The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-11-12
CRY HALL, NEW ORLEANS, !
November 10, 1868.

The board met In regular session.
Present Presdept Kearny, and Messrs. Rose
Aitkens, Walker, Camp, Montgomery, Sturcken
Fisher, Morphy. Psndely, Wynne and Farrell.
The following communications were submitted
by his honor the mayor for the information of the
council, which, after being read, were ordered
printed in the published proceedings. and on mo.
tion referred to the; committee on Water Works
--s-'g OrrIcl;Csrr WATER wosks. I
Few Orleans, Nov. 10, 1858.
Hon John Conway Mayor Of New Orleans and Board Of
Aldermen and Assistsnt Aldermen Of City Council:
Genaener-By resolution of the board of com.
missiopers Of the City Water Works, Ihave the
honor to submit for your information copy Of q
report just made By the superintendent of these
works, under Q restitution OF the 10th Of Septem-
Der last am. gentlemen, very respectfully your
Obedient servant,
s. Z. PEReiy, Secretary and Treasurer.
dFFIcE CRY WATER woRxs,
New orleans, November 9. 1868.
To the Board Of Commisionsrs, City Water Works:
Gen0emen-In compliance with your resolu.
ton of the 10th of eeptember, authorizing the So.
perintendent to vsk the water works Of the cities
of the Northwest:to obtain Information, etc., I
left New Orleans o. the 9Th October, and returned
on the 2lst. Ny vieit was extended to the cities
of st. Louis, CINCINNATI and Louisville, where
many courtesies wsre extended to me by the OFF,
GERS in charge Of tleir great and important works
and every facility Vas afforded in the prosecution
of my object. The information obtained
has been varied, minute and Of great i'm
porfance. Much If this Is submitted herewith in
q tabular statement of water rates as they were
found to exist In the different cities visited or In
reports obtained from other places. Besides these
general rates, q large number of special cases
were taken from the books. particularly OF large
consumers Tin clasees), and where the rates we're
regulated by meteS These cases more than con-
firm all my previoGsly expressed opinions, based
on observation any calculation, that our large
consumers were greatly undercharged and the
small ones burdened by excessive rates. One or
two instances will clearly illustrate this point. St.
tenth more gas thJn our works. paid last year q
water rent on nlete9 of $1,000. Our Gas Works are
assessed, by guess, $500 year for water including
the supply of the osfice. In other words we are
wien in st. Louis I, Q charge is 20 cents, and the
property holder al p pays the cost Of laying the
main pipe in the streets. The largest hotel 10 St.
Louis paid for wattr last year, by meter measure.
ment, $4,000. Ours largest hotel, Of one-fourth
greater capacity, bald US $500. Similar cases
were obtained in Cincinnati and 10 lisvlle, and
the same contrast was found, the difference
being somewhat Il SO, as they charge by meter
measurement Is cents the 1000 gallons, instead of
20, as in St. Louis. ..f sell .- -t--l
In ell the large consuming establishments, such
as distilleries, breweries, sugar rehaeries and
found. Most Of these places q few years ago
were assessed much lower than now, though
never at our ruitous rates. and complaining at
their bills. based sn calculation, applied for me-
tiers. They were Supplied, and without exception,
i am assured by Inspection of thu books, the me.
tiers paid for themselves and gave largely in
creased re venues.s
81 Some dificultieS were encountered for while
in ST. Louis, wheSe the water is loaded with
earthly matter as With us, but that was soon over
come by the employment of an expert, to use and
repair the meter, Ind they are now In very gene.
raj use on all large consumers.
The great emission in our works in not keeping
maps and plats AID records of all pipe laid, and
attachments madi thereto with their fixtures,
does not exist In kpy of the works visited, nor in
any other works, q far as can be ascertained. In
st. Louis II obtainSd partially at time, but the
error was soon co3scted, and now, by the records,
any pipe or attachment, or fixture, however mi
mute, can be founs with its location, exact des-
cription with tim$ and cost of execution. With rs
these things only;sexist in the memories of some
old employ es, or .by tradition. Without the in
formation, controf over the water supply and rev.
enues is impossibp.n
In Cur organization (personnet) 1t ia found we
do not vary mater ally from the works inspected.
The same duties sare assigned the same parties.
divided nearly as furs, varying mostly In name
none of them con1idered better than our own. In
the perfecting Of our system, to secure the neces
sary records and then keep them up, some addi-
tonal Office force win be necessary, but this will
be small compares to the saving.
Our Office co,smodations are narrow and con.
tracied, compared to those in which have been
received. Works of the dimensions of ours no
where occupied luss than six fine, well ventilated
rooms. In ST. Louis, where they are making sd-
ditions TO their works, they occupy nine rooms.
Our work csnnei be properly done in the space
now occupied. aid cannot too strongly urge on
the board the necessity for change, especially
as our very busy season is close at hand. An
Office property, lar more eligible and suitable
than the one we now occupy, can be had for
less price than is charged for this by the old com
paDy.
: II this locality is purchased 1t will require 0
large expenditure to make IL suitable.
The waste of water in the cities visited Is 90
small as not - enter in their calculations.
1t is not estimated at over ten per cent. And the
proportion usedf'or public purposes, which is in.
ysriably paid fci, does not exceed this amount.
The result is, that St. Louis and Cincinnati, each,
supply near is,00D subscribers, with daily aver
sge of ,000. 900 gallons. whilst we take that much
for 1900, and the city Of Louisville supplies about
as many people IS we do, with many more manu-
factories by daily average of only $50 900 gal
Ions. The two former cities. for the same guam
tity Of water we give, receive revenue OF $780,
COO each this year. Ours may possibly reach
$l60,00f. For somewhat less than one.third,
Louisville collecys sl05 900, and yet their charges
much below ours. These results are reached by
intelligent assessment, prompt collections and
suppression of waste. D - - a---
During my stay in these cities, passing through
the streets constantly. / never saw a stream Of
water running In any gutter, yet their state of
police is far superior to ours. l did not see one
fire plug open. ,0ne hundred in q single morning
would be smsli number for rs. No person bat
the engineer Oh Ere company is permitted to
open fire plug iand the prohibition Is enforced
by heavy penssty. Officers of all these compa-
MES assured me the practice which obtains here
would render it lmpractioable for them to supply
their subscriber& and would bankrupt their COM
panes in two yebrs.
Their bills are; payable in the offc O. and Ia no
is mere thai ten days Above before the stop
cock is applied, 1t Is found to be most efficient
collector.
lneach Of the cities visited the works are pro-
tie ted from abuse or imposition by stringent Or
dinances Of the rty Council. rigidiy enforced.
AL work dong in connection with their several
systems, whethsr by private individuals or by the
regular employts, Is regulated by fixed printed
rules, which nrs made infe xible, and parties are
held to rigid sccount in making returns and re-
ports, all Of which aie made matters of record.
As the result bf these labors, submit the fol-
lowing Suggestions:
i. An entirS remodeling of our tariff of
water rates, anj as guide in that labor, q table
Is submitted wiih rates Of different cities colated
and placed In parallel columns.
=. An early application of meters to few large