The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1909-07-14
BURSTING WATER MAINS
AND LEAKING JOINTS.

editorially:
The bursting of the water mains on
| Sunday indicates that the water pipes
have deteriorated to such an extent
as TO be unsafe or the water gauge
! which regulates the pressure is an
uncertain mechanical appliance requir-
/ Ing careful handling
During Sunday afternoon the city's
employees in charge Of the waterworks
were repeatedly called upon to tenn
porarily repair breaks.
BY the way, what has been done
| toward informing the citizens of Og-
den as to the financial status of the
waterworks? This breaking of water
mains is reminder of the whole water
problem. The first half year of the
city's ownership. which is complete
| financial period, is now twelve days
past and although promises were
made that the scmi-annual report
would be made public, not one word
has come from the CITY authorities.
Is IT not time to tell the people the
condition of the waterworkS system?
The Democratic apologist for the
present city administration. the Morn.
ing Examiner, ignoring our call for a
statement of the financial and ply
sical condition of the waterworks
says
That idea so pronouncedly ex-
pressed in the editorial columns OF
the Standard. Monday afternoon. re.
sarding the alleged bursting of the
water mains in the city waterworks
system the day before. was a pipe
dream" Of very great proportions;
but il seemed TO have given food for
thought The dream was pictured
into fancIcd reality and the people
were told that the waterworkS sys-
tenn purchased from the Ogden com
pany short time ago is an unsafe
and invaluable concern The Stand.
ard stated that the bursting OF the
water mains on Sunday indicates that
the water pipes have deteriorated TO
such an extent as 10 be unsafe"
Now, the fact OF the matter Is. that
no pipes 'burstcd" I'm Sunday nor
upon amy other day since the city puF
chased the waterworlls system, If
they had il would have been nothing
cuTs with water systems, and this
does not necessarily mean that the
system that occasionally finds bursted
mains Is a bad and unsafe" one |
There were a few leaks reported with |
in the last few days that came from
imperfectly made connections at the |
pipe joints. This is a frequent oc.
currence In all waterworks systems |
Specimens OF the mains which were |
a short time ago taken from the pipes |
in the various parts OF the system |
show almost as perfect a condition Of
the iron as the day it was planted in |
the earth. about twenty years ago. |
There was no evidence OF even
slight corrosion. So that. 1t Is saf
TO say that the city council and the |
mayor aid not purchase worn out
system, as our worthy contemporary |
would have the people believe. An
expert in examining the specimen last |
evening stated that the pipes were
IN very excellent condition. and that |
from his observations regarding the
repairs that are necessary on the Og- |
den system 1t Is far ahead Of any
other that he knows of So let the
pipe dream pass. ii Is but a phantom.
Some one has misinformed the ed
itor of the Examiner as we know ne
would not wilfully misrepresent One
Of the breaks in the water main on
Twenty-siXth street was not a leak
at a pipe joint. but a large opening
in the center of the main at a point
some distance from joint This
break was closed b. rubber pads be-
ing clamped with iron bands placed
securely and firmly over the opening.
There were many witnesses to the
repairing Of this one break who will
verify this statement. As TO the 9th.
er openings in the mains. 1t IS fair to
assume that, if classed as leaking
joints by the watcrworks people. they,
too, were rents In the body of the pipe.
There is an old proverb, False in one,
false in all"