Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1911-10-07

passing the record for the past ter
years.
or isloated fire, would be so great az
to allow fire very great headwa
Certainly these conditions are not
very cheerful, even in a city where
the fire loss is at the minimum.
1T is not true that the supply of city
water is adequate for or equal to the
legitimate demands, for, though the
supply is with difficulty being main.
tanned for regular consumption, in
case of fire there is nothing to fall
back upon except Town creek" said
City Engineer Ansley yesterday.
1T is the endeavor of the city tc
maintain good supply of pure wat
er, so that it may not be necessary tc
introduce the water of Town creek
into the city mains, but unless the c.
operation of the people of the city is
given to the authorities a water fam
inc is eminent. There will be no fam
inc, however, if the citizens will CO.
operate with the city officials in CON
serving the water supply.
1T is unnecessary to say that the
creek water is bad. 1t is hoped, also,
that it will not be necessary to fill the
city mains with it. There is no re-
serve water supply, now, however, as
we are just keeping up with the de-
mands. In case of an emergency, it
would be necessary to turn to the last
resort, Town creek, to tide us over"
Engineer Stephens at the pumping
station, corroborated the statements
made by City Engineer Ansley.
''We are pretty near to water fam
ine," said he, in speaking of the sit
uation last night. "We have now in
the standpipe about $4,000 gallons of
water while there is only about a foot
and a half of water in the reservoirs,
which equals about 10000 gallons.
There ought to be, in order to have a
reasonably safe reserve, about 100000
gallons, so the shortage of water is
made manifest at once by these fig
ures.
so acute has the situation become
that l have already made preparations
to turn Town Creek into the reser-
voirs in case of fire or similar emer-
gency. 1t is not a pleasant thing to
do to turn creek water into the mains,
but we are prepared to do it in case
of absolute necessity.
"At no time during the past three
years since l have been at the pump
ing station has the water supply been
so low. l called the attention of the
water committee this morning to the
threatening conditions and they at
once proceeded to take official action
to check the waste of water, for such
there must be. In the face OF the
present conditions, city water should
not be used except for family use.
I'm spite of the fact that we pump
ed last night nearly 100000 gallons OF
water. we are barely supplying the de-
mands. We have been pumping from
25O.OOO to 100000 gallons every night
for some time, but still we have been
unable to accumulate a reserve sup
rly This means that the residents of
the city are consuming, or wasting,
water at the rate of IS to 80 gallons
per head, which is excessive.
There is manifestly a leakage some
where. The springs are much weak
er now than during wet weather, so
that they are supplying not 100000
daily, as was suggested, but barely
144,OOO gallons, so that the limit Of
their possibilities has nearly been
reached. All use of water for sprink-
ling purposes must be discontinued II
the supply is to be maintained and any
reserve secured.
1t would seem from the foregoing
statements that there is a prodigal
waste of water going on somewhere
as the pumpage now is about the
highest of the season, while there is
practically no water in reserve. Ev-
cry one found violating the order is
sued yesterday by the city will be
vigorously prosecuted in the recorders
court, as the city authorities are de
termined to avoid a water famine =
possible. In illustration of the waste
of water, it is even said that in some
sections of the city cane fields have
been sprinkled from city hydrants.