The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1900-02-06
WATER FIGURES.
Engineer Ferris Instructs
Citizens In Regard to
Election February Is.
WHY THE VOTE IS ASKED
Advantages of Purchase at
$7,5e5. 600 Exhaustively
Explained.

Mr.. Garwood Ferris, supervising en-
gineer for the city in the matter OF the
purchase of a new water works submit
ted to the Street and Water Board, this
morning, a comparative statement of the
cost of buying and pumping under the
present system, with the cost of buying
the water under the Flynn contract. Mr..
Ferris has gone carefully over the ground
and presents after much investigation the
following
Office of Engineer in Charge Of
Construction of New Water
Works for Jersey City, Room
Jersey City. Feb 6. 1860.
To the Citizens of Jersey City
The city government has gone as far as
it can, under it's existing powers, in che di-
rection of acquiring an individual supply
of water. A contract has been made for
the purchase of water by the million gal
Ions for a period of q years, Trom FEB
ruary 2S 1893, and there is now under con-
struction a plant capable of delivering %
million gallons of water daily from as
pure source as there is in the. State.
While the price of water under this con
tract Nwherein the pipe line viii be solely
for our use) is substantially less than the
price charged by the East Jersey Water
Co, which is now supplying u.s. yet this IS
not the limit of possible saving
In bidding, the contractor was also oil
rected to give an option price for the 80
million plant complete,.. tested and ready
for use, together with all the water rights,
etc.. for furnishing 20 millions daily. This
option price was $.595 600.
The city government is powerless to
avail itself of this option unless the cltl-
zens by vote so authorize, and whether
they will so authorize isfthe question to be
voted on at the special election to be held
on the 18th day of February.
That the citizens may know definitely,
as near as it is possible to inquire 1t, WHAT
it means to them in dollars whether tney
hrtrr mia mt
tables have been prepared showing the
estimated cost under both methods, and
for the period covered by the eontract. s,i.
completion of the plant would be febru-
airy IS, 1902, and the earliest period al
which it could be purchased Gall9sWying g
May l. 1902. The period covered BY 1ne
fables is therefore from May l, lSo2, TO
February Is. 1924.
actual average daily use from May l. lSSs
to May l, 1899, of 29.65 millions, increased
thereafter 4s0 annually. That TINS rate 81
increase IS a reasonable one can De Seen
by the following
The rate of increase (compounded) from
May l. 1882 to May l, 1890 was 6-lO @.
The rate of increase (compoundeu) from
May l. 1890, to May 1, 1896, was %. -.
The rate of increase from May J., 1856,
to May l. 1897. was 2-10 %. -
The rate of increase from May l, 1897, 10
May l. 1885, was 3 %.
The rate of Increase from May i, 1898, to
Al And from ron May l. 1899, to December 81,
1888. the rate of increase over same
months in prior years was %.
The interest estima ted is at the rate or
31s % annually on $T595,0 600 up to 1911. Al
that,time it is estimated Cat 4 20 annual in
crease in consumption) the works VIII
have to be enlarged to the 70 million ca
pacity at a cost approximating $1,S0O 000,
and thereafter the interest. at same rate,
is added on that amount.
Tor operation and depreciation $50 600 IS
Ind
90 million plant and 70,000 annually for
the period of the 10 million plant.