HomeMy WebLinkAbout1975 10-23 Consultant says Maplewood should continue with retail water system DISPATCH Co nsuitc,-.3rit
a y
° os Maple oodsh ld
,...„. .l'1 ted tl Ut �'� i water system
C . ,
O Maplewood should continue to operate, the consultants said,
--
to contract with the St.Paul Wa- though revenues to coverthose
ter Department for retail water costs could be obtained through
service, an engineering consult- wooda customers'addede wator Maple-
ant's report recommends. A wholesale system, Sindelar
A RETAIL system, under said, would begin to benefit the
which Maplewood customers are city in about 25 years, when the
I billed directly for St. Paul water, system would produce enough
"looks pretty advantageous" revenue to allow the city to per-
over the wholesale or master etuate the s'sem.
meter system once considered P } he said the retail
by the Maplewood City Council, HOWEVER,
said Gary Sindelar, design engi- system has "fewer question
neer for Kirham, Michael and marks."
Associates. The biggest question mark,
Under the wholesale system, Sindelar indicated, is the 3M
Maplewood would purchase St. Co.,which now uses 60 per cent
Paul water and resell it to Ma- of the water used in Maple-
plewood customers.
The retail system would save, Under
revised
t. Paul Water proppart-
osed
Maplewood$6.75 million in wa- by
De
ter system improvements and ment for a new contract,he not-
would have
aid
wholesathan
would ose fewer"ifs"le system, Sindelar told more the ed, last year for its water.. .49,000
the city council last week. If the company decided in-
stead,to drill its own wells for
THE CONSULTANTS' report cooling water, he said, "You'd
estimates the cost of improve- lose your best customer."
menta for a wholesale system at Such an action by 3M, the
$16.5 million, of which about$,4 consultants' report said, could
mil l i o n could be funded reduce
duc Inco e to
a point where
through a revenue bond issue.
The remainder would have to be tient revenues to operate a
funded through assessments and wholesale system.
general obligation bonds.
Retail system improvements, "TO PIN them.(3M) down —
)
$9.2the
said, would cost continue abe
Ion which would have to be his prce. — ydifficult,"water
funded through assessments and Sindelar saidthat'the St. Paul
general obligation bonds.
He addedA retail system also would Water Department now seems
cost the city about$30,000 a year ate"with h re willing
M:plewod than to er-
it
has in the past.
St. Paul water officials also
may be more receptive to im-
provements the consultants say
are needed in St. Paul, in order
to provide adequate service to
Maplewood,he indicated.
Sindelar also. noted that the
water board is no longer insist-
ing on Nov.1 as the critical date
for signing a new water contract.
aCouncil membere the sait current
hey 1
still want to comp
proposal for a retail sretail astem n
earlier ,plans
wholesale systems. it Murdock
Councilman Surto Paul
jither the Stlipr
Bogs 1S 1'��10)1 w61
ltiafcr i
vice for communities out be-
yond Maplewood.
if the board does require the
Ltcitities to provide such service,
Sindelar replied, "They're going
to have to come to you, get big-
ger(main)sizes and pay for it."