The copper era and Morenci leader., 1920-09-24
PUBLIC HEARING WILL BE HELD .sc
 IN CLIFTON

The Corporation Commission will nold a public hearing, Monday, Oc- tober 4th, at the City Hall at ten o'clock a. m.. on the application of the local Water Company for permis- sion to install meters for all classes or water service and establish a schedule of meter rates.
 s Since the organization of the water company, under orders of the Commission, water has been sold to general consumers at flat rates and the application to convert to the meter system for the sale of water means complete change in system and the fixing of an entirely new method of assessing water rents to consumers
 The Water Company in its applica ton for the change filed with the Corporation Commission states that it has complied with all orders of the Commission relative to increased equip ments and betterments in plant for the purpose of assuring satisfactory service at all times to consumers. but that notwithstanding, operation has proved that under the present system it is impossible to give satis- factory service to all consumers, es- pecially in the higher portions of town during summer months. It is further stated that the local consump- tion of water will be greatly increased when he municipal sewer system is placed in operation, and that this, taken with the already existnig short age during the summer. will so far impair the servce of the company as to create a condition intolerahle ts the company and it's consumers alike. In the face of these conditions there are but two remedies; one, to increase the supply of water which will re- quire the installation of new main pipeline from the wells to the town and additional equipment to operate the same at a cost of conservatively One hundred thousand dollars; the other, the adoption of measures which will effect conservation of water tG the extent that all requirements of the town are met and all reasonable needs of consumers supplied. The installation of new equipment will necessarily result in greatly :ncreas- ing water rates to meet the additional cost to the company and it's increased property valuation. In this connec- tion, it is stated in the application of the water company that it is not the intention or desire of the Company either to increase water rates or it's earnings, ,sbut to effect such a conser- vatiOn of water that present and future requirements of the town are adequately supplied on the one hand, and on the other that each consumer have available at all times all needed and reasonable requirements of wat CT without increased cost to him.
 Superintendent Davis of the water company states '"The fiat rate system of water service has been discarded in nearly all progressive communities, and in practically all the larger loc- alities in Arizona, for the reason that such a system is, on the face of it, necessarily discriminatory among consumers. Under such a system the person who in times of scarcity is careful and economical in the use of water, for the good of the community, is required to pay the same as the person who is wasteful; the charge is the same whether one or twenty thousand gallons of water are used during the month. There is no data locally upon which directly to base a meter schedule; the company has made comparisons with other meter rates in this State and upon these in connection with local conditions and local requirements has filed a shedule of proposed meter rates which are considerably less than those in effect in other communities in this State similarly situated and which are con- sidered fair and equitable to the con- sumer. Necessarily at the start such rates must be experimental. A few months operation will show with cold figures whether the rates are unfair CT, and when a fair test period has been passed in operation under the proposed rates a permanent schedule may easily be established through the commission to the satisfaction of all concerned and upon the basis of actual experience and conditions in this district. am sure that our consum CTS will meet with us and the Com mission at the hearing in the spirit of cooperation to secure the best re- suits for the town as whole and the indivual consumer, and agreeable to a fair and practical test under the meter system to determine a fair and just meter tariff.'