Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1900-02-15
Water! Water !

Water Water While it is one of the
most annoying difficulties with which the
city officials come in contact, it can
scarcely be considered an engineering
problem, for the reason that the solution
of it is perfectly obvious and the means OF
preventing it easily available, providing
only that the administration officers are
sufficiently broad.minded and intelligent
enough 10 appreciate the situation. As a
matter of fact, the officers of moet cities,
and especially small towns are business
men, selected and elected to fill the Offices
for one year without compensation. Wien
men have their own private business to at
tend to they cannot give their time to the
study of municipal affairs that their office
demands.
1t is essentially all administrative rather
than an engineering question, and the
only reason for presenting such 3 subject
to the attention of an engineer, is that
usually it falls to the engineer to educate
the administrative officers up TO the point
of applying the one infallible remedy and
tie water takers to accepting it as the only
just means of estimating their water rates.
The idea is fostered, too, by the manner
in which payment is made. In the great
majority of cases, for the service, where
one has to pay only certain fixed rate,
based OH the number of rooms, persons or
fixtures, it is easy TO fall into the habit of
thinking that it really makes but little
difference how much water is consumed
and to procrastinate going for the plumber
if any of the fixtures get out of order and
run continuously. They ease their con-
science by reasoning that their neighbor is
doing the same thing, or again they think
Just one faucet running little won't be
noticed or the water missed from the
"great big tank up on the hill"
For the benefit of those, let me quote
from Mr.. Troutwine "a faucet leaking
one drop per second wastes gallons daily:
one drop constantly, but not running in
continuous stream, 9 gallons; third run
ming smallest possible stream, IA gallons;
one running full open, 1857 gallons" 1t
is not the water consumed which makes
the scarcity, but the water which is wasted.
During periods of extreme cold the waste
is due, of course, to the practice of allow
ing the water to run TO keep it from freez-
ing. With the high temperature the in
crease is due to sprinkling, and the gener-
al tendency to allow the water to run to
cool the pipe and get up circulation for
drinking and cooling purposes, as some
have their own private spring houses and
pantry sinks where they run the water
continuously.
Now the remedy am told that the
old system of water supply cost about
81, 900, the addition made last year coet
about IS 900, making total IF $l2, 900 in
vested by the city in water improvements.
This shows that while water is a cheap
commodity, it still does cost something.
Our water rates are very reasonable, and
to reduce the water rates can only be done
by cutting of all improvements that are
paid for out of the revenue. Put in meters,
make the present rate per capita remain
as it is, estimate the number of gallons
used per day per capita, make this your
allow each consumer so many
gallons per year at the minimum rate, and
allow him to run the water unrestricted,
take no notice of fixtures. and charge him
for all water in excess of the minimum
at so much per 1000 gallons, re-
gardIess of how used. The result The
city will have more water to cell, without
the expense of adding to their system.
They will have water when needed. II
not, they will get pay for what they did
have and the man who did not waste it
will not have it to pay for. L.