The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1900-12-18
WATER WASTE.
MIR. Bouton Writes to Board
Of w orks About Enor-
nous Daily Con-
sumption.
HOUSEHOLDERS MUST REPAIR LEAKS
Imperfect Records of Sales
Under Martin Act Result
in Confusing Water
Department.
IOUSEHOLDERS MUST REPAIR LEAKS

|
Supervising Clerk George T. Bouton
sent also the following communications
to the Street and Water Board this after
noon in reference to matters in the Water
Department.
| Gentlemen-When the population of
| this city is taken into consideration the
use or misuse of water per capita is
alarming During the past week. when
the weather became suddenly colder for
few days, there showed for a limit ed
PERIOD consumption of water at the rate
OF thirty-three million gallons daily, a
quantity greatly in excess of what could
| nave been legitimately used. Some time
since the Chief Engineer, as the result of
a rigid examination in a certain tenement
section, by the use of meters, discovered
| that % per cent. of the water was being
wasted. If the same ratio of waste ex-
| listed in the entire city we could by dis
covering 1t and applying remedy. cause
a very considerable. reduction in our daily
output on this account. 1t is not per-
| haps generally known that in probably
| four-ffths of the private houses in this
| city there exist leaky faucets or closets
| or TUBS, sometimes all, and that while if
this state of affairs existed in but a few
houses the waste of water, while not in
| considerable, would not be alarming, that
when the aggregate of wastage through
out the city on this account is considered,
to stop it would mean for US most sub
stantial money saving daily. With this
I, idea in view the re-assessorS were yeSter-
day required to begin an inspection SER
vice of the character indicated. They
were instructed that when leaks are
found the owners of the property must
be notified to repair within twenty
hours, and that failure to repair within
the time specified would result in the
water being turned off from the premises
! in question. My belief is that when it
becomes generally known that this de-
partment is earnest in the matter owners
and hOiGahnlGHrS w 10 flI1 md
themselves repair promptly when it is
found necessary. Good citizens will re-
pair faulty plumbing, others must. 1t is
my expectation that an appreciable daily
saving in water consumption can be made
thereby, and l would request that the
Board confirm the action taken.
Respectfully submitted,
GEORGE T. BOUTON,
Supervising Clerk, etc.
Jersey City, Dec 49, 1900.
To the Honorable the Board of Street and
Water Commissioners
Gentlemen-A most deplorable state of
affairs exists in the water department as
the result of sales of city property under
the Martin Act" From the time this
act became effective no systematic return
of the result of sales has been made to this
department and only in special and oc-
caslonai cases has ascertainment been
made by our officers that sales
be carried along from year to
year showing that John Jones or John
Smith was gradually growing in arrears
for water when, as the result of a change
of ownership, and attendant search by
prospect purchasers ascertainment would
be made that the property had some
years since changed hands by reason of a
city sale, and that the arrearages of water
rents which existed up to that ti4ss, had
been by other city officials collected and
not yet turned over to US nor notice there
of given to this department. In other
cases where the city was the purchaser at
such sales there was likewise failure to
notify us. That such state of affairs
should have been allowed to continue is
beyond my comprehension. In going over
the list of properties in arrears it has
been only by the exercise of .the most ex-
treme caution that mistakes have not
been made in cutting off water. Parties
may have bought at Martin Act sales, but
our records show no indication of it. Ar
rearages appear to be rapidly increasing
! against the property and with just in
dignation we threaten to shut off the sup
ply of water and are then informed for
i the first time that the Martin Act has
! taken care of it. This has occurred sew
1 eral times recently when our men have
I been in the act of cutting connections.
This lack of system cannot be too speed
1 lily remedied. Records under such condi-
! tons are and can be but a web of con-
1 tradiction, and 1 would recommend that
! that Board under whose auspices such
! sales are made will cause to be given Us
! Immediately complete statements of all
past sales and at the same time adopt
such measures as will cause US to be
/ promptly nOClneQ III the luluTe.
/ Respectfully submitted
GEO. T. BOUTON,
Supervising Clerk Etc
/ Gentlemen-It has been brought to my
/ attention that the public schools of the
! city are using an inordinate quantity of
! water and that in many cases the plumb
j ing is of such a character that night and
day the mechanism is working, which re-
suits in the partial depicting of our mains
and the discharging into our sewers of
/ water which is a complete wastage. A
/ considerable saving can no doubt be af-
! fected If as far as possible, after school
| hours, the water should be shut off by
/ the several janitors. and have no doubt
that if the matter were brought to the
attention of the Board of Education that
! body. would gladly aid US by causing the
1 necessary correction order to be issue.
/ Respectfully submitted
GEO. I. BOUTON,
Supervising Clerk, etc.
| Gentemen--[n anticipation of the prep
| aration of the registers of charges for
water rents for the year beginning May
/ ], 1901, / would respectfully request that
| for the purpose indicated the rates be
/ suspended and referred to me for adjust
| ment and correction which, when made,
| shall be reported back to the Board for
approval.
/ Respectfully submitted,
/ GEO. 7. BOUTON,
/ Supervising Clerk, etc.
1