La Junta tribune., 1905-07-05

Of water per day was l. .457 600 .0O0
gallons, which was equivalent 10
1924 gallons per capita per day. In
these cities there were then / .53l .0Oo
service pipes and 2S3. 600 meters in
use: hence. ls1 per cent of the ser
vice was metered-
The effect of the use Of meters
on the consumption of water in these
cities is found by dividing the cities
into five classes. In forty-one cities
having less than 10 per cent Of Their
service netered. the aggregate OF
the entire consumption averaged
1872 gallons per capita per day. In
twenty cities having from 10 To 30
per cent of the service metered, il
averaged III gallons. In eighteen
cities having from 30 to 80 per cent
Of the service metered. it averaged
SO gallons. In nine cities having 80
to Is per cent of the service met
cred. it averaged 70 gallons; and in
twelve cities having from 75 to lco
per cent of the service metersd. il
averaged but IS gallons.
Thus the saving is most practic-
ally illustrated in the above. b.
showing the decrease from l62 gal
Ions consumption per capita per day
in al cities having less than 10 per
cent of the service metered. down
tn 5s gallons consumption per capita
per day in twelve cities having from
rs to 100 per cent of the service
metered. and this latter quantity of
water abundantly supplying all the
required purposes.
so the effect of the use Of meters
is plainly seen To greatly reduce the
waste and unnecessary use Of water.
resulting in another great advan-
tage. that is. increasing the pressure
on the distributing system. a most
important factor in the protection
against fire.
At the National Convention on
Municipal Ownership and Public
Franchises. held at New York City.
February 26. 1903. Mr.. Hill read a
paper entitled "A Successful Contest
for Good Water"
1t related principally to the water
works at Syracuse. N. Y. which
were built and operated under his
supervision: but in this paper he
named the cities in the five classes
mentioned. giving their aggregate
population. the total and per capita
consumption Of water per day. the
number Of service pipes and meter,
in use, and he strongly endorsed the
use of meters in the following Ian
guage:
Furnishing water at fixed rates.
regardless Of the quantity consumed.
is wrong, unjust, unbusinesslike. and
against the interests Of any munich
pality. Under such a system the
rates charged are mere guesswork.
and many are compelled to pay for
the water used or wasted by others.
People are apt TO complain of the
general tax rate. and yet without
the use of meters they neglect to
curb their own wasteful tendencies
in allowing water to leak from de
fective plumbing.
The great advantages derived
from the use of meters are no long
er questions of doubt. 1t has beer
fully demonstrated by many objec,
lessons that their use will produce
the following results: They viii
prevent money from being expended
in procuring. pumping and distrib
uting a large quantity Of water. the
greater part Of which is frequently
allowed to run to waste. They will
insure cheaper water rates to the
public generally. They will estab.
lish an equitable basis for the
assessment of water charges. Ir
instances they will decrease the
quantity Of water to be filtered
thereby increasing the efficiency Of
the filtering plants and improving
the quality Of the water. They viii
increase the pressure on the dristib
uting system. thus lettering thu
protection against fire; and they vii
in many cases. where water is fur
nished at fixed rates. eliminate th>
necessity OF increasing the supply ol