Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-01-11
SALT LAKE CITY'S
WATER SUPPLY.
Report of City Engineer Is the
Cause Of Much Discussion
WORK Is ORDERED STOPPED
statement by Robertson 'onie"'i""
over the Purchase Of a ripe"rli"r
To License Fortune reiiing.

~ viii cost Salt Lake city In th'
nolghborhood 81 $500 f0r preliminary
work alone on the proposed plan
FOR procuring nn adequate water
supply from Mii Crcek aud Hig Cotton
wood Il carried out This estimate was
given by city Engineer Kelsey ~ a re-
bort submitted nt last nights Council
meeting. called for IN a resolution h'
troduccd by Councilman F"rnetrom d
week ago. That the city " not in q
condition financially TO assume the %
lleation Il plainly evident. " the state
ment Of Councilman Romncy chairman
Of the finance committee. counts fof
aurht ALREADY there has BEEN cN'
pended the sum " i2sis.2' for instru-
mcnia. materials. putting In weirt'
making survcya, stream measurements,
maps. plans. pronlou. calculations, coi-
iccilng data and investigating water
rights. and The estimated cost Of cof'-
pletlng the work. ordered by che coin-
ell, means an additional outlay N s-,.gp.
In his report Mf. kclfoy says the ffnAt-
,f part VI the field work ~ already done
and the Office work h now well unuef
way.
strange 60 say the Council ordered
the city curinucr to proceed vita tn
work without first finding out what tho
probable curt would BE-. fhiiNluNl
members dii. after the survey had
commenced. 80 10 Mr. Kelsey aud nsk
for an estimate ~ the cost aud Nsto
told 10 u,luld be about li1p. AmUnR
those who took the trouble u ascertain
was Councilman FeFnHtrum. lhn ne
iircn given 10y the city cng,nrcr Aiinust
STAGGERED him and in order that tue
other members might know whore
they were az" he Introduced rcaniu-
ton which requested o report from Mr'
Kelsey. % the cost a. date and The CO.
tluatcl cost OF cumpirtiit tnf WORK
In his report AIR. kelsey said.
AT the lime this work was orieNd
the city Council ala not ark Tor nu Ca
Innate " the cost. but individual i1ciI.
bern 81 the Council who ala ask Wufo
told that the probable cost wuiid D.
ABOUT 1900. this amount " not ,scea-
fivr for the wurk necessary TO h. d"ne.
''srhe past recommendations ~ no
city engineers have boon ignored and
their requests for authority a. mako
surveys and stream fncarufrinsnta
have been denied, 20 that II was negoH-
nary before reporting 20 socufc data
which should have been obtained AMI
placed on record in tho city engineers
Office, where u properly hUlnnrf. und
make surveys which should have been
made years ago. There were mn r"fof1la
OF tho location. grade OF capacity of
the canal from Utah Lake. or u the
volume Of water that has nren doiiy-
ervd through u. and a complete rr'nur-
vsy 81 this canal was ncCerHnry. ihc
city ordlnanccr make II the duty ~ the
ofiicer who has charge ~ the vity irii-
Rntion system 10 Keep a full and COM
piete record ~ the city'n water fighia
aud the location. size, capacity II the
waterways and measurements and %.
vision OF the water o. which the city /,
entitled; yet there arr no records u
these matters In that department ana
the city'p rights are lnfnngod upon
with impnnity.
'"rhe work IL not yet far enough adj
vancei 10 make an estimate and have
made nb estimate OF the cost ~ pros
curing nm adequate supply 81 water by
one " the proposed plans which ! was
Instructed 20 Investigate. but Including
the necessary changes In tho digtiibu.
tive system which win have 10 be- male
In the near future, II viii approximate
500, 900, and an expenditure ~ one per
cent of this amount IN securing the
data necessary Tor a thoruuEh undDr.
standing ~ the water question a. cor,
tainly a reasonable ono. BEFORE droid.
ing on any plan Tor Increasing the
water supply, the city should secure 90
Of the information % b. obtained nnl
Investigate other sources " supply"
DISCUSSION FoLLowa.s
A. the conclusion Of the reading of
the report Dlehi moved that Il be- re-
fcrrcd 90 the committee on watcrworkn.
Much debate followed.
llumnoy said the city engineer had
already gone too Ear in expanding IN,
cityH monty, and thought tho work
should be- stopped NJ once
fcrnHium expressed surprise, too.
ana severely condemned spending bir.
rowcd money
cRlllutcr favored limiting tho exnen-
diturcs 10 some definite auuunt and
suggested that the watorworhn commit.
tee report at the next meeting.
Howe said the work should pc stopped
at once.
Patrick expressed similar views.
Robertson favored guluF IN With tho
work ana said the city would uthrai b.
derive considerable revenue In water
rates. llo Regarded ID as u nrcenslty
ana ~ necessity was the mother nf in.
Nention there was an excellent oprnr-
tunliy for the city e. invrn, "a water
scheme and proceed with A.
Robertson said from % prepared ftat..
meni giving In detail the amount *.
pended by the water commission of is,p.
lie contended that n IA. necessary ,itta
had been kept much ~ the present ~,
pensc would have been saved. Tho
statement IL oa follows;
Amount expended for salaries
surveys, experimenting. aluk-
lsta I'd
Balance paid in 1900 '....... ..' sei. 80
AhNAi sfffs ssssss ssssss .sssstli $50 o.
Water from drive wells not utliil,I
except small part Of II Tor irrigation.
Recommendation not carried ana.
Recommended that tho canal frpm
uthh lake be- lined with stone masonry
90 a cost OF $4,000 per mine
Expense on Jordan canal In
lss9 sssss 5000 sss.. .....,. 81. 9Qt. OF
Amount expended by tho
Mntermnster sinking wells In
Utah county M 1883 ..........S $3.50 "a
Could not utlligc tho water AZ.
ter sinking the wells The
city was sued by Alfred On
account " the wells draining
NJ springs judgment paid In
'''" go" '''''' ''''s' '''',ss, a.uAd,Ol
To,ot -.
-. t"tni ss's s..' .'s',s. ,.,.,.sfll,tib 20
HNgANatlns Thirteenth East
street reservoir ...,.. ,........sl3,7S3. IS
Reservoir not completed or used.
The amount expended on tho above
lhNeblHullon, surveys ana experimental
M9rk IA laA9 was gi0.il3dG. aud the wor.
uiu nor iehult IN any increase OF the
olty's available water supplv
Amount expended hy expert vater
conmitilon OF 1850 Tor surveys ana sal.
aries paid ~ J. Mack and e. l.. steven.
son, a,GN22i
investigations confined 10 the strenma
near ihe city, No final report mnde