Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-12-22
WASTED HLTER.
WHAT BECOMES OF THE ENORMOUS
QUANTITY PUMPED
A Matter That Demands Thorouch In.
vestigation-Water Running While
the City LIS Asleep.

In conversation with a RECORD UNION
reporter recently, the night engineer of the
City Waterworks complained of the diff
Guilty he found in keeping the tank filed.
On the night in question, he said the en-.
CINE and pumps had been running at al.
most their full capacity for several hours,
and-although nine-tenths of the people
were in their beds-the 2 500 gallons then
being pumped per hour failed to keep up
the supply in the tank.
There is terrible loss or waste of water
somewhere of late,' said the engineer, land
we can't find out where it is. There are
no bursted mains, or we would soon dis
cover them. 1t is a mystery to US in the
Waterworks building what becomes of the
enormous quantity of water pumped at
night when the city is asleep. The only
places open are the saloons, and their pat
IONS are not expected to do much water
drinking"
Chief Engineer Judd states that there 10
more water pumped in this city, in pro.
portion to its population, than in any city
IN the world, amounting during the sum-
mer months to an average of 156 gallons
per day for each resident.
In recent report published in New
York, according to the Commercial Adyer
tiser, appeared table giving in gallons and
hundredths of gallon the discharge of
water per minute through various sizes of
orifices at different heads Rough calcu.
latlons were also made showing the I'M
mense quantities of water which escape in
the small streams sometimes allowed to
fc IN or1lI ~
vent freezing. 1t was also shown that a
stream the size of pin running one year
with head of $50, will flow 1862 gallons,
at a loss, counting at the rate of ten
cents per 600 gallons, of Sill 81.
Now that the authorities of Sacramento
are considering the matter of increasing
the wster supply of the city, would it not
be well for them, before subiecting the tax
payers to the heavy expense that would be
entailed by the purchase of additional
costly machinery. TO thoroughly inyes,i-
gate the subject and ascertain wherein lies
the secret OF the enormous waste of water
throughout this community?
Ifa stream the size of pin. flowing
under heavy pressure, will waste lis, 632
gallons of water during the year, what
must be the quantity wasted through the
scores OF three-quarter-inch pipes that are
known to be left running much of the
time throughout this city?
There are said to be livery stables and
other establishments here that keep streams
of water running the greater portion of the
twenty four hours, at all seasons of the
year; and during the midsummer months
garden hose in the residence portion are in
hundreds of instances permitted 10 run all
night.
Surely there should be some means of
officially determining the facts concerning
this matter, and once ascertained there
should be some method devised for cor
recting the evil. The experts who recently
inspected the water pumping machinery of
this city reported that it was not equal to
the demand upon it. This is no doubt
true, nor would the plant, if fully dupli.
Gated, be capable of supply ing all the water
that it would be possible to waste, if the
people were to redouble their efforts in that
direction.
There can be no effect without cause;
and IT the people of this city are disposing
OF so m ueh more water than those of any
other community, there should be thor
ough Investigation of the subject to deter
mine just what the actual needs of the city
are, and whether or not any additional
machinery is really necessary. There
should be water supply fully equal to The
legitimate demand, and this demand should
be computed on liberal basis; but there
should be no unnecessary burden heaped
upon the taxpayers.
Ordinary business prudence should
prompt this course, and when business
principles are not observed in the matter of
municipal expenditures, then there is
something wrong, and the people become
the sufferers