The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-06-10
LETTERS TO EDITOR

To the Editor of The Age-Herald.
For some years the question of how to
regulate the use of water by the pa
irons of the water departments all over
the country has been very. difficult one
for water works managers. The great DIFF
fculty seems to be that the average citi-
zen is not-even at this late day edu-
Gated as to the value of the water as at
present delivered to him. And he does not
compare the very reasonable sum he is
charged for the supply with other ex-
penses of his household.
| The idea that water is ''as free as air."
| is a correct one but large amounts of
capital have to first be expended ere this
free as air" commodity is placed upon
the second, third, forth and even fifth
| floor of a mans residence or before it
will be forced out of the end of his gar
den hose with sufficient pressure to be of
| any service to him.
| This letter is written because | have,
during the past four months seen articles
in your valued journal-which is read in
many cities besides Birmngham-in which
water companies are being criticised as
charging too much for water, and con-
demned for placing meters upon services
when water is being wasted. In fact in
some instances for asking the citizen to
made by the company.
The rates of a water company owned by
a private corporation are generally made
by an agreement between the officials of
the city government and those of the
company and are, as a rules, based upon
those of a city In which the conditions
surrounding the case are the same.
For 1t is well known fact in some
instances that II costs very much more
in first out lay to procure a water sup
ply in one city than in another, and
original investment carries along with it
year by year certain charge which has
TO be paid out of the receipts for water.
The fact that these rates are so ar
ranged at the beginning should be as
sumed to settle the question of their
equity. Now these fixture rates are made
under special condition. The patron is
entitled to use the water for all the pur-
poses for which he has taken out the
permit and to use 1t freely and literally
But there are some obligations which he
assumes. He must not allow the water
TO waste through leaky fixtures or by
iuiilihs ioI hours upon lawns or all night
to Keep pipes from freezing.
rms seems to be reasonable and no ex
exceptions should be taken by the ems.
| toner, III you purchase ten mounds nj
sugar you do not expect the merchant 10
| give you hundred pounds and that is
| the demand made upon the water com.
rany, although In many instances a
thousand pounds is used when ten is paid
| for. and in many cases with no benefit
| whatever to the user.
| l will explain that every drop of water
| pumped or supplied with pressure rep
| resents a certain amount of cash. | copy
| a table here which has been proven as
absolutely correct and was published In
the pamphlet containing the rules and
rates issued by the water department al
Atlanta Ga, several years since:
One sixteenth of an inch stream will
discharge HOP gallons of water in twen-
ty-four hours
"One-eighth of an inch stream will dis
charge 460S gallons in twenty-four hours
''One-quarter of an inch stream will dis
charge 1s.432 gallons In twenty-four hours.
One-half inch stream will discharge
"a, 72S gallons in twenty-four hours.
"A one-nch stream will discharge 294 :
912 gallons in twenty-four hours
The above Is with domestic pressure
We will assume that company in a city
of $4,000 inhabitants has some 5000 connec-
| tions to its main water pipes Say that
| 500 of its customers tof a warm EVENING"
turn on their lawn hose. We will take