New-York tribune., 1917-07-01
Ordinance to
Prohibit Wilful
Waste of Water
Tentative Amendment to
Code Drawn Up at Big
Conference
City Outlines Policy
If a Tenant Maliciously Keeps
a Faucet Open He Will Be
Violator Of Law

As result of several conferences be-
tween Commissioner Williams and
Deputy Commissioner Wilcox Of the
Water Department and representatives
Of the advisory council, an ordinance
has been prepared by the Commissioner
for the protection OF owners OF prem
ises in which meters are installed, so
as to penalize any wilful injury to
property by tenants through the waste
Of water. This ordinance was fully dis
cussed at a conference held in the Com
missioner's Office last week and attend
ed by representatives Of the Citizens
Union, City Club of New York, Brook
lyu Civic Club, Central Mercantile As
sociation, Real Estate Board Of New
York, Brooklyn Board Of Real Estate
Brokers, Merchants Association OF New
York and the Ridgewood Heights I'M
provement Association.
One Of the principal objections to the
installation of water meters In apart
ment houses has been the possibility
that tenants would permit the water to
be wasted by leaving the faucets open,
thus heavily increasing the charges
upon the property.
The ordinance as tentatively drawn
so as TO be presented 70 the Board OF
Aldermen reads as follows:
Be it ordained by the Board OF Al
dermen as follows:
Section /. Chapter 25 Of the code Of
ordinances is hereby amended by add
ing thereto, as Section 40 of Article Ill
thereof, the following:
Section As. Wilful waste OF water
prohibited. No person shall open, hold
open or fasten open, or damage or
tamper with any piping or water hXt-
ures connected with the municipal wa
ter supply or with the public water
supply, within the City OF New York,
of any private water company, or
cause any such piping or water fixtures
to be opened, or held or fastened open,
or damaged or tampered with, for the
purpose of wasting water or interfering
with the supply Of water 10 other per-
sons, or of defrauding or injurlng the
city or any private water company. or
any person responsible for the payment
of water rates or water rents pertaining
TO the water so wasted.
Any person who shall violate any OF
the provisions of this section shall,
upon conviction thereof. be punished by
a fine of not more than S25. or by i'm
prisonment for not exceeding thirty
days, or by both such fine and impris-
onment.
1t is to be the policy of the city to ac-
qure the meters now owned by the
property owners. and the city will like
wise assume all work of Installing,
maintaining and renewing meters on
the municipal service. This will be
done entirely independent of the fur
ther extension of the meter system It
self. Annual service charges will be
then established to apply to the metered
premises for the purpose of covering
the average cost to the department OF
installing and maintaining the meters.
It is also the purpose of the Depart
ment of Water Supply to establish
minimum charges on metered service
for the double purpose of insurlnS SUI
fcient minimum revenue to the city
from premises where consumption IS
very small, and, on the other hand, Tor
insuring an adequate supply Of water
for domestic purposes in multiple lam
ily houses under the minimum charge