The Savannah morning news., 1903-09-29
SUBTERRANEAN MAP.
WILL BE ONE RESULT OF WATER
WASTING AGITATION.
WILL EXPLORE SEWERS.
IN SOME CASES WATER MAINS RUN
THROUGH SEWER PIPES.

Constant Wear of Running sewer
age Apt to Cause Leaks That
Would Not Ordinarily BE DiscOv-
ered-Water Would Run Through
Sewers Into BiIbO CanaI-City De-
tcrmined to Find Out What Is
Becoming of Large Volume of
Water Pumped and Men VIII Be
Sent Through the Sewers.
If the large waste of water in Sa-
vannah is due to leaks underground,
as many people suspect is the case,
the fact will be discovered before long.
The city is determined to find out just
where so many millions of gallons of
water is going.
There are a great many people who
believe that a large amount of the
water that is pumped at the water
works runs through the storm sew
ers and into Bilbo canal. There are
some city officials who share in this
opinion and the question will be fin
ally settled very shortly.
While this work of investigation is
being pushed, data will be secured for
the making of a subterranean map
of Savannah. Strange as it may seem
no such map has ever been made. In
years past water mains and sewer
pipes have been laid, in some cases
in an erratic fashion, without any rec
ord being kept. The result is that
not great deal is known of the city
underground, when as matter of fact
the location of every pipe and sewer
should appear on a subterranean map.
Run Through Sewer Pipes.
1t is known that in quite a number
of cases the water mains run through
the storm sewer pipes, and it is believ-
ed by many that the waste of water is
going on in many of these places. I'm
der ordinary circumstances if a water
main bursts the water will rise and the
break will be discovered. When this
happens the water department of the
city has only to repair the damage
done.
There is no way, however of telling
when water main bursts in a sewer
pipe. The water simply runs through
the sewer into Bilbo canal and does
not come out of the ground where it
can be noticed. Mayor Myers, the wa
ter department and the streets and
lanes department which has in charge
the system of sewerage, has agreed
upon plan which will solve the prob
lem and at the same time make it pos
sible to have drawn a subterranean
map of the city, something that has
been wanted for so many years.
To Explore the Sewers.
Savannah's sewers will be explored.
On their hands and knees men will
crawl through the pipes and discover
whether any of the water mains are
E1rsted in them. At the same time q
test will be made at the mouth of
Bifbo canal. The force and volume of
the flow will be measured during the
day and again. during the night, when
little or no water is supposed to be
used. This test, it is figured, will in
large degree show under what cir
cumstances the waste of water occurs.
In the meantime the water inspectors
are expected to follow the instructions
given by the Mayor and keep a, close
lookout for all persons who waste
water While no docket cases have
yet been made it Is expected that Of
tenders will be discovered before the
close of the week. The Mayor has
made it understood plainly that more
water is being pumped than is being.
used, and that wherever the fault is it
must be remedied