Evening star., 1920-04-04

"VO60 I'LL IhbuU
100000 TO BILLS
The House, in passing the District
appropriation bill with a provision
for a 25 per cent increase in water
rents, would add more than $500, ,00O
to the water bills of the people OF
Washington.
The minimum rate for water to the
private household is $3.50 year,
which allows for approximately 60,
900 gallons. The increase would make
this minimum rate about $3.50 a year.
The bill also increases the assess
ment for the laying of service mains
from $1.25 per front foot to $3.50 a
foot. When it is considered, however,
that the District collects this assess
ment from the houses on both sides
of the street the city will, in reality.
receive an assessment Of SIS a foot.
This is done presumably to cover
increases in the cost of laying service
lines. 1t was learned last night that
the present cost Of laying service
mains is about s2.70 a foot. The wa
ter department will open bids for a
new supply of pipe the middle of this
month. How, much higher the cost of
this pipe will be cannot be foretold
U. 8. Uses Water Free.
The action Of the House in voting a
25 per cent increase in the water bills
of the people of Washington has
brought into prominence again the fact
that the United States government is
using 100000 gallons of water a
day. for which it pays nothing. This is
fourth of the total daily consump-
tion..
The District government uses an
other 100000 gallons. which means
that only half Of the water used in
Washington is paid for.
None Of the officials Of the District
recommended the proposed increase
in water rates. On the contrary.
Engineer Commissioner Kutz op-
posed the inc1ease at the hearings
before the District subcommittee of
the House appropriations committee.
Apparently the increase was put
into the bill to help cover the cost
of laying about $500, 900 worth of trunk
main extensions in new sections of
the city. for which the Commits
sioners asked that an appropriation
be made.
Commissioner Kutz told the District
subcommittee that such capital ex-
penditures for extending water mains
should be met in some other way
than by adding it to the bills Of the
present consumers of water by in
creasing their rate.
1T ought to be an investment made
by the community as whole.
Whether it is paid wholly out of Dis
trict revenues or wholly out of the
United States revenues or half-and-
half is immaterial," Col. Kutz testi-
fed, but it ought not to be charged
against the present water users"
WATER Rates Enough Now.
When Commissioner Kutz was
asked by a member of the subcom-
mittee if increases in the cost of la
bor and materials has not increased
the cost of running the water system.
he replied that. while the cost of op-
GRAFTON has increased somewhat, the
water revenues are adequate to
balance. At another juncture in the
hearing mmissioner Kutz told the
subcommittee:
I'VE have not the slightest objection
to increasing the water rates If a
study shows that the present rates
are inadequate, but to finance large
extensions such as are proposed here
out of rates to be paid by the con-
sumer next year does not seem quite
fair. Such expenditures ought to be
spread over a period of time
The superintendent of the water de-
partment, J. S. Garland. has for sew
eral years advocated that a plan be
devised whereby the federal and Dis
trict governments would have to pay
for the water they use, which amounts
to half the total consumption in the
District.
1t was suggested last night that an
expert, in no way connected with the
limited States or District govern
ments. be employed to ascertain
exactly how much each has invested
in the construction of the water sys-
tenn and fix a fair rate of return on
that investment.
Although the United States govern
ment gets all of its water free, it is
not the largest investor in the water
svstem. 1t is estimated that the fed
eral government has $7,500.000 invest
ed. the District government about $3.-
SOC. 900, while the water department
Itself has invested s9,23O.000.
II the United States paid for all water
in federal buildings and half
he cost Of the water used by the Dis
rict government. it's water bill would be
$4SS.00o a year. Interest
It per cent on the United States gov
Investment Of $7.500.000 in |
he water system would amount to $780, |
100 Interest at per cent would be ap- |
si5O.000.