94 MINIMUM RATE BASED ON FRONTAGE 



THE ASSESSMENT METHOD 



By this method the rates will be assessed as follows: A constant sum 

 will be assessed each year upon each property based upon the frontage 

 of the lot on one street, and without regard to the amount of water used. 

 In addition to this assessment, a certain price per 100 cubic feet or 1000- 

 gallons will be charged for all water used through the meter. 



FRONTAGE ASSESSMENT 



There are certain expenses of a water-works system which must be 

 met as long as the works are operated, which are affected but little, if at 

 all, by the amount of water used. These expenses should be met by a 

 revenue which is also independent of the amount of water used. The total 

 amount of such expense is dependent more upon the length of the piping 

 system than upon any other element of the plant. The amount of water 

 used affects the capacity .of the pumping plant, but not in direct proportion, 

 and in many works not at all. The requirement for fire protection fixes 

 the pumping capacity. The amount used affects the capacity of the sup- 

 ply, but not necessarily its distance from the center of distribution. 



The frontage of the lot affects materially the total length of the piping 

 system. Therefore there seems no other element which can serve so well 

 and so justly as the measure of constant yearly assessment as the length 

 of frontage of the property. It is not material to the method how the front- 

 age which shall be assessed is determined. It is probable that a municipal- 

 ity can assess all property, both that built upon, and vacant lots, while a 

 company can only assess upon existing houses and their lots. It would 

 seem to be fair that all buildings should be assessed, whether occupied or 

 not. This, however, is not essential to the method. If vacant lots were 

 not assessed, some limit to the amount of land to be assessed with each 

 building would be necessary; for instance, each lot might be assessed upon 

 a length not exceeding twice or three times the width facing the street, 

 of the building upon it. A corner lot might be assessed upon one street only, 

 or, as in the case of sewers, a certain frontage of the second street might be 

 exempt. These details are not essential to the principle, and should be 

 decided by the conditions of each case. 



The exact proportion of the total annual expense of maintenance which 

 should be assessed in this way is not essential. It seems to the Committee, 

 however, that it would be substantially just if, in ordinary cases, one-half 

 of the total amount to be raised were assessed upon frontage and the 

 balance raised by meter rates based upon the total consumption. The.price 

 per 100 cubic feet, or 1000 gallons, in any place would then depend upon the 

 total consumption. Taking the average place, it might be about 7? cents 

 per ioo cubic feet, or ten cents per 1000 gallons, based upon the water 

 that would be measured through the meters. . . . 



