Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-02-11
WATER TO BURN.
Some People Think So and Not Only
 Use 1t, But Waste it.

The water question is still an impor- tant subject in Waterbury, and it will be more so in the near future. when the city will be called upon to put half a million dollars or more into another water source. Unless something can be done to curb the waste of water the present system is already made Quate to the needs of the city, but 1t Is thought that with the closest inspec- ton much of the mischief reported can be avoided and the cost of adding to the supply staved off for some time. It Is not the intention of the water de- partment to deny anybody all the water he finds 1t necessary to use, but the management does intend to ex- haust every possible effort at it's dis posal to prevent waste. If man is allowed to drink all he wants out of pail that is no reason why he should think that he has right to tip the vessel over ard fix things so that mo- body else can be accommodated. This is about the way some folks look at the water question and on this account 1t is hard to make much headway in the way of reform, for if you say 8 word about waste of water almost ev- erybody puts a wrong construction upon what is said and immediately wants to know if 1t has come to such pass that some have to go dry and dirty in order that others may have their needs as well as their whims supplied. This is not fair way of looking at the question and while many talk that way very few of them have faith in their own argument. The water system was built by tax levied upon the ratabIe property with in the old city boundary and was orig 1nally intended for fire protection and domestic use. Later on citizens found it profitable to use 1t for other purposes, and the city having the stock to spare sold 1t at a reasonable price for the use thereof. By degrees the price kept coming down until finally some users thought it was not worth while to make out charge for what lneir minds to have the price abol- ished. Otners saw that 1t paid to let water run and save their pipes from freezing and let 1t go, so that between waste and the demand for tho use of water without any compensation the system is in great peril and nothing short of a bold stand on the part of the public officials who are not afraid to stand for Waterbury first, last and
 
 all the time can save the city from the introduction of class legislation In the water department which win work a to at least 90 per cent Of the consumers.
 Under ordinary conditions there ought to be about thirty pounds of pressure on Washington street, a cou- pie of hundred feet east of Sylvan ave- nue. This would send water seventy feet above the grade of the street and furnish all the force anybody would care for i'll the upper floors Of the high est building at that point: but investi- gation has demonstrated that the pressure there is not over twenty pounds, which reduces the force by nearly one-haf and as result there is practically no service in the third story tenements. If this evil can be remedied and at the same time give everybody all the water that is good for him 1t Is the duty Of the depart ment to do 1t and in the quickest man. her known to them.