Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-10-21

taxpayer in several distinct political or
municipal corporations at the same
time. For instance man who is a
resident of the Brunswick Village cor
poration is also a resident of the town
of Brunswick, of the Brunswick and
Topsham Water district and OF the
county Of Cumberland, all of which are
political corporations chartered by the
legislature of the State. Each has its
own set of officials, its own books, it's
own treasurer, it's own Indebtedness
and it's own power to raise money with
which to pay it's obligations. In some
cases the legislature has granted to
water districts the power to levy gen.
eral taxes. In most cases the income
of the water district is confined to it's
receipts from the sale of water; but
the district is always required to make
it's water rates high enough to provide
for an adequate sinking fund for the
payment of its debt as well as to pro-
vide for its current expenses.
In Waterville and Augusta the ty-
phoid epidemic of the winter of 19O2-OS
fastened action towards the compile
ton of the district, and convinced the
people that it. was not a time to ques-
, ton the amount of the award made by
the board appointed to appraise the
local water plant. The district in adj
dition to taking over the plant, went to
the additional expense of building long
pipelines to outlying ponds in order to
provide for a supply not only adequate
but pure. The legislature was in ses-
sion in Augusta that winter and the
epidemic had a strong tendency to
hasten the development of the water
district idea, for it was that winter that
the charters for Augusta, Gardiner,
Brunswick and Topsham were granted.
At the following session of the legis-
lature the old Dover and Foxcroft Viii
lage Fire Company was empowered to
purchase the plant of the local com
pany and to reorganiZe as water dis
trict. This district not only supplies
water to the above named communl-
ties, but also handles the fire depart
ment, sprinkles the streets for both
towns and has the power to levy gen.
eral taxes.
Portland-the largest district in the
State-received it's charter in 1907, af-
ter a hot fight. The expense of con-
domination proceedings were in excess
of 100000, but the results obtained in
providing additional facilities and IN
protecting the purity of the water sup
ply have satisfied most of the people OF
that community that the expenditure
was good one.
PortIand's Supply.
The Portland water district supplies
not only the city of Portland, but
South Portland, Westbrook. Standish,
Cape Elizabeth and Scarboro.
Following the development of the
water districts in Maine it is interest
ing to note that the Bath Water dis
trict was the only one in the State
which acquired it's local plant without
litigation, and it also has the distinc-
ton of being the only water plant pur-
chased by a district in this State for
less than it's replacement value.
The bonds of these water districts
have been made legal for the savings
banks of Massachusetts, as well as for
Maine, and it is believed that the saw
ings banks of this State probably have
larger holdings of water district issues
than any other class of Maine NUM-
cipals.
1t is only natural that the residents
of a community, if they had to make a
choice, would pay for pure drinking
water before they would for paving.
sewers or schools, and since the treas
uries of the water districts are entirely
separate and distinct from those of the
municipalities which they serve, the
revenue from the sale of water can I'M
der no circumstances be diverted to
other purposes such as the mainte-
nance of streets, etc, or general ex-
pense, nor can the municipalities inter-
fere with the sinking funds.
Among the smaller communities in
the State, aside from those mentioned,
which have adopted the water district
plan are Van Buren,, Kittery, East
Livermore. Arson, Madison, Run1ford
and Mexico. <+t
Many of the districts have been able
to reduce their water rates after max
ing generous allowances for extending
the service and after meeting the re-
uuirements of the law as to the sinking
fund. The sinking fund of the Kenne-
bee district, the first one chartered, is
now in excess of $175.0O0, while the
Portland district has sinking fund of
more than half million.