Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-04-04
RESPOND TO CRITICS
Commissioners Explain Method
of Installing Water Meters.
AUTHORIZED BY CONGRESS
Reasons for Placing Them in Parks of
Private Residents.
SYSTEM OF THE DEPARTMENT
Instructions Not Followed in In
stances Noted-Said to Be Result
of Misunderstanding.
AUTHORIZED BY CONGRESS
SYSTEM OF THE DEPARTMENT


The Commissioners today forwarded a
communication to Judge c. S. Bundy as
chairman of the Columbia Heights Citi-
zens' Association. in which the question Of
water meters and their methods of in
stallation were explained in detail. Sew
eral nights ago this association held a
ton the steps taken by the District off,
Gals in installing the meters came in for
considerable criticism. 1t developed also
that many residents of Columbia Heights
where the meters being installed, were
not informed on this question, and a reso-
tuition was adopted and presented to the
Commissioners asking to be thoroughly en-
hghtened. Numerous similar communica-
tons have been received by the Commits
sioners since this work commenced,
and all of them will be answered upon
the same lines as was the Columbia
Heights Citizens Association.
In the first place, the Commissioners ex-
plain that the water meters are being in
stalled under the authority of Congress,
which appropriated a sum Of money for the
purchase, installation and maintenance of
the meters to be placed in such private
houses as the Commissioners might direct.
The question then arose as to whether the
meters should be placed inside of the
houses or outside on the parking. This
was settled by deciding upon the outside
in view of the fact that such a method
would cost less for maintenance and that
the meters could be read easier from the
outside and with less inconvenience to the
property owners, after the meters were
once installed.
According to System.
Another reason which caused the Com
missioners to favor the outside is because
the superintendent of the water department,
who is installing the meters, has a certain
system for testing the meters without re-
moving them, and this system could not be
successfully carried out if the meters were
inside the residences, as they would have
to be removed for testing, which would
be both expensive and inconvenient. In
placing the meters outside of the houses
it was found to be convenient to put them
in the center of the parking in front OF the
houses, and this necessitates the dlg-
ging up of the front lawns, considerable
complaint resulted.
Upon this point the Commissioners state
in their explanatory communication 20
Judge Bundy, that while to place the
meters in the front parkings necessitates
the digging up of the parking and, there
fore, certain temporary inconvenience 10
the property owner, the only portion OF the
meter which shows above the ground is d
circular cover about inches in diameter,
which is not believed to be a serious detri-
ment to the appearance CT the lawn In
cases where the houses are set PACK OIL the
building line, on a building RESTRICTION llne'
and the parking is not public, 1t may be
question whether there is any right or the
District to place the meter in this space,
but in the Columbia Heights section, where
the parkings are private, there is reser-
walton in the deeds which authorizes the
Installation of water pipes to reach the
houses. and it might be considered that
these water meters could well be located In
this private parking as an appurtenance 10
<ba toll afin water
Result of Error.
At the same time instructions were given
to the workmen by the superintendent OF
the water department not to go on this
private parking against the wishes OF the
owner of the property. Through some
error these instructions of the superinteno-
ent have not been followed IN some cases,
and there was some friction caused In the
matter by one of the employees of the water
department, and the services of this en-
ploye have been dispensed with by reason
thereof. 1t is not the intention, therefore,
to Mace the meters on the property INSIDE
of the property line and between 1t and
the building restriction line if there Is any
objection on the part of the property owner
to so doing, but on the contrary, TO place
the meter outside and within the limits
of the street proper, usually in the tree
space between the curb and the sidewalk,
wherever there is a continuous tree space,
which is usually the case In the Coiuinpla
Heights section.
This plan of putting the meters in the
continuous tree space will, moreover, be
followed generally everywhere. when
practicable but the meter cannot be put
in this space when it is paved without much
greater expense. There are sometimes
difficulties in following out this plan in a
number of cases where the street is wide
and the water mains are laid inside the
sidewalk line on both sides of the street
In these cases it is necessary to put the
meter in the parking. Other cases arise
where there is single line of water pipe
laid from the street main to the parking
and branches are laid from this main into
the several properties.
Matter of Necessity.
.'In these cases the water meters could
not be placed in the tree spaces and the
method pursued would either be to place
the meters on the private parking or to
make direct service connection from the
public main to each house and place the
meter on such connection. This, of course
would be expensive and would involve dig
ging I'D the street in front of each house.
as well as the parking, so that it would
not seem desirable to adopt this plan
/ The Commissioners declare that every
intendent of the water department to ac-
commodate the property owners in tbs
work, despite the allegations to the con-
trary The principal complaint has been
that the men installing the meters fail
to restore the parking to it's proper condi-
ton after digging it up. To this the
Commissioners say that should these men
fail to restore the parkings the property
owners should notify the superintendent of
for a w hot ba 10