American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1922-07-13
UTILITIES BOARD
MAKES DEMANDS
Orders American Falls Water and Re-
atty Works To Install ChlOrimeter
and Other Improvements Evans
Maintains Water Is Good.


The response that will meet the
decision of the Public Utilities Com
mission regarding the safeguarding
and protecting of the water supply
provided by the American Falls Re
atty and Water Works Company has
not been decided upon, according to
the announcement Tuesday of Col. L.
l.. Evans, prominent director of the
board. The Utilities Commission an
nounec6 Monday that it would re-
quire the installment of chlorimeter
and other improvements designed to
guarantee sanitary handling of the
water.
The American Falls Realty and
Water Works Company has an in
vestment approximating $4,000 ac-
cording to Mr.. Evans He states that
the annual taxes amount to approx
mately $500 and that the revenue for
the same period is $500. The company
serves 125 water users in the orig
inal townsite of American Falls at an
average rate of $3.50 per month,
Leases and rentals bring the annual
revenue of the Utility to $3,000
The company has been operating
for Is years and over thatperiod has
never paid a dividend to the stock
holders, according to M. Evans The
| desired service that the company
would like to render would cost about
| $500 per month per water user. This
rate is probably higher than the wa
ter users would like to pay.
Water users have complained about
the water system that supplies the
original townsite for several years
Periodical agitation has taken place
| in an effort to purify water alleged
to contain dangerous germs, sink the
water mains lower into the ground
below the frost line, and substitute
new piping. The water is taken from
springs that originate the mills
about four miles southeast of the city.
Wooden pipes carry it to town.
The water company claims that
the water is pure and is absolutely
protected from contamination by
fences and carefully guarded intakes.
1t claims also that no epidemic has
ever been traced to the water, and
that not a single case of typhoid, ma
laria or other disease has ever result
ed from use of the water. 1t claims
/
prevent foreign matter entering the
pipes and believes that legal proceed
ure, if necessary, will recognize tie
company as fully complying with the
statutes regarding the safeguarding
of the public health.
The state utilities commission, how
ever, through David Burrell, commits
sioner of public welfare, has ruled
that the water is exposed to disease
germs, that the source is not prop
erly protected, and that the water
Is impure. While the water company
may be complying with the law in a
technical sense, the commission rules
that there is an ever present danger
of contamination that is a menace to
the health of the city One health
officer cited the action of army ply
sicians in carefully guarding against
possible contamination as compared
to the old way of postponing action
until some epidemic actually takes
place
| What the final outcome of the op-
posing views will be is problematical
! If the commission insists on cosIlpiii-
ance with its ruling which 1t no doubt
will do, the Water Company will
probably take the matter into the
courts for final hearing. In the
background, at the present time at
least, is the possibility that the COM
pany may go into a receiyership in
which case the cost of improvements
will be levied against the property
served and the water company re-
lieved of its responsibility.
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