208 HIGHER RATES IN HIGH SERVICE DISTRICTS 



From the ordinary point of view the railroads, being regular 

 customers, were entitled to buy at regular rates all the water 

 that they needed; but to provide for this and similar occa- 

 sions in the future, it was necessary to build a large addition 

 to the plant. If the railroads had bought corresponding quan- 

 tities all the year round, the established rates would have been 

 sufficient to pay for the cost of getting the additional water, 

 but as they bought large quantities only in exceptionally dry 

 times, it was obvious that water sold only at such times would 

 have to bring a very high price per 1000 gallons to make the 

 business carry itself. 



It seems to be a safe general rule that emergency supplies 

 furnished at very dry times only, then taking the place of other 

 supplies normally used, are fairly worth much more per thou- 

 sand gallons than the amount which is a fair price for the 

 same water when it is taken by regular customers all the year 

 round. It ought not to be expected or required that any water- 

 works system shall furnish emergency supplies at regular rates 

 to new customers, or that any old customer in a case like that 

 cited should be allowed to greatly increase his draft in periods 

 of stresss. 



In such cases it would seem to be fair to provide that the 

 railroads and any other takers could only draw the usual amount 

 of water at the regular prices, and that if additional quantities 

 were to be drawn, that they should be permitted by the works 

 only to the extent that they were available from time to time, 

 and at prices subject to special arrangement, and adequate to 

 meet the greatly increased cost of furnishing water under such 

 conditions. 



