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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1975 06-03 Maplewood told it must decide soon on water system DISPATCH rviu ieWOOa fibIa ~ITTMUST-Cfearier' Maplewood must decide a soon formed th water board that it retail system is best for Maple- what kind of water system it prefers to stay with a "retail" wood citizens. wants, St. Paul water officials system,under which the St. Paul "We're working as hard as we said last week. water department bills Maple- can to resolve the problem and IN A MEETING between the wood residents directly. come to an answer,"he said. Maplewood City Council and an The council also voted to re- Until the council commits it- ad hoc committee of the St. Paul study the possibility of a well self to the required capital im- Water Board, board members system. provements i n Maplewood, said they must have a decision The water board's general though, "I don't know i f we're in order to proceed with capital manager, Elmer Husett, said he committed to anything," Bruton improvements. detected an implication in, talk- said. The council earlier this year ing with the council last week Members of the water board reaffirmed its commitment to a that Maplewood might be con- committee indicated they are to "wholesale" or "master meter" idering a wholesale system discuss Maplewcod's concerns system, under which Maple- again,and that"scares"him. wood would buy water from St. The water board alreadyover matters such as the ratean may ferential between St. Pauulland Paul and sell it to Maplewood have "burned some bridges" Maplewood residents, but de- residents. with regard to capital improve- nied responsibility for water HOWEVER the council then ments,he said. pressure problems within Ma- rejected the capital improve- MAYOR ROBERT BRUTON plewood. ments necessary to implement however, said the majority of They also said the rate struc- the wholesale system and in- the city council now believes a ture provided in Maplewood's bcw17 on -warner s srern --- - ____-_ present water contract, which water system and has stood be- Mall area that the water board dates back to 1962, must be re- hind all bonds for capital im- would take care of under a retail wised. provements. system, he said. The board also COMMITTEE member Mimi Committee member Phillip wouldrovide additional trans- Sands pointed out that 3M Co., Thompson said the board has mission lines in the 3M area or which uses 60 per cent of Ma- "never not had the pressure that plewood's water, actually pays a (the contract)calls for." make other arrangements with lower rate than St. Paul resi- THE WATER board has the 3M for use of water,he said. dents. .responsibility to deliver ade- In response to'another concern However, she said she is con- quate quantities of water at the of the council, the committee cerned about the different rates city limits, but Maplewood has and a board attorney said the charged residents of the two cit- the responsibility to provide ad- board would have to seek statu- ies and also about the differen- • equate facilities within the•city tory authority in order to con- tial between residential and in- to supply needed pressures,Hu- struct water facilities for the sole dustriwl rates. sett said. benefit of Maplewood. Political Committee members noted There are deficiencies in the considerationsw o u 1 d weigh that St. Paul bought the original water supply to the Maplewood against doing so,they said.