Evening star., 1933-02-07
BILL DUE TO ASK
CUT IN WATER RATE
Report Probably Will Provide
10 Per Cent Discount for
Prompt Payment.
Continued From First Page }

District budget this year was informed
that under the old rates approximately
81, ,300, 900 was collected annually and
under the new rates the collections
amount to approximately $1,000, 900, or
a -million-dollar increase. The
amount of money now collected Is more
than can be judiciously expended on the
water service. The subcommittee has
also considered a provision for allow
ing discount to water consumers for
prompt payment of their water bills.
Present Water Rates. D..
The present rates are: For the use
Of water for domestic purposes through
unmetered service, $685. per year for all
houses two stories high or less, with q
front width Of 16 feet or less; for each
additional front foot or fraction thereof
greater than one-half, SO cents; and for
each additional story or part thereof,
one-third of the charge as computed
above; for business places that are not
required to install meters under exist
ing regulations, the rates were increased
40 per cent year; for the use of water
through meter service, a minimum
charge Of S8.75 year for $500 cubic
Of water and z cents for 100 cubic feet
for water used in excess Of that guam
tity; for water for building con-
struction purposes when not supplied
through a meter, 6 cents per 1000
brick and cents per cubic yard OF
concrete, with minimum charge Of 81
for each separate building project. AL
water required for purposes not covered
by the foregoing classifications shall be
paid for at such rates as may be fixed
by the District Commissioners.
When these rates were established
District officials had advised the APP
preparations Committee that the ex-
penditures contemplated in the budget
for 1891 under the present water rates
would cause deficit of 100000 under
receipts. The District water system,
consisting of the supply branch under
Jurisdiction Of the War Department and
the distribution branch, under the jul
risdiction of the District Commission
ers, Is entirely supported by appropria-
tions payable from the water fund, de-
rived from the sale Of water to private
consumers and from assessments COL
lected for the laying Of water service
mains.
Study Of System Made Recently.
A Board Of Engineers from the United
States Engineers Office and the Water
Department of the District, the two
agencies responsible for the supply and
distribution of water, had recently COM
pleted a joint study of the water sys-
tenn resulting in the formulation of the
five-year construction and maintenance
program Of extensions and improvement
considered to be absolutely essential
and necessary, safely and adequately to
provide for the future growth of the
city projected over period OF five
years. This program calls for the ex-
penditure of approximately $4,000, 900
per year, which could not be met from
water revenues at that time.
The increase in the rates and water
main assessments was intended to be
only sufficient to provide for carrying
out the five-year program, and while
the percentagesof of increase for the do
mestic consumers was larger than the
percentage Of increase for the large
commercial consumers, the Appropria-
tions Committee at that time said 1t
believed this to be equitable, since the
large commercial consumers, represent
ing only S per cent of the total num-
ber of consumers, paid SO per cent Of
the revenue derived from the sale Of
water.