Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-07-11
PLAN OF FIXING
WATER CHARGES
Is EXPLAINED
Consumers Confused at New
Bills For the First Six
Months of 1918

Because of the many inquiries
( about the new city water rates and
service charges since bills for the
first six months of 1918 have been
sent to all property owners. water
department officials made a state
ment to-day in explanation of the
charges as compared with the for
mer system of minimum rates.
Commissioner s. f. Hassler, super
intendent of the department, in eX-
planning the rates said: early this
year when Council was considering
the water rate increase, it was
| planned to increase the minimum
charge from 81 to Sc year, the rate
which was in effect a few years ago
and was later lowered. With the
| development of the serious water
shortage due to a breakdown at the
| plant, an expert engineer was en-
| ployed to report on improvements
which should be made and to pre-
sent a schedule of rates for water,
based entirely on the cost of filter
ing and pumping the water, plus the
depreciation of the city's water plant
equipment. The report of the eX-
pert Mr.. ]. w. LedouX, was received
by Council, and the new rates which
We're adopted were based on one of
his schedules, instead of being fixed
at a $6-minimum charge
Service Charges
The schedule includes a ready
to-serve' or service charge based on
the size of the opening in the meter.
Many homes in the city are using
water with a meter opening of one
half or five-eighths of an inch. Res
gardless of whether the property
owner with meter in his house used
any water during the year, he is
charged 81 If he has meter of that
size. This charge is made by the
city because it at all times is ready
to furnish the occupant of the prop
erty with water, and in order to
maintain a supply must have pumps
in running order, filter plant and
reservoir. The charge is just what
it is named-a 'ready-to-serve' one
made because the city must be ready
to serve water when it is needed, and
consequently must keep up a water
plant for that purpose.
I'm addition to the service charge
which is made regardless of the
amount of water used, every consum-
er in the city, both residential and
manufacturer, must pay 43 a thou
sand cubic feet for all water actually
used, regardless of how much.
Under the new rates then, resi-
uSIll uSlI6 GiUUO CUBIC Ieel Ol water
in year and billed semi-annually,
would pay each six months, $2.43 or
total of $4.S6 for the year, of
which 81 would be the service charge
and SO cents the charge for the
water used.
Comparing this with the Sc
minimum rate which was proposed
it will be noticed that the consumer,
first of all pays $1.25 a thousand
cubic feet for water used; that he
would receive a bill in July for S1.25
and another one at the end of the
year for S4.75, of which $1.25 would
be for water used, and the balance
to make up the minimum rate of
Sc. Last year with the 81 minimum
he would have paid only 81, so that
the actual increase on the bill is Sc
cents in comparison with last year,
and $1.14 less than it would be If
the city had adopted Sc minimum.
In other words property owners who
used less than the amount of water
allowed under the old minimum rate
system have been benefited by the
new rates instead of an increase to
Sc a year.
Large Concerns Affected
"Other consumers who use more
than the amount which was allowed
under the minimum rate system have
complained that there is a big in
crease in rates for them. That is not
true in the majority of instances. A
consumer using 5000 cubic feet of
water at S1.25 a thousand, the old
rate, would pay at the end of six
months 1915, while under the pres
ent rate he pays 50, one-half the an
nual service charge and $1.29 for the
water (43 cents a thousand) or
SS.29.
The large consumer Is undoubt-
edly the one who is now paying for
all water which is used. The old rate
was a sliding one to large consumers
and in some instances water was
being furnished at a charge which
was less than the actual pumping
cost.
City officials in adopting the new
rates did so because they were de-
termined to put the water charges
on an equitable basis. The expert
who was employed to present the
schedule is one of great experience
and with reputation for thorough
and complete knowledge of water
works. The schedule which he pre-
pared and which Is now in force
charges each consumer for the
maintenance of the city's water sup
ply equipment by a service charge,
and then puts a charge of $.43 a
thousand cubic feet on all water
used, no matter in what quantity
or for what purpose.
Charge System Fair
There is no more fair and just
method in making charges and Har-
risburg is one of the first cities in
the country with a municipality
owned and operated water supply
system which has adopted rates,
based upon the actual cost and
operating expense of the depart
ment and a depreciation charge for
wear on equipment; and not on the
estimate of the amount of revenue
wanted for the city treasury.
Citizens who for years have paid
for water under the old rates and
who have not made a special study
of the new ones naturally are slight
ly confused, but feel certain that
attention they will agree that the
only business-like way to charge for
water must be the one now in use.
We have had many communications
asking for information about the
radical change in making charges
and have furnished to other cities
copies of the report and schedule
which Mr.. Ledoux prepared for Har-
risburg Other public service COM
panies base their charges on SIM
liar estimate of the cost of operat-
ing and depreciation. and there is no
reason why the city should not do
III.