Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1906-08-13
THE WATER PROBLEM
TAXPAYERS DISSATISFIED With
GAMBLE PROPOSITION.
Action of the City Council in VOtind
$4,000 TO a Private ArteSian Well
Nav Get into Court. The Same
Sum Would GO:Far Towards Build
ing Reservoir.

Much dissatisfaction is exp essed by
council last week, in voting 5000 with
which to take mp the boring OF the aban-
doned we'll at the brewery. AS was
stated at the time this we'll was bored, it
was done jointly by the Aberdeen Brew
ing Co. and the Western Lumber Co.
When down 5l2 feet, at a cost OF abou,
81 900, the project was abandoned by the
companies for whose benefit it had been
inangurated, and ever since the cessation
OF the work quiet but persistent effort
has been made to have the well exploited
another 800 feet at the expense of the
city, and, judging by the action of the
council, the effort is about to become
successful, unless the action is restrained
by the courts-an event that is highly
probable should there be an actual at.
tempt to pay out public money for this
enterprise.
1t will be noticed that the time !or
springing this business was just when
NC diC iIdNIllS olIl o'NoDpC uiCul
a scant water supply. That this is
mere bugaboo, and that Aberdeen is NOT
short on water is we'll known to all who
are at all familiar with the two streams
from which the supply is pumped. 1t is
a well known fact that sufficient water
runs to waste from those streams every
year to supply city OF rs, 900 OF 100000
people if it is properly taken care Of.
The city is in the water business, has
water to sell, yet it is proposed to gamble
$4,000 on this sort OF proposition: If
water is secured 1t gets back its - 600
and loses two profitable water ccnsum
ers; if water is not found it loses its
$4,000. The business man who would
make such investments would have a
time in resisting the appointment OF
guardian.
The expenditure OF $4,000 on the wa
ter system would 60 long way toward
building a storage reservoir, that would
not only store the water now running to
waste, but reduce the pumping expenses
as WE'LL reservoir 75xl00 feet, Is feet
deep, would store nearly 100000 ga
Ions, or about two.thrds OF days sup.
ply. With this reserve to draw from,
pumping at night could be dispensed
with, and it could be kept full for such
emergencies as long drought and large
fires. Such a reservoir, so constructed
TO
could always be used, even when the
growth of the city compels going further
up the river for a supply, as reserve.
Suppose $1,000 is invested in cement
lined reservoir, we would have a CERTAIN
water supply, while the Investment OF
$4,000 in this well proposition-ii success
ful-would relieve the system of about
10000 gallons day, this being approxi-
mately the amount consumed by the
twointerested esta blshments last month.
When it is noted that about one and a
half million gallons are pumped daily, it
will readily be seen what trifling relief
the system will receive for $4,000, while
the city treasury will be relieved OF $50, ,93
per month, this being the amount paid
by those firms for water for July.
AS the legality of the scheme was
directed to be looked into by the water
committee, it is possible they may dis
cover that they have just as much right
to spend this money as they would have
to vote similar sum to continue the
boring for coal made and abandoned by
Mr.. Benn a few years ago on his home
stead. 1t could be argued with equal
propriety that the discovery of coal in
the city limits would be public benefit,
would prove of importance.