The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-07-18
The Water-works in Chattanooga

TFrom the Engineering Record
Some of the citizens of Chattanooga,
Tenn, are endeavoring to secure from
the legislature rights to build a system
of municipal waterworks. The city is
now supplied by a plant which origin
ated in the works built by the national
government in 1864. These have been
developed from time to time, and the
present system, which is controlled by
the American Waterworks & Guaran-
tee company of PittSburg, is the result
of expensive and elaborate improve
ments carried out during the last few
years. The complaint against the ser
vice of the company seems to be wholly
one of water rates, which are consider
ed to be too high. There is evidence in
the interviews published in the local
papers of the unfortunate but frequent
disposition to compare the charges of
the water company with those made
elsewhere, no attention being paid to
the fact that the corporation furnish
ing the supply has gone to great ex-
pense to construct pumps, reservoirs.
and filters which are unnecessary for
many plants supplied with gravity. The
fixed charges and operating expenses
of such a system of works are neceSsar-
lily far greater than the cost of running
a plant where no pumping or filtering is
required. The company also supplies
some Of the suburbs of Chattanooga,
and every person familiar with the
operation of waterworks knows that the
suburban business is rarely ANYTHING
more than a losing enterprise, conduct
ed SOIelY IN the nope IDaC IN the near
future these districts may be so built
up that there will be a sufficient num-
Der of consumers along the non-paying
lines to balance the losses of the first
few years.
The situation today in Chattanooga
cannot be very satisfactory to those
who believe that the works should be
owned by the city, but consider that in
acquiring them the present corporation
should be treated fairly. The superin-
tendent of the company has offered to
sell the plant or to bear half the expen-
SeS of an investigation of the rates by a
board of impartial experienced engineers.
In spite of this, the advocates of the
plan of building a municipal plant are
trying to get their bill through the leg
iSlature. Mr.. Robert HOOke, city engi-
neer of Chattanooga has made an esti-
mate of the cost of a plant for supply
ing the city proper without regard to
the suburbs. The plans provide for res
ervoirs, filters, standpipes and pumping
engines which will cost a bout S63S 900.
If the city were to build this plant it
would not only have to meet these ex-
penses, but the present consumers will
have to pay for the cost of connecting
their buildings with the new mains
When the works were built they would
merely duplicate part of a plant repre-
senting, all told, much larger capital
outlay. the value of which would be
largely and useIessly destroyed. No
fair-minded man can contemplate such
a result without desire to protest.
However, the water company. whose
franchise does not provide for the pur-
chase of the works by the city, cannot
be expected to allow its business to be
taken from 1t without litigation THE
Engineering Record" is not familiar
with the terms of its franchise. but
from what 1t knows of the general trend
of decisions. the city will have a long
litigation with the company in all prob
ability and stands a good chance of be-
ing defeated on the equities of the case.
1.-The Engineering Record has consist
emily advocated the municipal owner
ship of waterWorls wherever practical
bic, but it has never favored the con-
fiscation of private property.