The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-05-21
WASTE OF THE WATER.
ONE AND A HALF MILLION GAL
Ions ESTIMATED LOST DAILY.

The water committee of council had be
fore it a few days ago Mr.. Da-
vid Douglas, president and super
intendent Of the Mutual Gas Llght
Company, who by reason OF his
training and practical experience as water
works and gas engineer, it is understood
gave the committee some valuable informa-
ton relating to operating water plants as
in the construction of gravitation and
pumping station. Mr.. Douglas has had
much practical experience.
Mr.. Douglas had entire charge for four
years of the gas and pumping station at
Aldershot, England. Aldershot is the prin.
cipal camp of the British army, and. In ad-
dition to It's then population of about %, 00O,
it was a rendezvous for from 10000 TO
10000 of the British sold1ery. Mr.. Doug
las had entire charge of the gas and water
works at Chesterfield, England, for five
years. Chesterfield had a population of
10000.
NIB. DOUGLAS VIEWS.
MORNING NEWS reporter saw Mr.
Douglas yesterday, and sought to learn from
him the character Of the information he
had given the water committee Of the city
council.
MT. OOuRlhS T5nll61 JQab ne Ql0 QOt Ieel
at liberty to disclose what took place In the
committee room, but he had no objections
to giving any information to the MORNING
NEWS connected with a subject of such
vital interest if it would be of any value to
the people.
Mr.. Douglas said that the pumping sta.
ton at Aldershot. while he was in charge,
supplied, on an average. about $4,000 peo-
pie, ana the ratio OF consumption ranged
from twenty-five to twenty-eight gallons
per head, the latter figure being the maxi
mum. THE water,n he said, twas used
quite freely The soil is very sandy, aud
tne sprinkling was more general than in
Savannah. In fact" he added, 81 consider
that very little sprinkling is done here,
comparatively speaking. The sewers were
flushed, and yet the maximum daily aver
age of water supplied to a population of
5000 people was but about 1,125, 900 gall
Ions"
TWENTY-FIVE GALLONS A PERSON.
"How was it at Chesterfieldw
AT Chesterfield, a city of 10000, the
daily average was from twenty-three TO
twenty-five gallons per head, and in wet
weather 1t ranged as low as eighteen gal
Ions 1t would be quite safe to say that the
maximum supply was but 800, 900 gallons
daily. There are extensive MANUFACTURES
there, the street sprinkling was very large
and universal, and the sewers were flushed,
the sewerage system being much more ex-
tensive and perfect than the sewerage sys-
TEN of Savannah"
"How do these figures compare with the
ratio of supply in other cities of EnglaudP'
sin England the average figure for do
nestle use per head is eighteen gallons The
supply to manufactures is registered by
meters, as IS the supply to hotels, livery
stables and all large water consumers who
are charged so much per 1000 gallons.
The street cart sprinklers are gagged and
the number of times filed are tailed. In
England the street car companies do not
have such liberal franchises of the streets.
and it is not left to them TO sprinkle their
roadways.n
How, then, do you account for the large
demand upon the water works In this city.
where the streets are not so generally
spr1nkled, and the population is less than
that of Chesterfieldp
sAvANNAH's WASTE OF WATER.
There can be no doubt as to tne princi
pal cause. 1t is waste. The wastage of
water in American cities is enormous.
Thirty gallons per head is considered amply
sufficient by the best water works engineers.
Col. w. j. VIM, in his report to the
mayor. on page IS of the mayors annual
report for 1888, shows, from Prof. Staly's
work on sewers, a standard authority, that
the average consumption of water per diem
In eleven American cities of population of
$4,000 TO 1900 Is so gallons per head. and
the average of forty-one American cities
with population of $4,000 to $4,000 is sc
gallons.
at is claimed" continued Mr.. Douglas
that the Savannah water works are sup
plying 100000 gallons daily MY opinion
Is that OF Savannah's population only about
10000 are supplied from the water works.
or about 1871 gallons per head. But say
5o,00o are consumers-that is $50 gallons
per head, and that is bad enough-is there
any reason why Savannah should run so
far ahead of the average OF other American
cities of the same sizes The waste in
American cities is enormous, and there is no
good reason why Savannah should exceed
the average.
PLENTY OF WATER PUMPED
Certainly 1850, 900 gallons daily ought to
be ample. and no undue economy would be
placed upon the people, for that would be
ninety gallons per head on a basis of so. 900
population. Yet we have the pumps and
mains worked to tho utmost tension. be-
You'd their registered capacity, with danger
of break down, if continued, and threat
eued water famine. Besides the wells, with
their capacity of e, 900, 900 gallons, are made
quate, and it is shown by Engineer John
ston's report that 20 per cent. of the supply
is being taken from the river.n
here are these wastesm
II have not examined them and of course
it would not become me to speak authorita-
lively, and attempt to locate them without
inspection
But you are asked, as an engineer famil-
lar with wastage. where should these wastea
ordinarily be looked for, and, as far as your
observation goes, where this waste is to be
met with here?"
WHERE THE WASTE IS.
II would say that waste is to be found in
badly constructed and defective appliances
throughout the city, principally in the
hopper water closets, and pan closets, and
other valve water closets. For example. q
single hopper which will run at the rate OF
two gallons per minute will flow nearly
5000 gallons daily. when it could be flushed
daily with ten to fifteen gallons. 1t is said
that there are hundreds of Just such closets
running night and day. This is not only q
willful waste of water, but it reduces The
pressure so that it affects the sup
ply on upper floors. These closets should
be abolished, and flush tank closets take
their place.
Take your pencil and make a few fig
ures," said MIR. Douglas. "You will find
that in 1865 days the running hopper closet.
which probably supplies only two or three
persons, will have required ], 095, 600 gallons
OF water which at canfs mar I 0o0 oroIIoo.