Show I DECISION ON WATER 11 1 RATE HEARING IS HANDED DOWN OAB DAB i PIPE LINE COMPANY ORDERED TO IMPROVE ITS f SYSTEM BEFORE SEPTEMBER 1 WHEN QUESTION OF RATES WILL AGAIN BE GONE INTO BY PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION y temporary decision was rendered t week by the Public Utilities Com Com- ion of Utah in the matter of the JUon of the Moab PIpe Line corn com gay for a reVISIon of its rates charged r people of Moab A on the was held by the commission at lab last August and the town board intervened on behalf of the to protest the revIsion of rat rates 9 1 to ask a substantial reduction in l charges as sell vell as Improvements in ina a water system the decISion of the commis- commis bas h as last week makes t 4 following orders The rates as ired for by the company are tem tem- arlly approved only the company is isen isen en until September 1 1934 to re- re and improve Its water Ss- Ss a so that it will become cIrculatory and efficient the company t see that m in the event of a short short- of o water ateI domestic use shall have Terence over lawns gardens and stock watering and special rates Jit be charged for lawns and gardens 1 4 other uses than for culinary and lestic purposes the company on or orore ore re 1 must render a furs 4 complete inventory and appraise appraise- nt of its property devoted to publIc c e including the costs of iW system as ordered together wIth i Ml till and complete report as to the hilt of its operatIOns under the or- or ores ts es of the commISSIon the commis- commis retains its on the otters m involved and a further hear hear- will twill be had haa on September 10 1934 the purpose of determining Just justi j i reasonable rates r the kie Moab PIpe Line company at a tang of its directors Friday passed authorizing the Improve Improve- is as ordered by the commissIOn 1 11 otherwise e complying wIth the de- de deon deon he on town of Moab through its at- at atney atney ney Knox Patterson on Saturday eti with the a motIon for hearing h ring against e en ent t reVISIon or raIse in rates Is probable however that no fur fur- furL r L actIOn will be taken until the hearing provided for in the wn L he decision of the Utilities com com- sion in full follows n 11 the day of June 1933 the sib b PIpe Line a Water COrPora COrPora- flIed filed with the Public Utilities of Utah an application for inge ge or adjustment of Its rates be- be charged the town of Moab Utah tiding neighboring territory and the thereof m in Grand County islA matter came on regularly for ring ng before the Commission after notice given at Moab on the of August 1933 upon said I 1 and protests made thereto and punter petition in behalf of Moab certain interested cItizens the 1 1 hearing thereof concluded Salt Lake City Utah on the Hof September 1933 ra m the evidence adduced for and half of all interested partIes and anda II a the records and files submitted e case and on file flIe in the offIce of commission the Commission finds find as follows I e t the CommIssion finds that the I ant nt Moab Pipe Line Company I water dwater corporation the g and as defined by subdivISIon I L 76 2 RevIsed Statutes of Utah p pIt It was duly organized as a cor- cor coron cor on In 1918 under the Laws of I primarily for the purpose of sup sup-I sup sup- g the Town of Moab and Its im- im imI I to te neighborhood WIth water for tic uses by acquiring and taking of a pIpe line and water system eed of conveyance then owned lied and operated by Moab Irrl- Irrl Company a Utah Corporation x had theretofore and likewise for the purpose among things of supplying the Town of Its immediate neighborhood and habitants thereof with water for and domestic uses e transfer of the Moab Pipe Piper r I Water System S stem from the Moab Ion on Company to the Moab PIpe the consideration there there- nd mutual understanding was II the stockholders of the Moab ton ion Company should be issued shares of stock m in the Moab PIpe Line Company on a pro rata basis accord accord- according according ing to the numbers of shares held m in inthe the former company The records in inthis inthis this proceeding show that in some in- in instances st stances the holders of stock in the Moab Irrigation Company have as yet not recessed ed their shares of stock in inthe inthe the Moab Pipe Line Company but meanwhile the Moab Pipe Line Company Com Com- Company pany has controlled and operated as a public utility the pipe line or water system now under consideration as was wasI I contemplated by its organization That on the day of October 1923 the Moab PIpe Line Company filed with the CommISSion a petition Case No for an adjustment of Its rates and then as now the same was con con- contested contested tested on the part of the Town of Moab and others That said petition I Iby by r reason ason of the partIes interested in- in indicating indicating to the CommISsion that it was not desIred that the same be heard or further prosecuted was on the day of June 1924 dismissed ed That the charges for service by the Moab pipe Line Company were then and are now on a flat rate or un- un metered basis and for the present are areas areas as follows 1 50 per month for each family 75 per month for stock watering 3 00 per month for Central school I 3 00 per month for HIgh School 1 50 per mon for Moab Garage Com Com- Company Company I pany 05 per day for family water where is used for less than a month That the method pursued by the petitIoner Moab PIpe Line Company I m in charging its patrons for water ateI ser ser- serVIce Service VIce has had too many abuses Charges upon a flat rate or basis always result in discrimination unfaIr practices and v wastefulness In this in- in instance instance stance the charges of 75 per month fOl foi stock and pcr month for each family has been taken ad advantage an- an antage tage of by several families carrying I Hater vater from one paying household to supply homes not con con- connected connected with the system nor paying any any- anything anything thing for the service ser In stock water water- watering ing some of the patrons are paYing for forthe forthe the waterIng of one animal ammal whIle I others for the same charge are water water- watering mg ing large numbers Again no pro provision IS Ion IonI I whatever er IS made in the schedule for wat water l used by the householder for watering lawns garden or washing of automobiles etc uses of water made by many patrons wIthout any specific I charge being made other than the one charge of 1 50 per month for each famIly The results have been a shortage tage of the water supply and poor service to some of the pat pat- patrons patrons rons of the Moab PIpe Line Company The water system of Moab Pipe Line Lineas I as planned constructed and as now I managed and operated is 15 unsanitary and inadequate to meet the needs and requirements of the public I As at present planned and construct construct- constructed ed the water vater for domestic u use e IS drawn I from dead ends of the service pipes and there being no circulatIon of I water m the system thereby rendered not potable a condItion that might be beI I readily remedIed by the means of a aI I small engineering sen service Ice and a little cost m in the way of improvements All Allm Allin m in all the cost necessary to make the system sanitary and much more ser ser- serviceable serviceable v would not exceed 2 00 The Company prays for an adjust adjust- adjustment adjustment ment of rates as follows s I 1 That the rate of per month for Moab Garage Company be changed to at least 3 00 per month 2 That 75 cents per month per fam- fam family family ily or person be fixed as a rate for car car- carrying carrying water from the tap on the pro pro- property property perty of another I 3 That where more than one famIly reside in the same house or dwelling not an apartment house per I perI month for such addItional family be bet t fixed as a rate to be paid for use of water from our system i 4 That where more than three head lof of horses or cows are watered at one tap from our system the rate for wat- wat watering watering ering such additional livestock be fixed I at 25 cents per head per month each eath 5 That the rate of per month I for each lawn watered from our I tern tem system be fixed provided such users be beI obligated to pay for SIX month lawn I Continued on last page J Jn n Jb M t tr r 1019 t t k i P EATER T-EATER THE AN ANTEATER ARCH ARCI I I TEMPORARY uN ON WA IER Continued from first further tha that each provided water year used upon water to be the amount of to any and aU al said lawns be subject to be made by the corn com company rules made or for water supply pang pany to conserve its uses more urgent For further relic relief in the thc premise 6 Corn com com- commission as seems meet and just to the mission not prepared to say ay nor able We are here hen from the record finding to make a prayed for by the thi rates as that the am and to be Just dust would prove Company circum- circum circumstances Under all the reasonable and conditions that for the thi stances order attend this case any present must necessarily be b make that we may as being temporary only the Company has beer been Heretofore not only foi its earnings plying out of r I maintenance and minor minol improvement also from time timeto timeto system but I of its water dividends to its iti to tIme substantial stockholders A satisfactory inventory and appraise appraise- used and useful nt of the property ment m has ha to the public in rendering service inthis in inthis not been rendered by the petitioner heretofore has its this case nor of accounting been along the methods Commission commis- commis lines that would enable the to determine and establish h rates Slon sion that v would be at this time just and reasonable as between the petitioner and he public it serves IT IS NOW THEREFORE ORDER ORDER- ORDERED ORDERED ED that the rates applied for by Peti- Peti Petitioner boner as hereinbefore set forth peu-j peu be approved and the same are temporarily only j ORDERED FURTHER That peu-I peu peti- peti petitioner on or before September 1 1934 reconstruct and improve Its water system system tem so that it will become circulatory and thereby be made more sanitary and efficient ORDERED FURTHER That peti- peti petitioner ioner promulgate a rule that m in the went event of shortage of water domestic use ise shall have preference over lawns gardens and livestock watering and special rates to be charged for forI lawns awns and gardens and other uses than I for or culinary and domestic purposes ORDERED FURTHER That peti peti- Honer loner on or before September 1 1934 render ender a full and complete inventory and nd appraisement of Its property de- de devoted voted to public service including costs of f improving its system as hereinbefore and ordered together with aull a I ull and complete report as to the re- re reI result sult tilt of its operations under the orders I I of f the Commission herein made I II ORDERED FURTHER that the I retain its Jurisdiction of the he matters and things herein herem involved I I and rid that further hearing be had on the day of September 1934 for the purpose of determining lust Just and rea- rea reasonable anable rates to be charged patrons ot of the Petitioner for water service and the rules and regulations that shall b be finally found applicable thereto ELMER R CORFMAN THOS E McKAY T H HUMPHERYS Commissioners |