Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-02-28
FEAR WATER FAMINE
IN CENTRAL SECTION
City's Experts Foresee Trou-
bic With Supply for
Next Summer

\ water famine In central and down.
town sections Of the city during the com.
''ls summer Is an absolute certainty. in
the opinion OF city officials familiar wit,
the failure to increase the sunnly 7,
was also observed that as recelpts r,o,,
the sale OF water have Increased tho
amount or money provided bv Councits
Tor the upkeep Of the s6j.OOO. 600 s,stc,
has steadily diminished.
run financial reports relative "a ,,,o
water system during 1917. have inc, h.o,,
completed and will be incornor.,o, T..
Mayor Smiths annual report ON ,,,,,i.
c'pal affairs, These report. ,,it s,...
that receipts from the sale Of ya,or
jumpcd more tlan half million do,,.
in excess os the $4,000. 600 ra,ti,o.,
preceding year On this report tho crai,,,
WIZ be made that the system. Win a..
SoO,OOO,OOo of outstanding bonds g. |
a paying basis. - WI
Items Tor Improvement 10 tho ,,a,..
system have long been used to non,,is.
ize big loan issues for other am, ,.'.''
less necessary municipal uudsrtai,,,o'
with the result that there is nor, -,
able only few hundred thousard al
lars Tor improvements and exteusions
that IN normal times. would cost no.
tween Sno0O,OO0 and SS,000O0O, witb
me shldIl amount available, chief Davis
Of the Bureau of Water. is doing t,.
utmost to get new equipment TO b0ls,e,
up and strengthen the apparatus tba,
is in use in existing stations.
out OF loan moneys the water svs,o,,,
usually gets small allowance Will
most Of the NOR than Sl15.O0O Ooo n
ready authorized but not noated +.
for such ornate propositions as the parI..
way, the convention hail. the art naI,c,
etc. During the years Of neglect of m,
water system the plants have been main.
tanned on an efficiency basis only Through
the greatest cNertion Of the men In
charge. Each year sees more deprecia
ton and the big plant less able to care
for the constantly growing demand.
placed upon It.
| In speaking OF the possibilities Of tn,
present system chief saws sa,u: "Tht
reasonable capacity of the water system
I is 300,0oO,OO0 gallons "a day. Beyond
/ that we are dangerously taxing oul
pumps and pipes" With this author
| tativc statement to start with and will
the certainty Of the demand, during tn,
| hot months, far exceeding the supply
city officials say they cannot hope t,
avert famine in certain sections of th
city. During the extremely cold weathc
i'm January many houselIolders let tn
water drip to prevent the freezing o
pipes. with tho result that consumption
reached 3i6.O0o.0c0 gallons on certain
days This peal; load will uudoubtedl.
repeat itself this summer. as the deman,
Is constantly increasing. and more wate
| is used during the very hot wcathc
than at any other time in the year.
Year after year heads Of the Depart
mcnt of Public Works have petitione
| Councils TO aid the sclf-suppurtin
bureau with the result that just enoug
money has been provided by loans [
prevent the system breaking down en-
tircly. At present, it is not denied tina
the water plants are being run at ca
lpacity and almost on an emergency basi,
| Even with this the case, frequent con
plants are made that water in the cente
of the city cannot be had above III
second floor of buildings during certai
hours of the day.
Director Datesman. OF the Departmcr
of Public Works and chief Davis. of III
Bureau of Water. have again aske
Councils TO provide $4,000. 900, or a pa
thereof. to allow them to make absolutel
needed extensions and repairs. The +,
quest is likely to be ignored now, on Il
excuse that the war makes il mpossib
to procure materials that. all ADM
Should have been purchased and put
service before this t-.c.