New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-10-18

More Money Needed for Meter
Tests, Says Professor BemiS.
CROWD AT BUDGET EXHIBIT
Hears Proper Reduction of Leaks
Would Enable City to Sell
Supply to Suburbs.

So much interest has been aroused in the
attempt of the present administration TO
attack the problem of water waste and
meters and so many different reports are
afioat regarding the expense of this work
that a great deal of interest was shown
yesterday by the throng gathered at the
public hearing in the budget exhibit hall
when Professor Edward ". Benis. Deputy
Commissioner of Water Supply Gas and
Electricity. spoke on the subject He said
in part:
only S;0.0oO thus far has been spent and
out OF this amount $1,000 has gone into
buildings and permanent equipment Until
this year the city had no means of testing
a single one of the twelve thousand large
meters installed in big business places. and
II could test only one meter OF the other
sixty thousand meters at a time All OF
them were soldered into place. instead of
being screwed in and easily detachable as
everywhere else in the United States, and
they have never been tested since in
stalled.
In the last few weeks a few hundred Of
these meters have been examined. result
ing in the discovery in some cases that
the consumers are being cheated to the ex-
tent Of over $1,000 a year by meters being
cheated out OF more than So. 900 a year by
slow meters
Another line of work has been the de-
lection and stoppage of several million
gallons a day of leakage at the base of
hydrants. where the water is never seen
at the surface. and in the houses from
leaking toilets and faucets. The gain to the
city from the detection and stoppage Of
these leaks has been at the rate Of over
100000 d year. This is specially important
where we have TO buy at high price over
four-ffths of the water sell, in
Queens. or where the pressure is poor on
upper floors. as in a large portion OF Brook
Ign and in some larger districts Of Man
haitian and The Bronx.
Staten Island was in such desperate
straits for water during the past summer
that the streets were not sprinkled and d
hose was forbidden on the lawn A recent
inspection, however, Of one-third Of the set
tied portion of the island has revealed a
daily leakage in that district alone OF one
fifth Of the total pUmpage Of the island. 1t
Is much cheaper TO stop such waste than to
bring water long distances at great expense
or TO buy it at high prices from private
water companies.
This branch Of the Water Department
weeks in Br Dollyn the repairing and set
ting directly with city plumbers and work
men OF such meters as the owners ask the
department to repair and set. The Water
Department has been able 10 do this al less
than half the cost of outside contract labor, /
with corresponding reduction in charges TO
the consumer This Is largely due 10 the
fact that the city. doing the work with its
own labor. avoids much of the expensive /
red tape Of inspections and trips to the
Office. testing yard and meter company $
plants"
In the animated but friendly discussion
which followed it was brought ont that
the vigorous prosecution of the policies
a bove outlined might enable the postpone
ment for a long time 81 many extensions /
in the water sheds. costing tens OF millions
of dollars and that if general use Of meters /
prevailed il might be possible to make con /
siderable reduction in time in the meter
charges. while also saving the money Of
the taxpayer and not interfering with the
health Of the city.
with a proper reduction in the leaks of
the city, said Professor Bemis, we could .
sell 10 the suburbs all the water they
needed without any fear of endangering
our own supply"