The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1912-04-20
Much Work Designed To Afford
Relief Is Already Under
Way
PRESENT PLANT MODERN
BUT NOT LARGE ENOUGH
Pressure Will Be Low Only In
Tall Buildings In Out
lying Districts


about" said George II. Fenkell,, en-
4 ginser for the board of water commits,
4 sioners to The Times, Saturday. Mem
4 bers OF the board and have known
4 OF the situation and discussed the i'm.
4 provements recommended by Prof.
n Gardner s. Williams for more than a
A year past. l am on record as having
\ Recommended everything recommend
4 ed by Prof. Williams, except hye-foot
main from the pumping station
Through the center of the city, wester-
KS " TO Twelfth-st., and centrifugal pump
IN the water works station TO work in
connection with the new intake. In
place or a iye-foot main, long ago
recommended, four-foot main as the
most practical size. You will notice
that Prof. williams embodies many
OF my recommendations In his report.
II is simply expert opinion backing up
evidence l have already submitted 10
the board. IL shows the lines we are
working on are all right. It's chief
Importance to the city at the present
time Is in showing the imperative me-
cessity of immediate and more exten-
siva action. Those recommendations
back up what have already contended
for with the board, and am glad to
have my recommendations substantial
Y ed by q disinterested expert In by
drahlics.
What we can accomplish this sum
med depends on how quickly the board
wishes to act. ! can do no more than
thetboard is willing that l should do.
II the board acts quickly We can I'M
prove the efficiency of the water sys-
tenn fully SO per cent by next sum-
met"
The Times reporter obtained from
the engineers ofice copy OF the last
annual report of the water commits
sioners for the year ending June 80.
1911 On page. 2. this statement Is.
madc. sho ing that the board has long
en- aware OF the demands of the city
soe Increased efficiency In the. water
work on tanother intake tunnel
must be begun before many months
have past; and funds for this and the
necessary conduits TO the pumping
stations and other. work and apparatus
necessary TO make up,'the equipment
which will be- needed ! TO supply and
pump the great quantities OF water
must be provided in the immediate fu.
ture.s I16S@ = Z e
The report throughout refers repeat
eddy to the need OF Increased efficiency
all OF which WAS recommended In the
report and Statements OF Engineer
Fenkell Some OF the mains then rec
ommended by Fenkell are now under
construction; the board is building q
new pumping plant and will by next
spring have installed three new en-.
44Ix ..rtAh 40 MI -
& SOC, 100000 gallons. Those engines
have been two years In the process OF
construction up to date. Mains rec
ommended by Fenkell two years ago.
on which work has either just begun
or is about to begin will not be finish
ed for two and three years. AS Fen
kell puts 1t, 1T all depends on how fast
the board wants to move"
There Is no conflict OF opinion be-
tween Prof. Williams, the board or
. myself" said Fenkell. Il long ago
pointed out the city's needs and II Is
up to the board TO, act on them.
II have no criticism of the board To
offer, but here Is the situation: The
city Is way ahead or us, gotten away
beyond us. II the city stopped grow
ing absolutely for two or three years,
at our present rate Of progress in the
water department we would be able
3 to catch up and be abreast of the
needs OF the city, but the city won't
stop growing, SO we must either lag
behind or Jump in and double our
work.
"The present water system Is not
antiQuated, as many would suppose.
II Is not Junk or all shot to pieces
In fact, Ii il modern in every respect,
90 far as 1t goes. 1t has been kept
ND, Is in good condition. But as We
hsve expanded the water system. the
city has expanded, and the city has
expanded and grown so fast that IL
has run away from us. In spite OF
the phenomenal growth Of the city,
as attested by the water system, we
have very nearly kept pace with II
from the standpoint of improvements
and extensions, II conditions were
normal But, the per capita consump-
ton OF water has gone away beyond
our expectations. The people are
using much larger quantities of water.
per capita, now than they ever did
before. principally for legitimate rea-
sons. The number OF manufacturing
plants and other commercial institu.
tons has increased remarkably and
that increases the demands. Then,
TOO. there is a certain amount OF ex.
fravagance; water Is being used arge-
4 IL without restrictions.
. "Cutting out the fountains wouldn't
help much" said Mr.. Fenkell, with n
smile. Limiting the daily use OF Wa-
Ter for sprinkling purposes, would help
more There are innumerable other
ways IN which the expenditure of wa
Ter could be reduced temporarily The
<onditions this summer wilr not b.
changed very much from the eonGi-
Ions last summer The point that
Prof. Williams makes .is- this: that ~
me demand increases year litter year
and II we do not make. greater strides
fovard Keeping mp : with the der md,
the pressure VIII gradttafTy become
lower and lower. aud II continued in.
If1nitely, a famine IN sure To result
say this summer che only evidence
~ deficient water system viii be
manifested In the nigh buildings and
. N the outlying -distriots. Highland
T1fk. for instance The pressure will
~ Low. that's al. but moi much Towet
Ian last summer. Tire city woald
~ perfectly able 70 cope wlfh big
IRE downtown: that need not alarm
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