Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-11-23
ON WAFER SITUATION
Member of Board Makes Lengthy
Statement ON the Breaking
Of Nrin.

d.. A. H. Nipple Of the Omaha Water
board is quoted as follows by the World
Herald:
II her not been the policy Of the Water
board 20 try its affairs in the newspapers.
but I'm the last twenty-four hours there
mas been a condition that has demanded
investigation and should receive publicity.
Nj. howell of the board and 1 started
out Tuesday to find out what We could
about this water famine and spent until
midnight In the investigation.
We first visited the Walnut Hin pump
ing station and found the reservoir empty
which meant that all the upper portion
Of the city was absolutely without water
for fire protection and domestic purposes.
Of the reservoir that Il had been not TO
exceed one-third full. What water had
been in Il had been drawn out.
We then went TO the Burt street pump
ing station, expecting to hnd the pumps
there working to their full capacity. the
Burt street station is equipped with three
pumps. one low pressure pump which
pumps the water from the river into the
reservoir, and two high pressure pumps;
one OF 100000 gallons capacity ana one Of
100000 gallons capacity, which pump water
into the mains. To our surprise we found
that the large pump was not IN operation
we asked an explanation and were in
formed that four Of the eight boilers were
out OF commission and only four boilers
were being run. They could only run one
high pressure pump.
We then visited the scene of the break
In the thirty-six-lnch main three blocks
street. We found the broken section Of
pipe had been removed. and a new Sec
tion was being substituted.
The water company insists that this was
not intended as an object lesson. but In
view of the fact that the water company
expended hundreds Of dollars last week in
an attempt to create public sentiment in
favor Of the city assuming the cost of a
second thlrty-six-inch main from Florence
TO Omaha, TO cost In the neighborhood OF
$4,000 to 100000 and I'm view Of the further
fact that the Omaha Water company claims
10 be trustees for the city Of Omaha, and
PIPE line is to provide better FIRE protection
FOR the people Of Omaha, e Is very strange
that the pipe should break at this time.
and that at the time of the accident the
Walnut Hill reservoir should be only about
one-third full Of water and the Burt street
pumping station crippled by having four
Of its boilers useless.
An interesting sidellght upon the water
I companys anxiety TO provide the people
/ tic purposes is shown by the fact that
after the break occurred the water COM
my telephoned to at least one Of the
: ln:lbly 20 all of them information that
I break had occurred. but that they knew
/ nat the packing houses had TO have water,
} nd that 1t would supply them, but they
| lrged them to be economical in it's use.
| The Omaha Water board has been giving
nd Is giving the question of a second
| 'ain as well as many other questions
| that involve the interests Of the city the
! most careful consideration. Expert opin.
I
! poets within few days to be able to an.
lounce a solution of the fire protection
problem that II believes will be Ratisfac.
tory TO the citizens and absolutely fair 70
the water company. And right here Is the
key TO the anxiety OF the Omaha Water
company to have an additional main
1t is an open secret that the South Omaha
packers ana stock yards have been claulor
ing for more water and that they have
otten even gone 50 far as TO consider tn,
installation OF plant OF their own. Dur
ING the hours when the packing houses
use the most water the capacity OF IN,
single thirty-stz-inch main Is taxed and inas
much as the reservoir capacity Of Omahs
Is entirely inadequate to provide for emer
gencles the company would be very gla,
70 have an additional main installed a
the expense OF the city of Omaha Tn,
water company Is even modest enough d
agree that - will install such q main an,
use II until such time as the city ma,
acquire the plant-provided the city paw
the company the cost with per cert inter
est without any allowance whatever 70
one would suppose that II the city {
to pay for the main and interest tipon tn
investment the company would be rillin
to pay small rental for the use OF In
property. but this fair" proposition mad
I vision.
City Engineer Rosewater informs us tina
there Is a tWelve-inch main branching OF
from the large thirty-Six-inch main jus
. south Of Miller park and running down III
boulevard to the city. where Il connect
with other city mains. but there was n
valve In the large main at the point {
junction, and therefore the branch mai
was useless, as all water pumped woul
have run out through the break, conss
quently al the pumps at Florence had
be shut down while the break was bein