The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1902-08-17

fall average is rather low and where
long periods OF no rainfall and of SC
we're drought are certain to occur, and
not infrequently, 30 that the volume
of available water supply is necessari-
ly limited It Is difficult to obtain and
requires expensive work to collect
and deliver II.
Il will be noticed that the average
volume supplied to the ten cities men
toned is about forty-seven gallons
for each resident, that the average
poulation is about 100000 and that
they are reasonably we'll scattered
about the United States east of the
Rocky mountains From these facts
II is reasonable TO conclude that
city may have all OF its needs supplied
when the average volume for each
resident reaches fifty (50) gallons
each "a hours unless conditions exist
demanding especially large volumes
of supply.
Such conditions do not exist in
Ardmore, nor is II at all probable
that they will exist at any time in the
near future. and It is reasonable 70
suppose that your ordinary needs can
all be met and satisfied with a volume
of less than 80 gallons for each per
son resident.
Waste Of Water.-It may well be
asked then why some cities furnish
volume as great as 200 gallons each
day to each resident II 80 gallons are
sufficient. The answer is, water with
them is abundant; Il costs but little
to deliver Il and that by far more wa
ter is wasted than is really needed
for proper uses in such cities. As
most of you are aware, water is n
scarce article in your vicinity when
large volumes are needed, that 1t can
not be supplied in volumes which
will permit you to waste II recklessly
or even considerably, that you cannot
afford to build a plant to develop wa
ter to pump water and to convey wa
ter If large volumes are to be wasted,
and that If your waterworks are TO
serve efficiently their intended pur-
pose they must be so built, so admin
istered and so operated that while
every person has all he needs and
may use 1t literally with enough for
all and all purposes and requirements
yet It must not be wasted.
Water delivered to the consumer
costs money, so do meat, groceries
and the like, and it is as wrong t1
waste 1t as It is to waste the others
This is especially true in this vicin
ity
The prevention of waste is accom-
plished by requiring that each con
sumner must take the water supplied
to him through a water meter, ans
that he pay for all he takes, just as
he does for dry goods, groceries ant
meat, which, costing money, must b,
measured or weighed. The use of wa
ter meters by every consumer | deem
b almost imperative.
Without them the capacity of tn,
works must be made greater than IL
necessary at the start, must be sub
ject to constant expenditure for ex
tensions, must be subject to demand
probably exceeding the volume of pos
sible supply, aud to annual waste O
money from which no good ma.
come. Waste robs the mains of thei
fire capacity. and makes certain
greater fire losses and the man VIII
wastes water robs his more careful
neighbor who does not waste, o
much of the protection to him du
from waterworks and robs him b.
compelling him to pay for a portio
of this waste.
: Water in its wild state is free, G
course, but when 1t is captured. an
thousands of dollars are expended 4
! works to develop 1t and deliver 1t a
} your door and thousands are spen
each year TO maintain the supply, Tn
. lack of wisdom and the unbusines,
y like methods involved in delivering
0 to consumer in a way so he ma
0 waste It at will and permits his neigl
0 bors, who will not pay for it to us
must seem evident.
0 l have dwelt at length on this pai
0 of my subject, hoping thereby to 10
0 press upon you the need, especiall
0 when we consider of your surroun,
o ings, of beginning the use of meter
n with the beginning Of water serviC
. from the works. Their use can the
% most easily be continued while I
e begin the universal use of meters a
T. ter consumers have become accu
r toned TO careless. wasteful ways
y difficult and often impossible. Wat,
= meters measure water very accu