The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-12-19
Water Registrar

The report of Water Registrar Geo.
w Batchelder showed that 800 appH-
cations for water were received during
the year, and placed in the hands of
the water commissioner. The bills
given to the treasurer for collec-
ton amounted to 24211, for $243, Sc.
Total amount of revenue received
during the year ending Nov. 80, 1885,
was $29S, 462,14. OF this amount
$3S85.44 was from uncollected bills in
the hands of the treasurer, Nov. &c.
1898
The amount of unsolicited bills in
the hands of the treasurer, Nov. &c.
! 1899, was $7413.51.
During the year the sum of $2277.6 Sc
has been abated owing to changes
from annual rates to metered rates,
vacant tenements and adjustment Of
bills of water takers. The amount
transferred was $316141
The quantity of metered water fur
nished during the year was as follows:
Domestic purposes, 81, 362,S $50 gallons;
manufacturing purposes, SO6171, 626 gal
Ions; steam and electric railways, 49,
124,3S7 gallons; elevators 1853 715,779 gal
Ions; motors 1885, 348 gallons; schools,
30,913 S52 gallons; churches 1921, S13 gal
Ions; hotels, 12,777,3 S7 gallons; hospi-
tails. 42,746,671 gallons; stables. 6.310, 512
! gallons; laundries, 9,550,367 gallons;
| fire department houses, 2,59t,361 gal
] Ions; sewerage publication works, 49,
931 1926 gallons; stores, offices, shops,
saloons, etc. 61,525, 033 gallons; street
sprinkling, 1884, $50 gallons. Total, l.
440, 1868, 521 gallons. No revenue is re-
ceived from street sprinkling.
The number of new meters set dur
ing the year was 977, making the total
number now in use II, 235
During the year, ] Torrent. Gem,
2 Crown, 115 Desper, 141 Piston, 1862
Hersey disc and 1900 rotary meters
have been taken off for repairs Most
of these have been repaired at the de-
partment shop, and without cost to the
owner except in cases where meters
were frozen. Total cost of repairs
$6315.25. Twenty new elevators were
put in during the past year, making
the total 345.
Dwellings, persons, fixtures etc, as
sessed for water, are: Dwellings, II,
458; families, 23,S95; stores, 1913; offices,
1872; saloons, So; markets, 10; shops,
592; stables, 2283; persons using, 10,
773; sinks, 30,726; basins, 1851; baths,
: 1916; water closets, 90,134; hose, 7785;
boilers, 2405; horses, 5526; cows Oh
oxen, $50; elevators, 345; barber shops
1913; hotels, 2S; schools, IL motors, At.
Received-For assessments for water
1885, $3SS5.44; 1899 1894 576.70; accrued
interest $929927; premium on water
: bonds, 100000. Total, $271, 1914.
Xpended-Amount transferred to in
terest on water loan, SOL 1850; amount
: transferred to sinking funds per or
, der city council, $780, amount trans
ferred to water works construction
$4,000; running expenses, $43, 317.46. To
tai, $171,S1746; balance transferred tc
sinking fund (water bonds), $99,94395.
WATER RATES.
1t is my opinion that the present
schedule of charges for water should
be changed in the respect that a uni.
| form rate be charged for manufactur.
ing purposes regardless of the quantity
used. The present system places a pre-
MUM on wasting large quantities OF
water for the purpose of getting a low
er rate and smaller bill. 1t also oper-
ates against the smaller manufacture
: ers, who in many cases pay SIS pei
thousand gallons, while their larger
competitors pay only $40 per thousand
I therefore recommend that when the
financial condition of the department
will warrant, the rate for manufacture
ing purposes be made uniform at Sit
per thousand gallons, and that it be
still further reduced as soon as re-
ceipts and expenditures will allow.
REVENUE.
The revenue of the department for
1899 was 1926, 462.14 an increase over
1898 of SIG, 1851. This is the largest an
nual increase in the history of the de-
partment, the average for the last ter
years being about $S000 Part of this
increase is undoubtedly due to the dry
summer, but much of it is also due to
the improved business conditions and
the rapid growth in population
! CANVASS.
The annual canvass of water takers
fixtures, etc, is a valuable record for
the department and well worth the ex-
pense incurred in it's compilation. II
shows US an increased population in
1899 over 1898 of 4S10 and a total popu-
lation OF 1929.
! FINANCES.
The financial condition of the depart
ment would have been much better had
all the money received from the pre-
MUM on water bonds been credited to
1t. OF the premium on water bonds is
. sued in 1898, the sum of $4,000 was
voted to the school department and
$500 to the public library. AS the wa
ter department should be self-support-
ing, if possible, and as the interest and
sinking fund requirements on water
bonds are paid from the revenue, it
seems only fair that any premium re-
ceived from the sale of these bonds
should be credited to the department
to assist it in carrying it's heavy load