By Jon A. Brake

Last week the Free Press broke the story that the City of Manhattan had miss-billed Colbert Hills Golf Course for three years and that the golf course now owes the City $382,578.31.

The City put in a new six-inch water line to provide water to the course-pumping pond. A new six-inch meter was purchased and installed at that time. The new meter had six dials compared to five used by the City of Manhattan. At the time the meter readers were told to only read five of the six dials. This mis-take caused the City to start under billing with the first bill in June of 1999. This week? That is another story.

The City of Manhattan is having problems with Kansas State University and their water lines and water meters.

For several years several University water meters have not been working. The University tells the City that they do not have the money to replace the meters and they will not let City employess change out the meters.

The City has been "estimating" the bills using back water usage. Some have suggested that all the City would need to do is double the "estimate" and they would be asked to change the meters.

Other problems have occured when new water lines at KSU are installed and the City is not informed.
 

Kansas State is the largest water user in Manhattan. For the month of August Kansas State paid $139,446.20.