The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-06-25

The enormously excessive water
bills of the public schools has reached
the stage of mystery. The officials
of the Spring Valley declare and their
employees have made sworn affidavit
to it, that the schools used all the
water charged against them. Superin-
tendent of Schools Roncovieri says If
they did the pupils would be water
logged. He bases this assertion upon
a computation, founded on the COM
panys figures, which would show an
average consumption Of II gallons per
scholar per day
Spring Valley and the school depart
ment are at variance in many particu-
lars. Against the positive statements
that the meters were read. Profess ors
Heaton and Howard deputies in Ron
CONVERTS office, say that the meter in
the Noe Valley school was so deeply in
crusted with mud and sand that the dial
could not be seen. Spring Valley re-
plies that it's men are so expert in their
work that they can read through the
dirt.
Roncovieri states that the depart
ment has been charged with far more
water than is just. ]. S. Wallace. man
ager of the Spring Valley sales depart
ment, says that Roncovieri doesnt
know what ne is talking about
And thus the matter stands at pres
emit In order to avoid further compll-
cations. Roncovieri has ordered school
principals to be present at the reading
of the meters hereafter and to report
to him; that the water be turned OF
after school hours. and that automatic
faucets be installed.
EXCESSIVE CHARGES MADE
The fact remains, however, that the
per capita charge in San Francisco is
from 10 to Is times as high as in Oak
land and Berkeley. In one case the
local department was charged $685. 10
for one months service at single
school. This was at the Fairmont
school during the month of January
Professor Heaton said yesterday that
he did not believe so much water could
flow through the pipes with every tar
wide open for "a hours day. The
Fairmont school has an enrolment OF
600 pupils. The Garfield school in Oak
| land. with "a cIassrooms, has an en-
rolIment of LOO pupils, and its bill
for January was $685..
The parallel may be drawn all the
way through the two departments with
similar results. This is the circum-
stance that has aroused the suspicion
of the San Francisco authorities. The
Oakland schools paid s116.41 for water
during the month of February. For
January the local department received
bill for s2.061.35.
Spring Valleys answer to the COM
parison was to cast doubt on the ac-
curacy of the Oakland figures and to
allege that water was wasted through
careless plumbing in the San Francisco
schools. Roncovieri says he got his
figures from the Oakland board of edu-
cation and he denies that there has
been waste at the local schools.
A general test of all the meters has
been ordered and this is now in prog
ress 1t is being conducted by Stephen
A Byrne, the city inspector. 1t shows
some inaccuracies, with a tendency on
the part of many of the meters to over
register, but the amounts are not suf-
in the results.
HOW WATER Is PURCHASED
The system under which the school
department purchases the water is UNI
like that in use in other branches of
the city government. The schools oper-
ate under a meter schedule. The first
1000 cubic feet take rate of 20 cents
per 100 cubic feet With every 1000
1eet up TO 1u,oVV CUBIC leet the rate
falls one cent. From 10000 to 10000
feet the rate falls one cent with every
:. 1000 feet. 1t falls another cent between
80 900 and $4,000 feet. With every 10000
feet from $4,000 to 10000 feet it falls
one cent Thus everything over 10000
feet sells at II cents per 100 cubic feet.
This does not work out as would APP
pear at first glance. If a consumer, UNI
der this system should use 80 900 cubic