Arizona weekly journal-miner., 1896-02-19
WATER COMMITTEES REPORT.
sometaiBE CT Interest to All Taxpayers of tue CIty-Condition of
 Oar WI atsr system.


 of tue CIty-Conditioa of
 Oar Water system.
 The following is the report of the water committee submitted at the last meeting Of the city council: To Inc Honorable, the Mayor and Common
 Council of the City ot Prescott:
 GENrLEMEN:-Your water commit tee begs leave to submit the follow ing report for the year 1895.
 The state of our water system IS in a deplorable condition, in fact could not be much worse. A large part of the mains, by reason of their having been in use since the con
 struction of the water works system,
 are sadly in need of replacing, In addition to the proper repair oI old
 mains, the increasing growth ot our city. calls for the extension of the
 system, for the purpose of granting ! to the owners of property in dis | tricts. not afording same, adequate
 and proper fire protection, such pro
 tee ion. at any rate, as enjoyed by
 other property owners.
 At the present. however, there
 does not seem 10 appear any means
 at hand, within the reach of either
 your committee, or for that matter
 of this council. to remedy these ne-
 cessities. The bonded indebtedness
 of the city IS at present about eight
 per cent of the taxable property
 and to place the water works m 8
 condition which residents are en-
 titled, would require an expenditure | Of large sums of money, and increase
 the debt by at least one-half, mak-
 ing it say l2 per cent of the present.
 valuation of the property subject to
 taxation.
 The trouble is not alone from the
 scarcity of water in the summer months, but during the winter months, when we have an abundance of water, the people do not pur' chase. If by a proper ordinance, we could compel the purchase of all the water which could be supplied when it is abundant we might pos sibly make the water works Self-sus'
 taining. By an examination of the report - of the finance committee 1t will be
 seen that the total income Tor watel . rents for the year 1895 was S2,5l3.2l l and the expenses were S2,976.5O, deficit of $i63.29. = Should the needed repairs have . been made this deficit would have | been increased bv at least S6,5OO. It was thought by your committe' '' that a solution of the water prob ,, lem had been reached, when tn Il council leased the plant. and that s good, sufficient and proper suppl. !; of water would be secured and . proper protection against fire guaI 5. anteed.
 $ As shown from the records of tn E. city the water problem has eve T vexed all who have been brought ! n contact with it, and has been tn Is greatest source of expense to tn |; city from the time of its constru' 'i ton.
 s. The ablest of the business men 'h the city have at one time or anoth' ie given their attention to remedyln le the evil, but unfortunately nor Ih have succeeded in doing so. n, At the urgent request of some II! tn, business men of the city the We IT. now in use was sunk to a great' s- depth at a cost of $l ,442.50 (b' 'n which has not been paid) with se appreciable benefit, except that pc u haps of satisfying the persons 'l- whose request the work was don r- that the water was not there, neIth ..y was the drill found. nc In the event of the lease ot q Se water system being set aside 1t W en be necessaiy that the repairs spok' ys of to the mains be made, and 1t d. just as necessary that a duphca 'Ie pumping plant should be purchase ny for the reason that in the event n1 any accident to the present Pla ul there is no means of supplying t !. reservoir.
 at- The water works have been ( ng pensiye enough to the tax pave ge to have secured an ample supp ne but notwithstanding that fact, 1t se still true that the proper supply ah not secured, and our water system ih- a perpetual monument to the wa' ne of the money of the taxpayers. an Respectfully submitted, ei- FRANk F.. Andrews, ed; Chairman Water Committee