The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-08-29

SANTA BARBARA, CAL, Aug. "a
Santa Barbara's water problem, so long
distressing TO this city by the sea, is now
approaching solution that promises to
be municipal ownership and condemna-
ton of large part of the present made
quate supply.
The municipality is attempting by tun-
ueIing far into the neigh boring mountain
range to obtain enough water for the
sprin king of streets and the flushing OF
sewers. intending thereby to save an an
nuaI expense of about $4,000. The expert
ment is already successful beyond its
primary object There is a strong con-
tinuous flow of water. and its possibilities
are increasing with the length of the tun-
mel. As business enterprise it is sue
cess; as a remedy for water tin ted COM
munity it is encouraging.
There are two obstacles preventing the
present use of this water, which is con-
tlnuously running 10 waste about four
miles from the city. One is an unfortun-
ate but legally advisable delay in securing
money on bonds voted for the pipe sys-
tenn. The other is a silent but discover
able counter influence exerted by the
water company, which has long enjoyed
a monopoly without being able fully to
satisfy the daily needs of the community.
This influence could be assoc ated with
the delay in the sale OF the bonds amp
directly with the attitude of the repre-
sentative local journal.
The population of Santa Barbara is
5000 or a little over. The city occupies
considerable area upon beautifully stu
ated inclined plane, sloping gently Tor
two miles, with natural drainage to the
ocean. Spacious front yards with gardens
or Iawns are the rule. Their irrigation is
a necessity, especially during the long
rainless season. Only the main street and
the seaside boulevard are paved. All
other streets are of natural earth, uni
formIy graded, and they require daily
sprinkling in summer
Private wells are not numerous, and
most of them, except a few newer and
deeper ones bored in the higher part of
the town, would show objectio1aol in
dications of surface drainage. Several
have in recent years been condemned.
The present water supply comes from
three sources-mountain streams, city
wells and the ocean. An elevated reser-
voir fed by Mission Creek and it's tribu-
tary, Rattlesnake Canyon, exhausts its
daily accumulated volume in six hours
flow into the city mains. Then, from
large caisson surrounding several flowing
wells in low part of the city water, as
long as the supply warrants, is pumped
up and forced into the same mains. The
result is that during the ten or more
hours when neither system Is In opera
tioh-often in midsummer, when water Is
most needed-there IS little or none to be
had from the hydrauts in the higher part
of the town. For street-sprinkling pur-
poses sea water is daily pumped to dis
tributing tanks. a considerable saving
thus being effected by the company of its
precious supply of fresh water.
Compared with that Of other cities the
water rate is not high. But the COM
munity would hardly boast of this any
more than a town would pride itself upon
having cheap milk with only cupful Tor
q family. Private residences are supplied
with water at an estimated rate OF 20 cents
to 25 cents thousand gallons The city,
for sprinkling and other purposes, gets
water at about 10 cents thousand gal
Ions. The person who pays fixed price
a month cannot get all the water he
wants. And the man that has meter
must often pay for air that is forced
through the empty or partially empty
mains in advance of the volume of water
pumped into them from the wells.
Santa Barbara has grown up since the
establishment in 1886 OF the Franciscan
mission, which overlooks the town. For
years Mission Creek, flowing in a long,
circuitous course to the sea. and shallow.
primitive wells were the immediate water
tor limited population. AS early, how