Evening star., 1953-06-21
Water Cost Boosts
Put Spotlight on
Sanitary Agency
Continued From First Page.>

into sharp focus two months ago
when, without warning to the
taxpaying public, it announced
that its more than $4,000 Gus
toners were going to have to
get the agency out Of the red in
the relatively short span Of four
years.
Rate Increase Voted.
In q closed session, with no
representatives of the press OF
public present, it voted to in
crease its incinerator, refuse col
lection and front-foot benefit
rates and add a new 14-cent
sewage charge to its present wa
ter-uSe rate Of 81 cents per 1000
gallons.
It did not have to apply to
the Maryland Public Service
Commission for authorization to
raise its rates as any private
utility would be required to do.
It did not have to justify the in
creaSes through the traditional
public hearing.
But, the Public Service Com
mission was brought into the
picture through scores Of pro-
tests fled with it by indi-
viduals and groups in the area,
On a petition by the Allied Civic
Group Of Silver Spring, the PSC
agreed to take an unprecedented
step and review" the rate in
creases. A hearing has been set
for July % in Baltimore, but 1t
probably will be routine.
It is doubtful that the PSC
legally can do anything about
the rate increases even if it feels
they were unjuStifled. And the
sanitary commission is conf
dent that reports and testimony
from the financial talent it has
hired in the past two years will
show that it had no alternative
but to raise the revenues.
What do the new charges NEAR
to the average suburban Mary
land homeowner?
First, the semiannual water bill
he will receive this summer OF
fall will total $13 or $14, instead
Of the So or 50 he paid before.
There will be no increase in
the water rate per Sc, but to the
q cents he pays for each 1000
gallons used will be added a new
14-cent sewage charge, retro
active to March /.
Through the sewage charge
the commission has announced
1t hopes to clear up annual op-
Grating deficits and get on a pay
as-you-go basis. This procedure
was authorized by an act Of the
1851 Maryland Legislature.
Since commission officials eSti-
mate that the average fam
lily iof three uses about 5000
gallons of water a month.
the new water bill for such a
family for the Six-month period
that the commission uses to COM
pute water consumption would
total $3.50. Add to that the 81
meter service charge contained
on each bill and the total charge
for the six months would be
$3.50.
That means the average home
owner now is paying about
$3.50 q year for his water and
sewage. Commercial and indus
trial users pay much more. Of
course. Special adjustments are
planned for heavy water users.
such as owners Of swimming
pools and golf courses. so they
will have to pay the sewer charge
for only part of the water they
use.
The new 25-cent front-foot
benefit charge applies only to
water and sewer lines installed
last year. The rates are set an
nually for the previous year,
based on the amount of water
and sewer construction and the
cost Of the bonds which financed
the projects.
The new basic residential rate
for homes which were attached
to the commissions water and
sewer lines last year is Is cents
for each foot Of frontage on
the lot for water and another
Is cents a front foot for sewage.
The rate for some larger homes
and for commercial and indus
trial establishments Is CORE
spondingly higher.
Property owners pay this 'front.'
foot benefit charge for the length
Of the bonds which financed
such projects in the year they
started receiving the services.
Most Of those bonds now are
40-year bonds. This means, for
example, that a homeowner with
a lot frontage Of so feet who
started receiving water and sew
age services last year will pay
$50 a year for 40 years-a total
of $1,000.
HomeownerS who were receiv-
ing water and sewage service
before last year continue to pay
whatever front-foot benefit rate
was set for their first year
Homeowners tapping water anc
sewer lines for the first time thil
year will pay whatever rate thu
commission decides on next year
Changes Listed.
The basic residential front.
foot benefit rate applying II
1949. 1850 and 1851 is 20 cent
q foot for water and 20 cent
for sewer. For the years 1914
and 1948 it is 18 cents a foo
for each service. From 1922
through 1916, the charge Is i
cents for each service.
The commission in April ais
raised refuse collection charge
directly in Montgomery Count,
and indirectly in Prince Georges
The more than $4,000 Mont
gomery County homeowner
whose refuse is collected by tn
vRS~