The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-10-05
WATER STATION ON
SOUTH HIGHLANDS
High Pressure Service Will Be EStab-
liShed at Once.
10000 GALLON STAND PIPE
Will Pump from Cahaba Main With Cas-
Olil0 Engine.
WORK TO BE COMPLETED IN so DAYS
New Proposition Will be Made to the
City Council Looking to Modifca-
zion of Present Contract, Claim
ID Will Reduce Rates

The Birmingham Water Works company
will make extensive improvements in its
South Highland service by the erection Of
a high-pressure station.
These improvements will consist of a
stand pipe and pumping station, which will
be completed and in fun operation within
sixty days.
The standpipe will have a capacity of 49,
900 gallons, and will be located at Maiden
Lane, at the highest point in the city lin
its, seventy-five feet above any of the pres
ent houses the Highlands.
The pumping station will be located on
Elm street, near Highland avenue, and will
pump from one of the Cahaba station
mains.
The machinery for this station has been
ordered from the Blaksee company, OF
Woodlawn. It will be one of the few pump
ing stations in the United States using
gasoline fuel.
Birmingham material, as far as possible,
will be used, and work will be begun al
once and rushed to completion.
The building of this station will open a
water facilities and Will in all probability
have the effect of reducing insurance rates.
Change in Rates
The company is considering a proposal
looking to a change in its contract with
the city which it Is claimed will mean a
reduction in rates.
The matter has been brought to the in
dividual attention of the members of the
board of aldermen and will probably be
officially presented at the next meeting of
the council
The proposition has not been definitely
determined up but as given out embodies
the following changes:
"City to cut out as many hydrants as it
wishes 70, and charges abated on them for
ten years.
Company to have right to place meters
on all connections.
Consumers to have right to require
metres.
Metres to be set and maintained at ex-
pense of company; no metre rent to be
charged on half-inch, three-quarter inch,
inch, or inch and half metres.
Maximum rate of s1.25 per month a, 100
gallons) regular schedule of rate to be
charged for all excess. On two, three and
four-inch metres no minimum rate, but the
present schedule per thousand gallons and
present metre rental.
"Where the annual assessment by pres
ent tariff is less than SIS, charge of one
twelfth Of the amount will be made per
month and all in excess will be charged
by the present schedule per thousand
This proposition does not meet with the
approval of Mayor Drennen, who claims
that the rates are entirely too high, and it
is believed that strong opposition will be
made to it unless modified.
superintendent Lynn Talks
A. M. Lynn, the new superintendent Of
the company, in speaking of the matter
yesterday said;
"A proposition will be made to the city
in the near future looking to modification
of our present contract.
THE company Is considering some reduc-
ton in rates, both to the city on fire hy-
drant charges and to consumers in the way
OF allowing any consumer to demand a me-
ire and pay for water service by metre
measurement, and a proposition will be
made outlining what concessions the COM
pany is willing to make
Experience elsewhere demonstrates that
a domestic consumer can save money by