Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1909-07-05
ACCUSED
Of RECKLESS
WASTE
COMPANY HOLDS COUNCIL
RESPONSIBLE FOR FAMINE
Claimed Over Hundred Thou
sand Gallons Daily Are Pour
ed on Streets While People
Suffer For Water,


That the city of Albuquerauo--th'
city governmcnt-has been largely re-
sponsble for thc water famine is the
claim made by the Water supply com
pany, which alleges that in spite OF
the critical situation curing the past
wes,, .hr city mas been using fully
100, 900 gallons of water a day, has
teen flooding the university road
through II fire hose and has allowed
the water elsewhere to run contlnu-
ously and Wastcfully in the face of the
pressing public need for days past
An official of the company stated
last night that although repeated re-
quests had been made that the city
stop the wasteful use OF water ana call
off some Of the sprmklcrS during the
extra tax on the supply, the city has
made every possible draft upon the
supply" and wasted thousands Of gal
Ions of water. It Is asserted that three
sprinklers have been going all day eN-
cry day during the present shprtaG >.
The mayor at the council meeting last
Friday night when it was suggested
that the city let up on the street
sprinking for a time made the state
ment that the streets were going to
pieces and it would be impossible to
use any less water on them.
'Thc city allows two onc-quartcr
inch hose to run from morning until
night at the public library and several
times our men have found the water
running over the street and down as
far as Broadway" said member of
the company last night. The grass is
practically drowned out and turned
yellow by the wasted water The city
has claimed that it was unable 10 turn
this water off The drinking fountain
at the corner of Broadway and Cen
tral avenue has been turned on fun
force 50 that for every gallon which
"a horse drinks probably five hundred
gallons run into the sewer. In the
face of a threatening shortage the city
last week. after the company had turn
ed off the water from the reservoir, cut
in on the main on tho university road
east of the valve, put on fire hose
and drenched the road, which is n sand
bed and takes up the water Ike "a
sponge so that thousands Of gallons
were sunk in the ground which the
people needed to drink The orna-
mental fountain in Robinson park has
been running continuously the water
simply going To- waste. There ~ no
possible draft on the supply which the
city has not made. when It should CO.
operate with the public to conserve tho
supply, as it has been repeatedly re-
pucstcd 10 do"
The water company claims that its
every action is made an opening FOR
en attack on 1t by the council and
that 1t is case of be- damned " YOU do
and ditto if you don't
In the matter of tho accquia
water" said a member of the com
psny last night the council had de-
manded that We furish water. Insist
ing on q two hour irrigation period
instead OF the one hour the company
suggested. The council passed reso-
luton. with no penalty attached ask
ing people Ia irrigate only in the even
ing The next morning people in all
parts of the city paid SO little at
tention to the resolution that lawns
were flooded all over the city. and
the city continued Ia usc all rhe Wa
ter il could pour on the streets.
''The level of the reservoir went
down rapidly and the pressure before
the day was half over had gone down