Palisadian. [volume] (Cliffside Park, N.J.) 1906-current, 1917-08-04
Confidential Talk
By Water Company,
4 Guess What 1t Means
New Water Rates

AS one of our customers, you will
doubtless be interested in knowing
something about the new water rates.
The order of the Public Utilities
Commission of New Jersey, dated
July 3, 1917, fixes these new rates
and makes them effective on and
after January /, 1918.
This order is intended to put water
rates on scientific basis, predicated
on fair division of the cost of water
supplied between private consumers
and the public at large. 1t has been
scientifically worked out after three
years of thorough investigation and
study by the Commission, and by
some of the leading hydraulic en-
gineers Of the country, representing
the Commission, the municipalities
and the Company.
The Commission finds that under
present rates private consumers, as a
rule, were paying too large proper
at large too little. The householder
who is not consumer is getting the
same fire protection from our water
system as the householder who is a
consumer. The owner of unimproved
real estate is receiving the same
added value to his real estate by rea-
son of our system as the real estate
owner who is a consumer.
The Commission seeks to make a
more equitable division of total cost
between private consumers and the
public by decreasing rates for water
to private consumers and increasing
that part of the cost which is met by
general taxation.
After the new rate goes into effect
the bills of ordinary private con-
sumers, and particularly small con-
sumers, for the same amount of
water will be less. There will be no
minimum rate for water. There will
be fixed charge for each customer
based upon the size of meter used
without regard to the water supplied
This charge, in the case of a small
customer supplied through one-halt
or five-eighths inch meter, will be
one dollar per quarter. Water will
be charged for as used at the lower
rate, which varies somewhat in diff.
ferent districts. You can obtain q
copy of the rates on application
either to the Public Utilities Com.
mission or to the Company.
The charge to the community under
the new rates is not based as hereto
fore merely ON the number of by
drants. 1t is based on the length anc
size of the mains in any taxing dis
trict, which is fair measure of the
capacity of the system to serve the
district for the benefit of the com
munity at large. There is hydrant
rate of $500 per year, an amount
intended to cover only interest, de-
probation, installation and repairs or
each hydrant. Under this system
every community is encouraged to in.
crease the number of it's hydrants
and thereby secure better fire pro.
lection and lower insurance rates.
The new rate schedule is based or
conditions existing on January /
1914, before the war. The cost OF
operation, maintenance and exten.
sion has increased enormously since
then. So have taxes. At that time
the Company could buy iron pipe al
about $25 ton. Now it costs about
$66. Then the Company was buying
roal, large item in it's cost of op-
Grafton, for about $2.75 a ton. Now
it costs about SIS. or over.
Respectfully submitted,
Hackensack Water Co.
August l, 1917.