ON
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 1982
PREPAID SUPPLIES
FLUSHING SUPPLIES
SALT WATER
FRESH WATER
LESS A DEDUCTION PER DWELLING
FOR EACH 4-MONTH BILL ING PERIOD FOR FRESH WATER USED
FOR FLUSHING
5.5
6.6
FREE
FREE
3
3.6
20
24
MR MCDONALD SAID: THE EFFECT OF THESE NEW CHARGES ON DOMESTIC CONSUMERS IS LIKELY TO BE MINIMAL. ABOUT 20 PER CENT OF CONSUMERS WILL CONTINUE TO PAY NO WATER CHARGES AND ANOTHER 65 PER CENT WILL BE REQUIRED TO PAY LESS THAN $1 PER WEEK EXTRA.+
WITH REGARD TO TRADE CONSUMERS HE ADDED: +SOME RELIEF WILL BE GIVEN TO INDUSTRIES WHERE THE COST OF WATER REPRESENTS A SIGNIFICANT PROPORTION OF THEIR TOTAL OPERATING EXPENSES AND WHERE HARDSHIP MIGHT ARISE AS A RESULT OF THE IMPOSITION OF THE NEW RATES.+
MR MCDONALD POINTED OUT THAT THE GOVERNMENT INTENDED TO CONTINUE FOR A PERIOD OF ONE YEAR ONLY A CONCESSIONARY TARIFF.
THIS WILL BE THE CURRENT CHARGE OF $5.50 PER UNIT FOR CONSUMPTION IN EXCESS OF 6 000 UNITS PER FOUR-MONTHLY BILLING PERIOD AND WILL GIVE THOSE WHO QUALIFY FOR IT TIME WITHIN WHICH TO INTRODUCE, IF THEY SO WISH, MEASURES TO HELP THEM ECONOMIZE IN THEIR USE OF WATER.
HE RECALLED THAT THE CHARGES FOR WATER WERE LAST REVISED IN 1979.
+IN SETTING THE LEVEL OF THE CHARGES AT THAT TIME THE GOVERNMENT HAD REGARD TO THE +NO SUBSIDY+ PRINCIPLE WHICH IS THE BASIS ON WHICH IT SEEKS TO MANAGE PUBLIC UTILITY TYPE UNDERTAK INGS,+ HE SAID.
+ IN OTHER WORDS, CHARGES FOR WATER ARE AIMED AT RECOVERING THE FULL COST OF THE WATERWORKS OPERATION, INCLUDING THE COST OF THE CAPITAL EMPLOYED.+
/HOWEVER, HE