The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-07-11
LETTERS TO EDITOR
Water Meters

To the Editor of The Age-1Ierad:
 These have become topic for much discussion. If experience would enable | one to do so, I ought to be able to give some light on the subject. I wish, at the outset to assure the public that I
 have no interest in or connection in any
 way. either as stockholder or other
 wise, with the Birmingham Water
 works company. I was superintendent and chief engineer of the Birmingham Waterworks from January 1. 1S7s the
 works then belonging to the old Elyton Land company, to october 1, 1899, on which date served my connection. Dur ing these 20 years I had occasion and ann pie opportunity to study and learn much about water meters and water consump-
 ton. l had, as all water companies do
 facilities for testing meters and keeping
 them in good order.
 Many good people become panicky at
 the name of q meter, be it an electric me
 ter. gas meter, or water meter, and look
 with grave and sincere suspicion on any
 thing bearing the name, Cas- as all know,
 IS an elastic fluid, whose volume varies
 with the pressure, and as to electricity
 mankind has still much to learn about
 it. the average individual. like myself,
 knowing little. On the other hand, wa
 ter is visible, tangible, non-elasuc
 fluid with which we are all familiar.
 There is no mystery about water meter, as many think. You can measure water by mechanical appliance Just as accurate ly as you can a block of wood and its volume in nature remains practically the same at all times. Furthermore, water meter may be tested by almost any in- telligent person who will give the matter little attention. I am sure that
 could in 20 minutes teach many of Dr.
 Phillips 10-year-old boys from the public
 scrools how to do this.
 During my 25 years experience as su-
 perntendent of the water works l, for the sake of my own information, tested many meters new ones and old ones. and 1 do not hesitate to say that there are meters on the market and in use that will measure thousand gallons of water as accurately any ordinary person could measure 1t with a gallon pot After having been in use for some time, they are more liable to vary against the com pany than against the consumer. Some years ago when this subject was under discussion in the Commercial club, in order to get some information that the members of the club would accept as trustworthy, I made a proposition to MT. | R. Steiner, who was then resident or Birmingham and a member of the club, | that q committee ofSthe club be appointed | by the president was then the late B, F. | Roden, to have one or two hundred of the meters then in use by water consumers | tested and report to the club, l agreeing to pay to a fund for the benefit of the Mercy Home $1 for every such meter found favoring the company if MT. Stein CT would pay like amount for every meter found favoring the consumer The proposition was not taken.
 For the purpose of information as to water consumption I placed about 100 me- ters on dwellings, of a certain class, keeping them there for some months, then transferring them to another like
 number of dwellings, and so on for year
 or more. l also kept a meter on my own
 residence during all this period. It was
 astonishing how the consumption varied
 with different dwellings. Some consumers
 used from 5000 to 5000 gallons per month,
 while others used from 20,Go0 to 100000 gallons. My own consumption during the period of about 12 months averaged from about 35o0 to 4500, seldom exceeding 5000 gallons per month. My residence con tained Il rooms with the usual conven- fences and fixtures of it's class. We also sprinkled small front yard and had the family laundering done on the preni- ises My family consisted of eight or ten persons, including servants l kept my plumbing in good order but did not at tempt to economize in the use of water, my only purpose being trustworthy inz formation, and the quantity of water used expense account. w. J. MllNER.
 I.,l.r