Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1910-03-17
Claim That MANY
Gallons Are
Wasted.
MAINS LEAK

Following an inspection OF the.wa-
ter system of this city which was
made by Commissioner Thomas
Grieve few days ago, he recon-
mended to the Water Board last
night in written report, that water
meters be placed in all the schools,
fire houses and public buildings, and
system of metering be established
which would eventually include ev-
cry dwelling house and public build
Ing In the CITY,. His recommends
tion is the result of a discovery that
hundreds of thousands Of gallons of
water which are pumped from Run
yon daily, are unaccounted for, eth
er due to some large leaks, or to be-
ing consumed in some unaccountable
manner.
Commissioner Grieve says that at
the present rate, one hundred and
eight gallons of water are used per
capita each day in this city and the
only course to take to eliminate this
waste is to charge each person ac-
cordingly, or to stop the leaks. With
the meters in each building, the
amount Of water used here each day
could be reckoned, and it would be
possible to figure accordingly in as
certaining the amount of water lost
Commissioner George ]. Haney
was decidedly opposed to having the
meters installed in every building in
the city. He said that 1t would
mean an expenditure to the city of
over $4,000. He said that he did
not think the water was being vast
ed here, but that 1t was flowing out
of the mains somewhere between
this city and Runyon. He proposed
a much cheaper remedy in the form
of meter at this end of the twenty
four-inch main, with which to reckon
the loss on the number of gallons
pumped each day, and the number
passing through the main in the
same space of time. A meter for
this would not cost over $1,000, he
said.
Ascertaining the number of gal
Ions pumped each day is only mere
guess work, he added, reckoned on
the number of strokes of a piston,
and it the proposed system of meter
ing every house was put in opera
tion, the amount of the loss could
not be accurately determined.
Engineers Views.
Engineer s. J. Mason was present
and said that placing meter at
Runyon and another at this en1
would be feasible solution. He
said in that manner the amount of
water lost each day could be ascer-
tanned and by placing valves on the
different sections of the main, the
leaks could be located. He added
that at the present time, if there was
a leak in the main near a sewer, 1t
might run for ten years without be-
ing discovered. He told of one leak
that had been extant for four years
before 1t was discovered.
Probably the largest waste is in
the Raritan river" said the engi-
neer. There is not day goes by
but what many gallons leak from the
main into the river"
Commissioner Grieve's report
stated that outside of the factories,
S,260,563 gallons Of water are used
here every day, and of this, only
fifteen per cent. is metered.. at
might appear" the report stated,
"that a system OF metering would
lessen the cause, as then the mini
mum rate would be attained in most
cases, instead of the fiat rate now
used. Statistics from other cities go
to prove that this is not the case
where the subject of waste water has
been taken up. The policy should
not be to pour in more water and
spend more money, but to save the
water and spend less money"
After considerable discussion the
matter was referred to the commit
tee of the whole.