hill were less
han $4,000 from all sources a year,
md for the year ending January L,
1914 $S35.50 from the LAG meter
isers-the complainants
And this is the new rate to which
amp Hill is objecting: For filtered
spring water of the highest degree of
purity and at such pressure as to af-
ord not only an ample supply for do
nestle purposes, but for fire protec-
ion as well.
An annual minimum charge of
10; allowance for minimum charge.
1888 cubic feet. for next 1867 cubic |
eet IN one year. 80 cents per 100 Gu
'ic feet; for the next 5000 cubic feet, |!
10 cents per 100 cubic feet, and for
in excess of 10000 cubic |
eet In one year, 20 cents per 100 Gu
nc feet, the same rate charged in the |
ntire territory, which includes the i
'oroughs of Lemoyne, Shiremans-
own, Wormleysburg, West F'airview |
nd the villages of North Riverton,
1lkwood, Edgewater, Washington
1eightS and Enola"