The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-07-04
Restoration Of Old Water
 Rates Will Increase Bills
 ancw the o and the

pany would say: OD, had the validity of have settled the rights of the water com pany under the contract of 1888, which were being questioned by the city ad- ministration. These rights of the water company have, however, recently been completely established by the United States courts; @, 1t was the belief of the water company that ordinance 97-C modi- fled the old contracts in a manner which would have been fair and beneficial to the people of Birmingham, and which would not have operated too harshly upon the interests of the water company. Some dissatisfaction had arisen in Birmingham over the rates fixed in the water com pany's contracts. The water company was and Is exceedingly anxious to con duct its business fin manner and on terms satisfactory to the people of Bfr- mingham. The good will of the people of Birmingham Is as important to and as much desired by the Birmingham Water works company as 1t Is to a grocery or dry goods merchant.
 The contract embraced in 9-C would have enabled the people of Birmingham to have greatly reduced their water bills by the installation of meters and the careful and intelligent use of water on their premises. It Is the consensus of
 
 subject that water. like gas and cleo tricity. should be sold upon meter basis, so that those who use water carefully and avoid waste may effect a saving, and so that those who are wasteful and lavish in the use of water shall pay &C., cordinsly. Ninety-five per cent of the consumers of water in old Birmingham who have taken water on a meter basis instead of flat basis. in accordance with ordinance No. SIC. have saved money. Only those having large homes and extensive lawns or those who have used water lavishly or wastefully have paid more. The use of water on a meter basis according to rates as low as those named in ordinance T-C gives the con- sumner of water the opportunity of pro- curing his water at a reasonable pricea at the same time the waste of water avoided by the sale of water on a meter basis enables the water company to hold down its investment in pumps. pipe, plant and It's operating expenses to the basis re- 1uired by the real needs of the commun- ity and enables 1t to stand a shrinkage In gross revenues without an equally great shrinkage in net.
 The sale of water on fiat basis means s waste which benefits no one and which absolutely prevents cheap water to the in- teiligent consumer. The continuance of the hat basis in old Birmingham means O there can be no reduction in price to the careful consumer; t2) it means in- cerased investment by the water company in pumps, filtration equipment, pipe, and general plant beyond what the city really requires and increased operating expenses; (0 1t means if municipal ownership is ever achieved in Birmingham the city will have to pay for a plant in excess of the actual needs of the community, and we venture the prediction If the city ever decides on municipal ownership of it's waterworks that 1t will at once put all of the consumers on a meter basis The Birmingham Waterworks company does not. however. wish to question the wisdom of the citizens who rejected ordinance T-C. IL merely desires to state the reas- ons why 1t seemed proper to seek to pre- serve the rishts of all parties until the