The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-01-21
MAKES A GOOD SHOWING
Cost of Maintenance 20 Per Cent Less
Than In 1897.
he Recommends an Increase In the
Water Supply sat Any Cost"
Pointing Out the Gravity of the
Present Situation-Must Curtail
Reckless Waste of Water.

TIME. WnSQ the water question y CUI-
fronting the people.
Financially the report makes q good
showing for the department, the cost of
maintenance having been 20 per cent
less than during the preceding year.
The year, says the superintendent,
has been a very trying one on the de-
partment. The unusually severe frosts
OF the winter mCI,thS frOZe up some
mains and a great many service pipes,
causing much deprivation and annoy
ance TO water takers and a heavy eX-
pense to the city. The scarcity Of water
during summer furnished an object les
son in the necessity for increased sup
ply.
The total water assessment for the
year 1889 was $50, 5l6.55, of which
a-iount 1921. 80 was abated, which, TO-
gether with estimated attachments yet
TO be made on account of vacancies and
non-use of water, VIII leave the net
amount coHectibie $75, 1856, as COM
pared with S73,6i0.S0 for the year pre-
Vious.
The cost of maintenance for the year
1888 has been S16.514.69, as against $780,
6906S for the year 1897; a reduction of
$4,175.99.
The cost Of construction during the
year amounts to S4,963.J0, of which
$4,07490 was expended for new mains
and extensions made.
The system has had Sundry improve
ments added to it at an expenditure of
SS,30l.32: included in this is the cost of
332 new services, amounting to S4,62l .O5 ;
also the lowering of mains, five ny
drants and services which amounted 60
S2,299.37, and the cleaning Of the
springs. tunnels and creek in City
Greek canyon. amounting 10 $500.
The department has furnished mate
rial and performed labor for the vari-
Gus departments of the city govern
ment amounting to $1160.S9 and for in
dividuals and companies to the amount
of S621.S6
There has been expended for miscel-
laneous items S5.7S2.69, included in
which is s., 1S4.64 for thawing out frozen
mains and service pipes in the early
part of the year. The cost of running
the pumps in Emigration canyon 1884 OF
and for disconnecting and hauling away
the machinery from the pumping sta
ton SlI6.30; assessing water rates and
transcribing assessment rolls $749.6S,
and for compensation Of water detec-
tives 1888.
The department drew from the store
house in excess of purchases placed
therein, $441.73 in material.
This makes n total expenditure for
the year OF SIG. 34s.56 as against $780,
1886 for 1897, a difference of SO, 44O.
There was laid during the
year 5.04315 feet of water mains, which
increases the length OF water mains to
I2T miles There is a table appended
showing the department has on hand
material and supplies TO the value Of
81, 092.O3.
The report then treats Of the werll
done in City Creek canyon, where the
springs, tunnels and channels We're
thoroughly cleaned during the early
summer. In referring to Parley's can
yon the superintendent says during the
dry season nearly the entire supply is
diverted by farmers, who claim right to
the water. The matter OF rights should
be determined at once and placed on
record, so that the city may in the
future defend itself against further en-
croachments.
Coming to suggestions and recon-
mendatiOns, the superintendent has the
following TO say:
'~The present water supply is entire
~ inadequate TO The needs OF the city
at this time, leaving out of the ques-
ton the requirements of its future
growth. The past summer has dem
onstrated that in years when the win
ter's snowfall is light there is a meas
urable water famine in this city. If
Salt Lake city is TO grow and hold its
present proud position as the metropOi-
itan city of the inteImountain region, a
greater supply OF water is an absolute
necessity, and should be secured at any
cost. II an adequate supply cannot be
obtained from new sources, then reser-
VOirs should be constructed in which TO
store the surplus water which runs TO
waste in the spring and early summer.
The excavation for q reservoir situate
above the High Line tanks in City
Creek canyon and that on Thirteenth
East street. could be utilized TO good
advantage, and at no very great cost.
The storage these would afford would
be OF incalcuiable benefit to the system
during the hot summer months.
THE distribution OF The water in the
system is very imperfect. The mains, as
= rule, are too small, and the num-
Der CT dead ends interfere with n per-
feet circulation of the water. These
dead ends, unless constantly flushed,
form a nucleus Tor the accumulation Of
foreign and unhealthful water. render
ing the water not only unfit for domes-
tic uses. but dangerous to health and
life. All dead ends should be abolished
by connecting the mains throughout the
system. thus securing d better Circu-
lation in the pipe and q water supply
free from any suspicion OF disease
germs. Additional mains should be
placed IN eli streets where the draugkt
on the water is heavy, and where eN-
perience has demonstrated that the
present mains are inadequate TO supply
The use of water from the water
works system Tor street sprinkling is
an evil which should be reme7lied as
early as practicable. The present sup
PLY is hardly sufficient for do
mestic uses. 10 say nothing of the
great amount required for street
spginkling. The erection Of standpipes.
with connections TO the city canal on
all streets having sufficient fall, from
which . supply OF water for street
sDrinkling could be drawn. would great
" relieve the system. and enable the
city corporation TO guarantee 20 its cit
liens the supply If water for which
they are taxed. n is very detrimental
TO the system TO have the FIRE MIGRANTS
used for filing sprinkling carts The
drivers employed upon such carts are
generally Inexperienced men, who know
nothing about handling a fire hydrant
The result is that hydrants are fire.
quently broken or otherwise damaged
to the annoyance Of the department
and expense TO the city This evil can
be remedied 10 some extent by attach
ing cutoffs to eve-y hydrant used for
filling sprinkling carts.
while it is freely admitted that in
dry seasons the supply CT water is in
sufficient TO satisfy die demand still it
cannot be denied that an immense
amount Of water is wasted thrc~gh
reckless use, by the unnecessary sr IN 3
ling Of lawns and gardens, by allowing
taps 10 run continuously in hotels, Office
buildings, livery stables and many phi
vate houses. Much of this water can
be saved By requiring al large estab-
Hshment to place water meters in
their premises and pay for water by
measurement. The adoption of the sys-
TEN Of measuring water through me-