The Saint Paul globe., 1905-01-11
WATER BOARD ASKS
FOR A BOND ISSUE
Tells City Council $500, 900 Is
Needed for Permanent
Improvements

The water board in its annual report
to the city council, prepared at meet
ing of the board yesterday, asks that
the Ramsey county delegation to the
state legislature be urged to secure the
passage of a law permitting cities of
over $4,000 inhabitants to issue $1,000
in the water service.
Unless this relief is given it will be
impossible for the board to carry on
the work that is absolutely necessary
to protect the city from shortage of
water supply" declared the report.
| 1t is shown that the daily increase in
water consumption in the city last year
over that of two years ago was 1,552,-
612 gallons, and the board says that
this rapid increase in the consumption
of water admonishes it that its present
impounding facilities will be taxed to
the utmost within a few years and
that it can not begin too soon to pro-
vide large storage capacity to meet the
demands of a continued series of dry
years.
Owing to the city's neglect to pay hy-
drant rental, as provided in the char
ter, it has been impossible for the
board to carry on the work in the coun-
engineer. There has been such a de-
mand for laying of water mains in the
city the past year, expense of which
has been $61, ,152.46, that the board was
unable to expend more than $9,936.44
for the improvement and protection of
the water supply.
The total rainfall during the year
was 34.11 inches, a decrease of 376
inches from that of 1903, and SAT
inches over the average annual rain
fall from 1887 to 1903. Though the
Centerville pumping station was run
only twenty days in 1903 and not at
| all during 1904, and the Vadnais lake
station only sixty-four days, the board
fears that in case of a dry season its
present facilities will not meet the de-
mand placed upon the system.
The artesian well at VadnaiS lake fur
nished s3,S04,419 gallons of water daily
! during the time the pumps were run
ming. The total amount of water used
| in the city was 3,510,S74,547 gallons or
9,619,1o7 gallons daily, a daily increase
| of 803,S61 gallons over 1903, and 1,552,-
| 612 gallons over 1902
During the year the board laid 30412
| feet, and relaid 2,803 feet of pipe, or
nearly six miles. There are at pres
-ent 26S miles and 4,703 feet of water
| mains in the city and the superintend-
| ent recommends the laying of large
| pose Of giving better fire protection
The controversy between the board
| and the street railway company on ac-
count of electrolytic damage to the wa
| ter pipes and mains, is mentioned in
| the report, and it is said that a plan
| Of settlement submitted by the railway
company last September did not meet
with the approval of the engineers of
4 the department, with the result that
negotiations are now in progress. The
result of conferences between the Off
/ GERS of the board and the street railway
company will be laid before the board
4 alta meeting early in the present year.
The board decided at the meeting
| yesterday to lay mains under the Sum
/ init avenue boulevard between Fair
! view and Cleveland avenues. 1t also
j decided to give to DR.. Ohage, for use
| on Harriet island, the rock taken from
Excavations now being made on Jeffer-
son avenue.
Michael Doran Sr. was reelected
i president of the board, r. j. Dwyer
vice president, John Garfield secre-
tary. and John Lindquist superintend-
ent