PURCHASE RECALLED

It was a landslide vote to purchase Cape Girardeau's water system -- residents decided the issue 3-to-1 in November 1991.

Pamphlets to educate the public didn't mention much about system improvements. One line read: "The ballot choice is whether or not to approve an $11,840,000 water revenue bond issue to finance the purchase and improvement of the system. No taxes will be used."

After the issue passed, the city hired Alliance Water Resources to manage the municipal water system. Alliance Manager Tom Taggart said nobody knew in 1991 that federal regulations and rising water use would mean a much larger expenditure.

Now an engineering firm contracted by the city says it will take $43.1 million over 20 years to provide an adequate water supply for Cape Girardeans.

Even so, some who supported the purchase from Union Electric in 1991 say they feel it was a good decision.

Dudley Ruopp was a member of Citizens for City Water, a group organized to educate voters and promote purchase of the utility. He said his group was concerned that some other private buyer would purchase the system, let it deteriorate even more and then try to force the city to buy it.

"Yes, the water bill has gone up since that time, and we didn't get any big savings like we thought, but sooner or later it was inevitable that we would get stuck with the system," Ruopp said.

In four years, the water bill rate has risen 8.5 percent, compared to a 20 percent rise nationally, Tom Taggart said. He said Cape Girardeau's rates would beat those of cities with privately owned water systems.

In St. Joseph, the water system is owned by Missouri American Water. The residential consumption rate is $1.23 per 100 cubic feet for the first 1,000 cubic feet used, then the rate drops to 55 cents per 100 cubic feet. In addition, there's a $8.29 monthly meter fee.

In Cape Girardeau, the residential consumption rate is $1.48 per 100 cubic feet for the first 6,000 used, then it drops to $1.14 per 100 cubic feet. However, the monthly meter fee is $4.91.

Depending on how much water one uses, the Cape Girardeau bill may be less than one in St. Joseph. Missouri American Water wouldn't quote an average residential monthly bill for St. Joseph. An average bill in Cape Girardeau is $15, City Collector Mary Thompson said.

The city wants to keep water bills low by asking for the sales tax increase instead of a rate increase of 59 percent, Taggart said.

No matter how the city gets the money, the bottom line can't be ignored, said Dr. Peter Bergerson, who supported the system purchase in 1991.

"Nothing can be of higher priority than an adequate, safe water supply," he said. "I can't say I definitely would support a sales tax increase without reading more about it, but I am leaning that way."