The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-07-31
THE crry,s SUPPLY OF WATER.


thu purity and salubrity of the city's water
wa are now confronted with situation ID
rao.rd 10 the supply Of water which .soso-
,u.oIv d.rauds action at the hands OF the
c,,v Council. We must have enough water
vbotber IL be pure or impure. We have
snant about SO .OCO, 900 in making provisions
for an abundant water supply and still COM
rls;nts come of want Of water. An e1ieency
ia mon us and we must meet 1t.
The petition signed by many citizens Oh
Madison ward asking for better supply OF
water at their residences was considered
and discussed by the COMMITTEES on water
at their regular meeting held on the zStn
inst This request was most reasonable ana
only a repetition of similar one
presented about year ago, at which
time the committee aided by the
Sunerintendent Of Water. made most
careful and laborious investigation OF the
causes of the decreased pressure and scant
supply of water. and became satisfied that
the deficiency came from daily waste OF wa
ter and not from any lack OF supply or IN
sufficienoy of pumping machinery ana
mains. 1t was clearly shown to them that
our supply 10 enough if reasonably useo LOT
q CITY three times as large as Richmond
and IL was clearly shown TO them that the
citizens of Richmond are every day wasting
and uselessly throwing away twe-thirds OF
the water that is daily taken from the
reservoir. The committee, at its session IN
October. 1891, came TO its conclusions ana
submitted 10 the Council report setting
forth this state Of facts and they recon-
mended an ordinance for the general INTRO
duotion of meters upon all services as the
means, and the only means, OF preventing
this useless waste of water. This recon-
mendation was made. not by way Of expert
ment bat il was based upon the experience
Of many other cities which have shown the
excellent results derived from the water
system, and that experience had shown that
the good results we're due to the meter
systems and to it alone.
1t was shown 10 the committee as the re-
suit of actual trial in this city with meters
that whenever the water fixtures were Kept
in good condition and there was no useless
waste. that the water bill of the consumer
was much less than that which he had to
nav under ordinance rates, and that the tax
upon the water taker was really less with
the water meter than without it. The City
Council will have this matter before them
on Monday week. If they adopt the COM
mittee's recommendation and provide Tor
the general introduction ofmeters, our pres
ent supply of water will be abundant for the
| CITY. But it was also shown TO them that II
| the meter system is not adopted 1t Is
| absolutely necessary that it shall provide
| for a larger supply of water by add
| ing 10 the capacity of the pumps
and by laying larger mains, and 1t IS esti-
mated that these will certainly cost 100000
and be liable to be increased by the same
| Influences which have made the City Hall
| cost a million and a half. On the other
hand it was shown that the city can be
metered for about $500 900 land ssthe meters
are purchased at fixed price there is no
| danger of rise here and that the annual
rent charged for the meter would pay the
interest on their cost and lay aside a sinking
fund for repair and renewal of meters.
Another year has passed since the Water
Committee investigated this defect and an
| nouneed their conclusions, and that year
| has only added demonstrations to what was
already evident then. that one Of two things
must be done. The Council must either
adopt the Water Commuters recommended
tions md requires general use of meters or 1t
| must make the required appropriation and
| supply the people with water. Their de-
rnand for it is just. and they must be sup
/ piled. and we see no reason why it should
not be measured out to them as gas and cleo
tricity are, each one to pay for what be uses
at very cheap rates.
! The reports Of the Superintendent of
| Water show that three times as much water
| is daily delivered to the people OF Rich
| mond as they can possibly consume or use
| in any beneficial way, and that we are every
day throwing away nine or ten millions of
gallons. This is simply absurd. The meter
system is IN part operation in some cities
and ia whole operation in others. We give
the experience of five
| Dayton. Ohio partly metered, daily
| consumption per capita.......... 81 Gals.
| New Bedford Mass, partly metered, .
daily consumption per caplta...... 92
| Manchester. n. II partly metered, .
daily consumption per capita -;.. As
| Montreal. Can. partly metered, dai-
" consumption per capita. ...:... 547
| Atlanta, Ga. wholly metered. daily
consumption per capita.............,. 80
| Richmond. without meters, daily
consumption per capita
These facts need no comment We are
wasting enough water to supply two other
cities like Richmond.