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nance of the system are paid for by water bills.
One component of the water bill is the bond repayment, which is based on a front foot assessment charge on every property abutting the water main in the street. This includes government property, churches, etc. Everybody must pay for his share. Front foot rates vary from residential to commercial to agricultural.
Quoting the article that there were 230 residents in Washington, statistics would lead me to believe you have about 100 houses plus commercial buildings. Let me assume that you have about 20,000 linear feet of frontage on both sides of all your streets. This would indicate about 10,000 linear feet of water pipe locally, plus your well and supply main to the town.
I am “guesstimating” the cost of an entirely new (non-corrosive) system is about $400,000. If you assessed the commercial properties twice the amount you assessed residential, and the agricultural rate was half the residential rate, the following would result:
Assuming the town sold $400,000 worth of tax-free municipal bonds paying 7 percent, with a term of repayment of 20 years, the repayment of principal and interest would be about $3,100 per month. Divided equally by 20,000 accessible feet, the cost would be about $1.16 per foot per month. Assuming a 50-foot frontage, the front foot assessment would be $8 per month, or $96 per year for the 20-year life of the bonds.
Now, of course, when you get into higher rates for commercial and lower rates for residential and agricultural, it would not be so hard on the homeowner or farmer. A good water supply would also stimulate business expansion if desired in the town. If you control the water, you control the development.
This letter may be too much to digest in one try, but I would make myself available as an interested Rappahannock landowner, to help in any way.
You might also obtain federal funds resulting from the recent “Clean Water Act” passed by Congress over the President’s veto. I suggest you contact your Congressman on this matter.
C. L. ARMENTROUT, P.E. Hyatts ville, Md.
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