The herald., 1898-12-10
The .CITY'S ESTIMATE
WHAT THE WATER CoMPANY's
PLANT Is WORTH
AN INCREASED VALUATION
Over $4,000 Added to Engineer
Dockweiler's Figures Of Year
Ago-Reasons Therefof

The board of water arbitrators yesterday
gave out for publication the city attorneys
estimate on the water plant which was filed
at Wednesdays meeting Of the board. In
this report the city has made an estimate OF
3 ,355,S20 as the cost OF reproducing the
water companys system today. This fig
ure is $l65, 1856 more than the estimate made
by City Engineer Dockweiler over one year
ago.
At the request of the attorneys in the ar
bitration matter, City Attorney Dunn sub
nitted to the board of arbitrators the city's
testimony as to the valuation of the water
company's plant. This comprises the unan.
imous conclusions OF the board of engineers
appointed by the city, rendered by them in
the form of report, consisting chiefly OF
tabulated figures with such explanation as
has bearing on the case.
As basis of estimate the attorneys have
taken the schedule of items furnished them
by City Engineer Dockweier, supplemented
by original investigations and completed by
testimony of Mr.. Mulholland, given before
the board. Mr.. Dunn explains that as the
data was obtained from various sources
of information, it may not be entirely COM
plete nor wholly accurate, yet it is the best
available to the city.
eve consider that the proper basis for
our estimate" says the report, "Was to
determine the probable actual cost Of dupli-
eating the works exactly as'they exist today,
under the present conditions OF cost of la
Dor and material, regardless of their efficien-
cy or suitability to the present needs Of the
community or their efficiency for fire pro-
lection, and having so determined the cost,
to deduct therefrom such percentages for
depreciation as, considering the age and ap-
parent condition of the different parts of
the plant, would, in our judgment, be fair.
Upon this basis it has become necessary
to take into consideration the cost of taking
up and relayng such portions of the pave
mcnts as are underlaid by the distributing
pipes, and services. Basing our estimates
on the value of the plant on present condf-
tions, which we maintain is the only tangible
basis, the company is clearly entitled to
credit for the cost of removing and restoring
pavements wherever the pipes are laid under
the paved streets, and we have therefore
made our estimate on pavement work in ac-
cordance with this idea"
| In making the estimate every class of
work in which material and labor combine
to constitute structure, the city has made
an analysis of present cost of each class of
such construction. In the matter of cost
of pipe laid particularly, as well as all other
constructions, each engineer has contribut-
ed his own experience and notes in such
work, and these results are amply corrobo-
ia ted by the records and notes of other en-
gineers.
at has been a matter of debate between
u.s." the report continues, "as to whether,
in addition to the usual augmentation of 10
per cent to estimates OF this character to
cover engineering, superintendence and CON
tingencies, we should not also add per
centage for contractors profits, as most
of the work, if reconstructed, would be done
by contract, and to cover the interest on the
capital necessarily employed and unproduc
tive during the assumed period of construc-
ton. After due deliberation it is our firm
conviction that further six per cent should
also be added, and that accordingly fair
estimate of actual cost of reproducing the
entire plant as it is, covering all unseen, or
unscheduled items that constituted it,
would be represented by addition Of l6 per
cent to the various estimates"
These estimates are as follows:
Power ditch, $57, $685. main conduit from
diversion of Bellevue main conduit, city
boundary to main conduit; city boundary
line to Buena Vista reservoir, $44 ,494; Buena
Vista reservoir, $4,000; Beaudry reservoir,
$24 200; Angelina Heights reservoir, $6625;
Hazard reservoir, $3905; Buena Vista pump
ing station, pump house, oil tunnel, Pelton
wheel house, and machinery and valves,
S2J,37l; Beaudry pumping station, $40, 0,642;
East Side Springs pumping station, $4325.
Distributing system-Special castings for
cast-iron pipe, used with standard No. 3
and screw pipe, and used with cement
lined pipe, $7ll4; cast-iron pipe, .$255, ,24S:
lead in cast-iron pipe, laying, $l9,650; rivet- |
ed steel pipe, $7S,S7l standard screw pipe, !
$92, All; cement-lined pipe, $50S5; laying |
cast-iron pipe, $97, 1856; laying steel-riveted
pipe, $20,719; laying standard screw pipe, !
$55, l45; laying cement-lined pipe, SPOTS; ad-
ditional cost, pipe laying, because Of pave
ments, $63,O03 stopcocks and gate Alves, |
$lS567; gate boxes and covers, $3.50; SER
vices, including those under pavements, |
1854, ,3O6; meters in place, $S025; hydrants, |
including those set in pavements, $22,9SS;
cost of tunnels in distributing system, $265S; |
total, sl,l6S,Sll.
Add ten per cent for engineering super
NISlOH anu SoHtiHSCLCiCS, YllO,CCl, dllu
six per cent for contractors profits and in
terest on capital during construction, $7O,-
1928; total, sl,355,S20
In the matter of the duplication of the
pipe system the attorneys explain that they
are as yet unprepared to testify. eve are
engaged in physical examination of the
pipes" says the report, (which is still in.
Some 200 places have been des.
ignated for exhumation of the pipes, cover
ing the entire systematic way, which is in
tended to be fairly representative of the
whole. The selection of these points has
been made on series of concentric circles,
centering at the intersection of Third and
Main streets, the points of these circles
being taken as nearly equidistant as posi-
bic, with due regard to the different diam
eters and classes of pipe. A large percent.
age of the pipes so examined are to be cut
out and subjected to further tests. About
one-half of the places so designated for ex-
have been examined to date. I'm
til this work is competed, and tests of the
deterioration Of the pipes taken out have
been made, we will be unprepared to form
a Judgment as to the amount of depreciation
which tho svet ON in uop oro1 hoe c,, ,Garod |