The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1901-05-29
WATER IN CHARLESTON.
Comes from Goose Creek-It Costs
Higher than Well Water In Able.

The News and Courier publishes the con
tract for a water supply to the city. 1t Is in
| teresting to Abbeville citizens when the price
OF water In that city is compared with the
cost OF water in Abbeville.
In Abbeville we use the meter system. The
minimum charge Is 25 cents month. When
the amount OF water used in any month is
! 1880 gallons, the charge is at the rate of TWEEN
| ty-hve cents per thousand gallons.
In Charleston, the meter rates for 1000 gal
| Ions per day or less Is 25 cents. Larger quaint
ties are cheaper. For faucet in Kitchen o
four room house or less 81 year, and for each
additional room ST.. Bath tub, private, S.
butcher shop, $40; fountains for six months
| running not more than six hours day, ac.
cording to size Of jet, $40 to Sl0O; laundry. s2s
to Slo0; office or sleeping room, SIS TO $40
printing office, six hands or less, Sl2; engine
extra additional hands in printing office
| each 81; photoPra gallery, $40 TO Sis; stable
horses or less, $40 each additional horse
Sl.s0; each stall In livery stable, $3.50; steam
engine, 81 per horse power; stores and shops
$40 TO SO each COW, 50.
prices Of water In AbbevilIe and Charleston
1t Will be seen that the city Of Abbeville has
an advantageous trade for water for her oiti
Zens.
! The Abbeville corporation, for fire purposes
pays nothing for water. Water to sprinkle
the public square is free. Charleston pays
$40 for each hydr. mt In the city. Fifty hy-
drapts costing $4,000 Abbevllle has all the
hydrants that the water com isslon deemed
necessary. and water is furnished for all oil
them Without the cost OF cent.
Abbevllle has another great advantage OF
Charleston. The water for Abbeville is
pumped from deep well In a rock that runs
down several hundred feet. It Is perfectly
pure, while Charleston must get her water
from Goose Creek, ten miles In the country.
Some people would not drink water from
either a goose creek or goose pond.
1t may be asked how Abbeville gets such
cheap water for private and public uses. The
halnnDp n
S9OOO. For the first year or two the city op.
Grated the plant The annual deficit was
something like 5000.
About a year ago the Abbeville Electric
Light Company proposed, If the plant was
turned over TO them, 10 reduce the meter rate
to citizens from 30 cents thousan nd gallons 10
70 cents thousand gallons. The Electric
Company further agreed to furnish free OF
cost, all the water that might be needed for
fire purposes, and TO sprinkle the public
The Electric Light Company collects the
When they took charge, they run the
pumps at night In connection with the elec-
trio lights. The old air compressor was not
about twenty feet into reservoir, when 1t is
pumped into the standpipe.
The custom OF criticising public officers un-
favorably, by chronic fault-hnders, runs back
| TO date beyond our recollection, but we
think the citizens OF Abbeville have every
reason to be satisfied with their good fortune
| In the way OF good water at cheap rates. The
| people owe the water commission and the
city council Il vote OF thanks. 1t was through
| their enterprise and the cooperation OF the
Electric Light Company that water was re-
duced from 80 cents to 20 cents and the an
nual deficit OF 81, 600 in the city treasury, has
been stopped. For a time it looked like the
waierworks would bankrupt the town. But
the big expense over income has been stopped.
aud the people get water at one-third less.
| No city council and no water commission
ever did better thing than when the con-
tract with the Electric Light Company was
concluded. Without having the figures at
hand, 1t Ia fair TO presume that, taken to-
gether, our electric lights and our water costs
the town not much lnore than did the old oil
| lamps.
The fact is. the water ia too cheap. No firm
can make living collecting 2j cents a month
for water, or 20 cents per thousand gallons for
the small quantity that the citizens use. The
price ought TO be raised to. say IS cents a
thousand gallons. The Press and Banner
office uses about $50 gallons month. The
Idea of having that amount OF water run Into
ones place of business for Is cents is prepos.
ferrous proposition. We couldn't catch rain
| water In gulley at tLat price. Just think OF
the prices which Charleston pays for Goose
| Creek water.