The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1922-09-23

Interest in city-owned waite.
plant in Bismarck has naturally
caused many citizens to ask the real
story of the water plant owned by
the city of Mandan, whether a good
quality of water has been furnished
at a reasonable piice, whether the
service is good and if the plant re-
moves all the problems met by nee
essary expansion of water plant to
meet increased needs of city. Man
dan owns her water plant, and has
had no experience with privately
owned plant.
The story of the Mandan plant
5hows that the same problems which
must be met in a privately-owned
plant must be met in a city-owned
plant, that water bills come just AL
regularly with one as with the other
and that kicks are registered against
both On the whole the experience
of Mandan appears to have been sat
isfactory to most Of her citizens and
to her officials
The Mandan plant was built in
1911. Previously a system of mains
had been installed and water was
purchased from the Northern Pacific.
The Northern Pacific now purchases
water from the city -owned plant, is
its largest customer and gets a spe-
cial rate about one-third of the aver
age first charge to ordinary consum-
ers.
The city was bonded for $4,000 to
build the plant, the bonds being sold
at a slight premium and bearing IL
per cent interest. They were 70
year bonds and are due in May, 1881.
A sinking fund is maintained, $4,000
being levied in taxes each year for
this and $4,400 is levied to meet
the interest, making total of $8,4oo
a year in taxes for water plant bonds.
Plant Not Separate.
y The water plal:r is not conducted
as a separate corporation, but as an
arm fthe city government, the re-
ceipts and disbursements being in
cluded in the statements of all other
city business. If there is deficiency
taxes are levied to make it up. Be
cause of this system it is more diff
ficult to ascertain the exact financial
history of the pl.nt.
On August /, according to Auditor
Seitz, there is balance in the treas.
ury to the. credit Of the water fund
of $3,725.56. On October l, 1921,
there was an overdraft If $5,o45.45,
which comparison reveals that
handsome profit on actual operating
expenses has been made on the plant
in the last year. Included in this
amount, however, the auditor says,
is $7Go or $500 out Of $1,000 taxes
levied for the water plant last year
when there was deficit in the fund.
About $4,000 in taxes has been levied
for the maintenance or extensions OF
the plant since its uoe, the auditor
said. The city of Mandan has re-
ceived free water for its GO hydrants
and for other city uses, no charge
being made for this. The city treas
urer collects the bills and the city
hall is the office of the water COM
pany.
Expansion Difficulty.
One of the difsi> nlties met in any
utility is that of expansion. This
is particularly true in a water plant
where the cost of extending mains is
very considerable. The Mandan
plant has been extended since it was
built, although within the last year
or two some petitions for extension
have been denied No water mains
were laid this last year because OF
financial conditions, the auditor said,
although there was desire on the
part of the city to do so. Included
in the extensions which have been
made are laying o. mains into "dog-
town" and into the "Syndicate' ad-
dition southwest of the Northern Pa
cifc, near the fair sroundr'.
The cost of the water to the small
consumer 80 cents per hundred cubic
feet as compared to the rate of 81 IL
cents per cubic feet of the Bismarck
plant prior to the 35 per cent in
crease recently ordered in Bismarck.
The Mandan water rates follows,
Minimum Rate Per Month Sl.OO. v.
First 667 cubic feet or fraction
thereof 80 cents per 100 cubic feet.