An Important Water Works Decision

An Important Water Works Decision

An important decision of particular interest to water works men is that recently handed down by the Supreme Court of the State of Vermont, which reverses that of a lower court and finds for the defendant, the water department of Barre, Vt. The importance of the decision lies in the fact that it denies the right of a city or town to tax anything but the land of a water works of another municipality, when situated within the limits of the former. A second point settled by the decision is that even though part of the water of the defendant water works is sold “for mechanical purposes,” this by no means deprives the system of its character as property used for public purposes, and therefore does not affect its exemption from taxation.

It seems that part of the water system of Barre is situated in the town of Orange and heretofore the former has paid taxes for its pipe lines and “privileges” in the latter town, as well as its land tax. This the decision wipes out entirely, and the only tax collectable by Orange is that on the land; the reservoirs, aqueducts, pipe lines, apparatus, and improvements are exempt. The decision says on this point: