Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1908-03-03
The South Paris Water Question,

JuttOT DtntOCTW.
i 1t is generally understood that 10 the
coming spring the Norway Water Co. il
to build large reservoir on the hill
above South Paris village for the pur
pose of giving better service to its Gus
TONERS in this village and also in Nor
way. This may or may not be true, but
it is so reported. As l understand the
plan it is to have this reservoir on the
same level as their present reservoir
just beyond Norway village, and to use
this reservoir as an overflow, or extra
supply of water. | am very willing to
give proper credit for the good that this
new reservoir may do us, and have no
| doubt that it may be of some benefit to
the takers of water in both villages. II,
however, the new reservoir is to be nc
higher than the old one, it seems to me
that the benefit that we shall derive will
be of little use to the people of South
Paris and Norway. Without doubt the
service will be somewhat improved in
case of fire if we have two large reser-
voirs to draw from, that is, the water
will hold out longer, and maintain its
force better than now.
| This is fact that can be plainly seen
and understood, but we all know that
water will rise no higher than its
source, and if the proposed reservoir is
on the same height as the old one the
slight additional force will be so little
that in my opinion the benefit will be so
small that it will be of little value to us.
If the real object was to give us suf-
ficient pressure to fight fire with, why
not put their present reservoir higher up
on Pixies Hill? Why is it necessary to
build new reservoir and lay large
amount of pipe, when better service
could be given at much less cost by put
ting their reservoir up where there
would be no question about the press
ure?
Since this water question has been
agitated during the past few months We
have had one small fire in our village.
This fire occurred early in the morning
when it was easy for large number of
people to get to. it promptly, and there
were hundreds of eyewitnesses to the
fact that we could barely get water on 70
the roof of one story building, and in
spite of the fact that there was plenty Of
help and the fire company responded
quickly to the call, We were unable TO
extinguish the flames before the house
was entirely ruined. We saw then what
pressure we have under ordinary circum
stances, and from that we can judge
what we will get with another reservoir
at the same height of the present one.
1t is possible that we shall be able to
throw water few feet higher and that
the pressure will be maintained longer,
but il is my opinion that the service will
then fall far short of what will be ade-
quate for good protection, and that it
will be far short of satisfactory.
Since the water pipes of the Norway
Water Co. were laid in our streets twen-
ty-two years ago, the village of South
Paris has practically doubled, and if the
service was anywhere near satisfactory
then, it cannot help being much less
now, for the water comes through the
same pipes and with no more pressure.
Western Avenue was not then built, and
this long street with it's houses set up
much higher than the rest of the village
has very much less pressure on its water
mains, and quite part of the street has
no protection whatever. If the pressure
was barely sufficient to put water on to
the ridgepole of a one story house, the
smallest house in the village, what could
we expect if a lire should start in the
upper story of the county buildings?
While | am not an expert in such mat
tiers it is my opinion that if Norway
Lake was cut in two parts and half put
where the present reservoir is, and the
other half where the new one is to be
built, it would he impossible to put two
good streams of water over the ridge
pole of the court house, and if good,
hot fire should get started it would be
impossible to get near enough to put
three streams of water against the sides
of the building. What is barely suf
ficient for the present is not enough for
US, and we do not want to be satisfied
until we have system of waterworks of
our own that will be satisfactory, when
South Paris has doubled it's population,
as it will without doubt, if we do not
burn down first.
What has happened during the last
few months to have caused the Norway
Water Co. to go to this great expense?
The president of the company told me
that the people of South Paris had moth
ing to complain of, that they were get
ting good service, and that the Norway
Water Co. had nothing to offer better
than they had been giving for the past
twenty years. Now it seems that no
expense is spared to force upon us an
increased service that they claimed was
good enough before. Not only that, but
they have come down on their prices,
and seem to be anxious that customers
shall pay the old rate instead of the new
and seem disposed to do business in
little more satisfactory manner for all
concerned. 1t is generally understood
that the Norway Water Co. did not de-
eide to build their proposed new reser-
voir until after the South Paris people
began to build theirs, and we do not
need to look far for the cause that led
them to conclude that we were not get
ting good service, and for their haste to
remedy it and be so anxious to give us
the best of service in the least possible
time. So much for the cause that lead
them to do this, now what is the objecp
As has been stated before in the
Democrat the Norway Water Co. are
deriving large income from the water
Cudl CUtles W Ooutu diis, anu w 10 Wv
prived of this income would of course be
a serious blow to the company, and to
save this income they will, without
doubt, do all that they can TO protect
themselves by giving us increased ser
vice, hoping that our water works will
not be finished, and that they will have
the monopoly as they have had for the
past twenty-one years. The president
of the company told me that it was alb
solutely necessary to charge the advanc-
ed rates in order to get sufficient money
to pay running expenses and pay the iu-
terest on the money invested, and that
the new rates that went into effect about
year ago were necessity caused by
the financial condition of the company.
This being the case it seems very un-
wise to me to spend very large amount
to do what they propose to do, rather
than to spend much smaller amount
and put their pressure where it will be
beyond question. While am not par
ticularly interested in the financial part
of this project and they certainly have
right to do as they please in the matter,
there is one thing that We must all re.
member, that is, that the people OF
South Paris and Norway will have it to
pay for. The Norway Water Co. are like
all other companies and fix their rate,
or are supposed to, according to the
cost of doing business compared with
their income, so that if the cost Of equip
ment and maintenance is large the price
will be large in proportion and the Gus