The Portland daily press., 1888-01-27
Waste of Water In Portland and the
Proposed Remedy.

To the Editor OF the Press:
Complaints about scarcity of water on the
higher levels occur in most northern cite:
during the extreme cold and extreme warm
months. The remedy is very likely to take
definite form, when the works belong to
the city. Waste of water is then realized in
increased taxation. Cities are either driven
to the great expense of increased supply or,
indirectly, to that means by stopping the
waste, which is principally accomplished by
a meter service. The tax payer Ia voter
usually whether on the high or low level
demand equal rights and some city govern
ment is very likely to listen and apply a
remedy. That meters are effective in ac-
complishing the desired result one has only
to turn to those cities where their use is
most frequent to prove. Fall River and
Providence are cities where meters are very
largely in use, and their consumption OF
water in January of 1879 was AZ and 49, gal
Ions per capita. In the same year and same
month the consumption in Boston was 10S,
in Chicago 100, and in Detroit 100. The lat
ter cities are larger but that accounts for
only small percentage Of the difference in
use as shown in the fact that Providence
and Milwaukee. alike in population in 1882,
used respectively 80 and 127 gallons per cap
tia in "a hours.
My application of these figures is this /:
Some years ago when was in the employ
of the Portland Water Company Il have not
been for several years. / measured the
amount of water that was being turned into
the main supply pipes at Sebago Lake, and
towards Portland. This was before the
completion of the work there July 81, 1880
in progress for an increased supply. We
were consuming then about 125 gallons per
capita and the completion of the works sent
along to Portland ga, 900 gallons by Mr..
Shedd's computation. On the Providence
basis this is supply for over 100000 people.
But we in Portland seem to be able to take
care OF that amount very easily and ask for
a great deal more. How lido we do it?
1t is easily accomplished by inconsiderate
waste.
The city of Portland is built upon limited
area and l think it will be found that the use
of water closets is more general than in any
city of its population. On the elevation of
near the Post Office, found that water
closet valve left partly open would discharge
over 1000 gallons in "a hours. l have seen
water closets in freezing places on CONNER
cial street where the pressure IL from a
head 20 feet more than at my ONCE, that must
in "a hours. To leave the water running to
prevent freezing is the method generally
pursued, and the householder that does not
do it belongs to the small minority, Munjoy
and Bramhall hill householders do not do 1t
simply because a very large proportion Of
the seven or eight thousand taps on levels
below them are running To Illustrate how
systematic the waste is can cite an agent OF
a large tenement interest who recently show
ed me his method Of notching the washer to
faucet to make 1t impossible for careless
person to shut off the water.
The only remedy for the suffering on the
high levels exists in the consideration and
fairness of those on the lower levels, which
may be practiced in majority of cases as
is no trouble from freezing whatever, shut
off the water each night at the cellar wall,
because, it is very unusual to find a water
closet valve or ball-cock valve to cistern
that has been in use few months but what
leaks. In my own house where the water
distribution system freezes at the temper
AZURE of 4 above zero do as follows: l
cut off the water at the cellar wall; then
open the lowest and highest faucet and aid
this process OF draining the pipes by blowing
strongly into the highest faucet. This drives
along any water remaining in the says that
have grown or that were left by careless
plumbers. So much for the cold water sys-
TEN. For the hot system close the valve in
the supply tank and open the faucet at the
kitchen sink, (but never the lowest one at
the stove,) and then blow through one of the
open faucetssfor reasons above cited.
The water will remain in both the supply
tank and hot water tank and only the pipes,
leading from the latter to various fixtures,
will be emptied. A moderate fire. kept In
the cooking stove will serve to keep the
direct line from the stove to thehot water tank
from freezing while the more remote lines
without the above precautions will freeze.
The programme can be carried out in few
minutes, and it is only just and fair that 1t
should be.
Another season, If | understand the re-
they intend to supply the downtown part OF
the city from the two reservoirs (the one on
Munjoy yet to be built and the higher parts
of the city from the direct pressure from
Sebago Lake. After this is done, which Is