The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-08-07
KICKING ON THE METERS.
Water Consumers Claim They Are
Overcharged for water.

Some OF the residents on CASTOR street
are kicking about their bills. July was
the drst month that water consumers
were charged according 10 the showing
Of the meters which have been attached
10 their houses. The bills we're sent out
on Aug. /.
II Will be remembered that CASTOR
street IS the only street which has been
entirely supplied with water meters.
though there are a number Of meters
scattered throughout the city. most OF
these having been placed az the request
Of the house owners. In an there are
now about 80 meters Ia use ia the city,
a small percentage OF the several thous-
ana water rate payers. There was gem
eral impression when the meters were put
In that the cost Of water would be mucn
smaller under the meter system than
under the Old arbitrary rate. IL seems
that this Is not the case. OF the 80 bills
sent out by the department on the first
or the month, many were smaller than
had been the case with the old rate. the
majority averaged about the same as
formerly, while few were very much
higher.
Some OF those who come in the latter
class are very much inclined TO think that
the meters have not told the truth, and
that they could not have used the amount
Of water charged up to them. Among the
number are Capt. o. NJ. Garter. Mr.. +. +.
johnson and several others Capt. Car
ter's bill is 5000 for last month, as against
SIC for the year under the old system,
while Mr. Johnsons bill IS Sll.H as against
S43 for the year under the old rate. Nat
urally these gentlemen think they have
been charged too much. Another gentle
man who studied his bill. found that ne
was charged with using 4l2 gallons of wa
ter a day. As ne only has a small family
he Is at loss to know how they could have
consumed so much water.
Supt Lotion was asked for a statement
on the meter question.
The meters have been given a thorough
test and found to be correct" said he. Il
have not the least doubt that the read
ings are correct II the meters show that
so much water has passed through them
the reading is correct. That is all there
IS to II. It was to be expected that some
Of the bills would be much larger than
others, for the simple reason that some
houses use a great deal more water than
others. Some of the houses on CASTOR
street have the old pan closets which use
much larger quantity Of water than the
flush tank closets A great many of these
closets are left running all night for san
itary reasons and very few people have
any idea how much water can be used In
this manner until an actual measurement
Is taken. Another common source of waste
is street sprinkling. Many OF the houses
on CASTOR street have street sprinklers
attached, and at some of these houses
water Is used very laVishIy for this MIR
kle a yard and sidewalk very nicely but
" this work is left entirely to servants
there Is likely to be a very lavish use of
water. i have noticed several instances
OF this myself. An investigation will
probably show that there are leaking
pipes attached to some of. these houses
II so the loss must be borne by the house
owner. The meter cannot be expected to
know the difference. 1t is the most natur-
al thing in the world that some bills should
be much larger than others. The result
OF the meter system Is that those who use
the water pay for II. j have no doubt that
che meter bills for next month will be
much smaller. When the consumers finds
that the meters keep a reliable record and
that economy can be exercised In water
as well as in other things the lavish use
OF water viii cease. The main object in
Introducing the meter system here was to
put stop to the waste of water and l
think II will accomplish that purpose"
Or. Falligant, to whom the subject was
mentioned, said that the old pan closets
are a fruitful source of waste MANY
people" he said. leave the water run
ming under the impression that this is a
sanitary course. 1t is nothing Of the kind.
There is only one thing to do with a pan
closet and that is to get rid of it,