“No Profit From Water Metering Intended”

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31383, 31 May 1967, Page 8

“No Profit From Water Metering Intended”

“There is no Intention of making a profit from water metering. The charge for excess water is fixed at the cost of production. The purpose of metering in Christchurch is to reduce water consumption and the capital investment required,” the City Engineer, Mr P. G. Scoular, says in reply to a correspondent of “The Press,” M.J.M. M.J.M. says: “Annual excess water rate demands are to hand and I would request answers to the following: (1) number of ratepayers paying ordinary water rate and gross revenue received; (2) number of ratepayers metered; (3) number paying excess water rate and gross revenue received; (4) cost of installing a meter; (5) cost of processing excess rate demands, presently done longhand, including postage; (6) net revenue from excess rate compared with ordinary rate; (7) total cost of metering ail properties; (8) estimated time to complete 7; (9) estimated time before 7 would return any profit. “It is realised that the

council must tap every just reservoir of revenue, but such is not the case at present. I hope this ripple of indignation will develop into a wave of protest by all those paying extra for their metered water.”

In reply to the letter, Mr Scoular says: “It is not possible to answer all of M.J.M.’s answers precisely. (1) There are 49,000 rateable properties which last year yielded £256,112. (2) At March 31 last there were 39,000 meters installed. (Ratepayers with an “ordinary” supply are not metered—that is, in general, residential properties which use water only for domestic purposes.) (3) In the last financial year 7000 ratepayers paid £41,000 in excess water charges. (4) The present charge for installing a jin meter is £6 10s. This charge does not cover the cost.

(5) This work is done in the rates department and is not separately costed. (6) Answer in 1 and 3 above. (7) At present about £32,000 per annum is being spent on installation and maintenance. (8) Probably about three or four years. To expedite the work som: installation is being done by contract and this has proved slower than was hoped. (9) There is no intention of making a profit from water metering. The charge for excess water is fixed at the cost of duction. The purpose of metering in Christchurch is to reduce water consumption and the capital investment required. In Christchurch city the maximum daily demand is about two and a half times the average daily demand and this peak occurs only rarely. "The city waterworks has always been able to meet this demand but to do so means that it has very substantial capital invested in the pumping stations, some of which are only occasionally used. If the peak demands can be reduced then obviously the capital expenditure can be reduced. It has been estimated that if metering reduces the peak demands by 10 per cent then it is economically justified. “It may be of interest that in Wellington tfhe ratio of maximum demand to average demand is only about 1} to 1. The Christchurch ratio is one of the highest in the world and is caused by garden watering on summer evenings.”

Irish Society.—Officers elected at the annual meeting of the Christchurch Irish National Society were:— Patron, Father Kelly; president, Mr M. Maunsell; vicepresidents, Messrs D. O'Sullivan and B. Bonham; secretary, Mr M. Shaughnessy; assistant secretary, Mr P. Collins; treasurer, Mr J. Maloney; executive, Mrs B. Allison, Messrs M. Cartwright, B. Scullion, S. McNulty, J. McGowan, P. Grant, J. Collins, T. Shaughnessy, H. McElevey.