The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-06-02
WATER WORKS MEN LAUGHED.
WHEN THEY HEARD SAVANNAH
PEOPLE LET THE PIPES IN
THEIR HOUSES FREEZE.


Each House Would Have saved All
the Damage-Superinten LOf-
ton Brings Back "A Lot of Valuable
Information About Water Works
From the Atlanta CORvention-Ad-
vised To Introduce the Meter Sys-
tenn in Savannah at Once-AtInnta
Uses Only "A Little More Than Half
as Much Water ns savunnah-The
Convention Surprised at SaVan-
nah's Fine Water supply and the
Manner in which IL Is wasted.
Supt. II. N Lotion OF the water works
department returned yesterday from At
lanta, where he attended the convention
Of the American Water Works Associa-
ton last week. He was much pleased with
MS trip. Many experts were present and
a number Of subjects Of special interest
10 Savannah were discussed.
supt. Lotion took especial pains to post
himself on these subjects and has brought
back with him some ideas for the improve
mcnt Of the water department which will
prove valuable If adopted by the city. Some
or these are so evidently of value that il
is hardly TO be doubted that they will be
adopted.
The convention was a successful one
IN every particular" ssid Mr.. Lotion. I'VE
were royalty entertained by the Atlanta
people. There were many important sub
Jects discussed at the convention and
many improved water works appliances
were exhibited. Among these was a ma
chine for making any size or kind of con-
nectlon OF water mains up to forty-twO
inches without shutting off the water The
connection can be made in less time and
at less cost with this machine than by our
present system and the convenience to
consumers IS very great, when it is con-
sidered that it is not necessary to deprive
the consumers of water while the connec-
ton is being made is the case now.
"One Of the most important things that l
learned at the convention was that it is a
very simple matter to prevent the freez-
ing of water pipes in houses which caused
us so much trouble during the cold spells
last winter. Actually the older members of
the convention laughed at me when l spoke
to them on the subject. They had heard Of
our trouble, but supposed it was from the
freezing of the mains and not the pipes.
They Informed me that in most cities il is
compulsory TO put in stop and waste cocks,
so called because they stop the flow of wa
ter into the pipes and waste off the water
already in the pipes. These stop and waste
NONfA9 al = very SlIuple GOnlElNduCeS ana
can be bought for 30 cents apiece. 1t costs
about 81 to put them in. 1t is evidently to
the interest of every house owner in the
city to put stop and waste cocks with
out being compelled to do so by the city,
as they are thereby saved the expense of
repairing bursted pipes. I shall recon-
mend, however, that II be made compul-
sorry"
1.-The members of the association were
surprised when l told them that we were
using 100000 gallons and over of water a
day. They said that we were blessed in
having such a large supply of pure water,
but that we were wasting ii and going to
an unnecessary expense to pump such a
quantity when cities twice the size of Sa-
vannah are using only half as much. At
lanta, for example, which claims over lOO.-
900 inhabitants uses only 4,500,0 900 gallons
daily as against our 100000 gallons for less
! than 10000 people. Montgomery. Ala. with
A,OO inhabitants consumes only $500, 900
gallons daily. l could give you any num-
Der of instances on the same line. All these
cities where the water supply is econom-
ically distributed have the meter system.
In some cities the consumers are compelled
to put in the meters, in others the meters
are put in by the city and a small rent
charged. All these cities had the same
trouble with the waste of water until the
| meter system was adopted. Meters cost
osoV tdCils buA lAlb pluinDliS CnaIBtS DilnE
the cost up to about $50. It
| was conclusively proven at the convention
that meters are not only better for the
water works, but also better for the con-
sumers Many of them told me that when
they commenced to put in meters the con-
sumers kicked, but after trying them they
would not have them taken out. The gem
eral plan adopted in regard to meters by
most water works, 1 found was to com
mence at the larger consumers and grad
ually down to small ones. BY reducing the
| amount of water used, the cost of furnish
ing it will be greatly reduced, and the con-
sumers benefited by obtaining their water
at less rates"
did the convention take up the subject
of electrolysis?" Mr.. Lotion was asked
1T has had that subject under consid-
| GRAFTON for some time was the reply. "A
| committee of experts has the matter in
| charge and has number of pipes under
| observation all the time. 1t is a most in
| teresting subject as well as a most difficult
! problem for the water works people to
! contend with. Electrolysis is going great
! deal of damage to the mains in many
| cities The chairman of that committee
| Mr.. G. H. BenZenberg of Milwaukee, Wis
who is one of the best posted water works
| men in the United States, reported that
! in his city their pipes had been badly
! damaged by it. Mr.. Dabney H. Maury of
/ condition in Peoria, Ill. The best plan
! adopted so far TO prevent running of the
| pipes is, according to the experience of the
! committee, to have the rails well banded
with not less than O000 wire. In fact. the
! only safe plan is to conduct the current
| back to the station, and this can only be
| accomplished by thorough banding"
I'VE have a great advantage in our
water supply" said Supt. Lotion in con-
| clusion. Atlanta secures her water sun
| ply from the river about eight miles
away. In order to get it to the city it IS
first necessary to pump it from the river
| into reservoir and then pump it again
from the reservoir to the city In order
| to get fifty to sixty pounds pressure in
the city it is necessary to have 10 pounds
| pressure at the pumping station. At
lanta burns sixteen tons of coal daily IN
pump 4500,0O0 gallons of water. We use
four and one-half to five tons to pumn
! 100000 gallons daily: If our CONSUMPTION
of water was in the same proportion MS
Atlanta's you can see how much the COST
| of furnishing the water to the consumer
| could be reduced
Col. L. r. Gardner SUPERINTENDENT oe