The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1912-07-03
COMPLAIN OF
?. P. ( |. CO.
City Sends Formal Document to
Public Service Commission
at Olympia
MAINS LEAK, WATER LIES
IN SHEET UNDER CITY
Pressure Is Low, and Water Car
ries Various Things, Including
Snakes and Eels, According to
Complaint

Complaint
Formal complaint against the wa
ter service and equipment of the Pa
cific Power & Light company was
lie service commission Monday morn
ing.N The complaint has been under
preparation by City Attorney G. o.
Shumate for some time, and was
completed last week. Further
charges against the rates on gas,
water, and electricity for lighting and
manufacturing purposes will be made
later, as such complaint have to be
based on physical valuation Of the
plants of the company.
The complaint establishes the
identity of the city and of the Pa
|eific Power & Light company, then
proceeds by quoting from the ordi-
nance of Dec. "a, 1904, granting a
franchise for water system to the
Northwest Light & Water company
the franchise which is now held by
its successor, the Pacific Power &
Light company. 1t is specified that
the franchise calls for a water pres
sure in the mains of rs pounds to
| the square inch at Yakima avenue
and Second street and a sufficient
pressure for domestic purposes al
all times.
Have Not Kept Pressure
The complaint then proceeds, al
leging that the company has moi
maintained the pressure, but that tht
mains leak constantly, and have beer
the cause of the sheet of water which
underlies the city constantly.
THAT the Pacific Power & Ligh'
company has failed and neglected tt
maintain a pressure Of rs pounds t.
| the square inch at the point desig
mated in said ordinance, or at any
| other place; that the pressure fur
and not sufficient: that it is otter
| less than 40 pounds to the square
inch, and that 40 pounds to the
square inch, and that the fire engines
of said city often pump from {
vacuum in the mains during times O.
| fire; that said ordinance provided
and it is incumbent upon the defend
ant. to furnish a sufficient pressure
of water at all times and maintain TIL,
same in the mains for domestic ant
other purposes; that during the sum
mer months, when a demand is mad
upon the mains for lawn sprinklinl
land other domestic services the pres
sure in the mains runs as low as q
pounds to the square inch; that a
times there is no pressure at all il
the second and third stories of dwell
| ing houses and business blocks; tina
4 the pressure maintained in said main
for ordinary domestic and lawn ,pur
lposes is inadequate and insufficien
and. contrary to the provisions o.
said ordinance; that by reason of sal
4 inadequate pressure, insurance rate
ARE abnormally high in North Yaki
ma, and insurance companies hav
Threatened to increase said rates.
] Says Wooden Mains Leak
i THAT the distributing system o
1.-THE Pacific Power e Light Company
water plant consists of approximate
SIS miles of supply pipe and mains o
various sizes and kinds of pipe; tina
q considerable portion of said pipe
wood that the construction of sal
supply pipe and many Of the main
are of such an inferior nature an
quality that innumerable leaks occur
that on the 9th day OF February
l1s12, 7,00O,0 900 gallons of water wa
delivered to the supply line at tn
intake of the open canal from whic
the supply of water is taken: tina
tr,r ie ipf al an No
and so charges the facts to be tina
the average per diem consumption G
water in the city of North Yakim
does not exceed that amount on tn
9th day of February, 1912; that be
cause of the defective constructio
iof said supply line and the waite
mains of the distributing system c
: the defendant and the innum erabl
leaks thereof, there was a loss {
water amounting to n per cent; tha
: as result of said leakage and los
7 of water from said distributing sys
tenn, the city of North Yakima is ur
, derlaid with a sheet of water at a
, times which is constant menace
the inhabitants thereof and to tn
public health, peace and safety {
l said city; that by reason of this cor
{ slant sheet of water underlying tn
city of North Yakima, the inhabitan'
thereof have been compelled to cor
( struct a system of drainage at a gres
Y cost for the purpose of carrying ava
I the underlying water, and will be re
q CURED to construct additional drair
$ age facilities, your relator is informe
and believes and so charges the fac
to be that a great portion Of the ur
1 derlying sheet of water is caused /
leaks in the mains and water pipe
, of the said defendant.
Exposed In Open Canal
"That the water supply furnishe
3 by the said defendant is taken froi
an open canal which is exposed for
distance OF about eight miles; III:
e said canal runs through thickly Sc
! tied portion of the Naches valley, an
= is subject to contamination and pollt
ton from various farms, barns an
COW lots, the drainage from whic
runs directly into the open canal; thu
4 owing to the exposed canal from While
1.-THE supply of water il taken, sma
particles of foreign matter are cor
? tinuously transmitted through til