Show S. S L L. Commission Hikes Water Rates Rat s sTo To Private Industrial Consumers Action Taken aken 1 to Insure Funds For Expanding Facilities The Salt Lake City commission Tuesday approved boos boosts S in water rates including a hike of the quarterly minimum from to 3 to provide the water department with a revenue increase of yearly In approving the rate increase the commission revised volume volume vol vol- ume usage rates along with raising quarterly and monthly mini mini- u mum payments New monthly volume rates will willbe willbe willbe be lie lic per cubic feet for the first cubic feet lOc per cubic feet for the next cubic I feet and nd 8 Sc per cubic feet over Minimum month monthly y charge willbe Will Willbe willbe be 1 with witha a 53 3 3 quarterly q charge Water Vater department officials said saida a water user who has paid a bilof bill bil of 12 pe per year will pay a about out 1450 per year under the new rate Average water bills now run from 12 to 15 a year but under the new rate will average between 1450 and 17 The action was taken o oe over e protests pro protests protests pro pro- tests lodged by bythe the Salt Lake Real Estate board whose president F F. Orin Woodbury asked for fora a complete complete com com- accounting of a substantial surplus which appears to exist in operation of the water depart depart- ment No independent accounting providing providing providing pro pro- viding for the necessary replacement replacement replacement replace replace- I ment of mains an and equipment is set up to enable anyone to determine determine deter deter- mine accurately the amount of jot such surplus Mr Woodbury said He emphasized that the real es estate estate estate es- es tate not opposing an in increase increase increase in- in crease in water rates rate but rather is of the opinion that su such h an accounting should uld h be made with results of eXpendi expenditures t res shown t td taxpayers before beor gr granting an n In In- crease The city water department should be operated on the same basis as a private utility company com corn P. P pany YI Mr told the commission He said he was appearing to register the boards board's protest on the proposed increase in wAt water r rAt rates s sat at this time i If the water ra rate e is Justified based on sound business including proper accounting and segregation of all water revenue and expenses the Salt Lake Real Estate board will be in the front row row to support rt a necessary increase he continued contin contin- The additional will be added to an equal amount already allocated from 1949 anticipated revenues to finance the initial p portion portion por por- r- r tion of a projected year six-year water improvement program at a total cost o of Present plans call for expenditure of each year over the year six-year period Commissioners L. L C. C Romney and D. D A. A Affleck ck pointed out to Mr Woodbury that the commission commission commis commis- sion slon did not want to increase water rates but declared the situation is urgent and something something something some some- thing must be pe done Salt Lake Cit City has ha Barely gotten gotten gotten got got- ten by year after year in the past few years said Mr Affleck There has been a steady influx of ot homes and industries and we dont don't have the water to give them The rate increase will finance only part of the over-all over water program B Besides ides water mains mains' and feeder line extensions to be installed under the year six-year program program program pro pro- gram there is also a vital ital need for filtration and treatment plants See Page 2 2 Column 6 Water Waler Rates I Given Boost Continued from Page One and a distribution reservoir s slid said d Mr Affleck The said it would require to complete the Inch 48 steel line from South and Foothill drive to Wasatch boulevard and South construction construction construction con con- of which is expected to get under way as soon as ali possible after the first of the year This line when completed will function as the main feeder line for Deer creek water when it becomes becomes becomes be be- comes available he pointed out Following the commissions commission's action action action ac ac- ac- ac tion the city legal department was Instructed to draft an amendment to existing water ordinances authorizing authorizing authorizing au au- au- au the rate increase which will take effect on Jan 3 1919 |