The San Francisco call., 1903-01-13
OAKLAND IN HOT WATER.


Since his death the experience OF Oakland in
gard TO water may be described as turbd. A rival
and competing company appeared. promoted by Mr..
Dingee It's supply was from wells near Alvarado,
which get their water from the spill into gravel
bed Of the waters OF Alameda and Calaveras creeks.
This supply was hard and brackish, sometimes
salty but the new company distributed 1t to Oakland,
and competed with the old company by giving the
water away when necessary, and charging, when at
all a very low rate, which gave no return upon the
capital The people enthusiastic supporters OF
the new company, and the City Council responded
to public opinion by giving the fire hydrants and
public supply to the new company, even putting its
water into the Chabot observatory.
In this situation the expected happened The old
company being managed by excellent business men,
surrendered TO the inevitable and sold to the
new, so that the two combined, and their joint
capital was laid as a charge upon the ratepayers.
When the new company got the whole works a
change OF policy ensued. The rates went up faster
than Jacks bean stalk grew, and soon the whole
community was longing for the cheap, and sometimes
nasty water that had been supplied by the pioneer
company. The new company dropped its popularity
quicker than II had been acquired. judicial deci-
sion upset the rates fixed by resentful Council,
and the people had to pay their own and the COM
pany's costs OF the litigation which resulted in
decision adverse to the city. Then lawns let
dry up and citizens began resortng TO the artesian
supply that underlies the city. and windmlls made
the town look ike Holland landscape
Under these circumstances the natural thing
proposition TO resort city ownership OF water
supply A citizens committee was appointed fund
was provided engineers were employed and at last
an exhaustive report has been made in favor OF
municipal water works. The committee frankly ad-
mits differences Of opinion upon the abstract question
OF municipal ownership OF public utilities But It
IS confronted by a condition and not theory and
proceeds to consider the same in practical way.
First It suggests that the present system OF
Oakland is overvalued at 100000, and points out
that the plant and its pipes and means of distrbu-
ton may be bought by the city, if not by direct
gotiation by condemnation proceedings, under the
right OF eminent domain As the committee does
state how the right cf eminent domain apply to
such property as water pipes laid underground, that
issue remains for discussion by specialists in the
law.
The alternative submitted by the committee which
from the space given TO It and the complete elab-
Grafton with which it IS worked out is evidently the
preferred plan is a supply taken from the
source as the original supply OF the Dngee company,
the gravel bed lying between Niles and the bay.
That bed receives the spill OF Alameda and Gala
veras creeks The committee ignores the quality OF
water OF the bay into the underground reservoir
This condition was observed in the Dingee water,
which full of oaustc lime and other salts that
il filled waterbacks in stoves with deposit OF min
eral matter Perhaps the committee Investigated
this phase OF the question and finding negligible
quantity dismissed it. devote itself consd-
Grafton Of the legal issues involved.
These seem to provide an abundance OF hot water
in the aqueous future OF Oakland. The Spring Val
ley Water Company, by acquiring the riparian rights
on Caaveras and Alameda creeks, has diverted their
supply 10 San Francisco 1t has put a dam on bed
rock near Niles by which it is enabled to pipe the
supply under the bay to San Francisco. The storm
waters continue to replensh the gravel bed but the
engineers differ as to the possibility OF the diver
sion OF all the water the creeks all 1t
Is admitted that if the Spring Valley Company can do
this II can so deplete the gravel bed render
II useless as underground reservoir In such case
the committee recommends that legal proceedings
may be taken against the Spring Valley Company
which will in effect bring the two cities into con
fict over their respective water supplies 1t must not
be forgotten that in such the Contra Costa
Water Company, which now owns the Alvarado
wells will be ally OF Spring Valley since the sink
ing OF new wells in the gravel will tend diminish
its prior appropriation OF the ground water.
The committee estimates that Oakland may get a
ground supply from that gravel at cost of $780,
COO or one-ha the value put upon the plant Of the
Contra Costa Company by judicial finding.
The committee admits that the question of sup
ply OF ground water is open to discussion by dis
cussing it. Many cities in this country and Europe
are cited which get their supply in whole in part
from ground water. Among these is London but
our recollection is that London pumped out the un-
derground reservoir which once thought suffi-
cient for her needs. 1t is fact, however that all
cities that get overground supply to
it in preference to ground water. Birmingham went
to the Welsh hills and Glasgow to the Trosachs.
While ground water is filtered free OF vegetable
it dissoyes and Incorporates all the mineral salts
found in the SOIL and as seems to have been demon
in the Dingee experience in such situations
as the Niles gravel bed is subject to admixture with
the denser salt water.
4 The committee deserves great credit for making
the sanest and busnesske report that has been
offered upon subject OF widespread interest and