The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-01-22
The New Water Specifications.


admirable. They appear to aim to give
every phase of opinion on the subject an
o-pportunity-at least everyone except
that of DR.. Quimby, who opsnes that the
water is wholesome and palatable as il
is, and requires nothing but an expensive
lawsuit with other cities to make it the
Doctor and his views the Street and
Water Commissioners, apparently, take
little heed. but everybody else has a
practical chance to prove his theory the
true solution of the question by organ
izing a bid in fulfilment of it. which shall
be cheapest, safest and best.
This Board lays four sets of specifca-
tons before the world of water con-
tractors. One of these provides for a
supply by pumping pure and simple. A
second calls for a gravity supply without
any pumping whatever. A third provides
for a gravity supply as respects all terri
tory at present supplied by gravity from
Balleville, the present system of pump
ing at High Service being continued.
The fourth plan provides for the %continu-
alton OF the present works at Belle
Vile and the continued use of the Pas
sale water as found at that point, the
otherwise to a standard exactly similar
to that set up for entire new supplies.
With the last of these specifications
counted in, we should think the entire
movement should receive the conditional
approval of even Mr.. L. B. Ward, for
in case of the adoption of a filtration
plan, this broad scheme of State sup
ply would be in no way prejud:ced.
It is very hard, in reading over docu-
ments such as these, to form at once
sound estimates of their value. There
are so many involved relations to be on
sidered that only patient, plodding study
will show whether there are weak spots
or not, through which the public inter-
ests might be sacrificed. 1t is very GER
tain, however, that a hundred willing
eyes will search during the next week
or two through every paragraph and
every clause of the documents, and if
there are any flaws to find, they will be
found.
On first reading it would almost seem
to the calm outsider that the trainers of
the specifications nave stood Up so
straight that fhey lean backwards"
There are SOME features which display
unprecedented and we incline to think
unnecessary stringency. If they are per-
sistently enforced it is exceedingly doubt
full whether they will not greatly increase
the price at which water will be offered.
Here, for instance, are two provisions,
which, taken together, are practically
proh.bitive-or at least would seem to
be practically prohibitive of anything like
a low cost for metered water
Bidders must be prepared to state a
price at which a supply of water will
be furnished at the rate of twenty mill
lion gallons per day, as the minimum
vide a pumping capacity of sixty million
gallons pei day, SO that a maximum
supply of fifty million gallons per day
a be furnished.
The pumping plants, reservoirs and all
the appurtenances must be wholly within
the State of New Jersey, and must be
built so that the same can be used ex-
clus.yely for Jersey City, and the con-
tractor shall furnish no water to any
consumer of Jersey City water, or to any
other consumer except Jersey City. 49,
Here the city binds ftseff only to buy
10000. 900 gallons a 9daysi but insists that
works with a capacity of 6o,eoo, 600 a
day shall be constructedaand maintained,
and further forbidss the use of their sur
plus p~otentiality for the supply of any
other consumer. In other words, the
contractor must provide two and a half
times as much water as we will agree
to buy; we won't buy it, but he may not
sell it to anybody else. This looks like
very bad bargaining. We suppose it will
be defended on the ground of precaution.
Tnat is all right, but we shall certainly
nave 10 pay prelly wen LOT IL. II Is
moderate to say that it will raise the
price of water sold to us by measure at
least $40 a million gallons. Somewhat
akin to this is the provision for a double
line pipe, which, though a very wise pro-
vision in the abstract, is also a very
costly one, some engineers claiming
that the construction of the double pipe
would mean an increase in expense Of
fully s1,soo.ooo.
The ~tancard of purity, also, ppears
to be a somewhat alarming feature o1
the specifications. 1t is an ideal OF
theoretical standard, and seems to have
been prepared without the least refer
enceSto the state of the water as pro
vided by natur in the streams in tho
Northern part of the State. Specifica'
lions for a water supply amounting tt
a whole. river a day can hardly be place.
on the same basis as a formula fol
lemonade, or a chemists endorsement OF
q brand OF champagne. The chemist On
phystologist may lave a distinct idea Of
what rinking water should be on thu
highest hygienic plane. II he had Great
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