Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1920-12-14
w. BAKER HALL. ASSISTANT
ENGINEER. cRITIsIzEs WATER
co. IN REPORT.


EN4lNGENs NNAA10AAES WAAER
co. IN REPORT.
F. A. Brown, Receiver, Makes Answer
to Commission.
We publish below excerpts from
the report of Inspection submitted to
the Public Service Commission by w
Baker Hall, Assistant Engineer
formerly of this place, and filed with
the Commission in the matter of the
application of the Water Company
for an increase of its rates, now
pending before the Commission.
Source of Supply.
1.-THE supply is received from two
sources, Wright's spring and Rock
spring. The condition at Wright's
spring is very good it was esti-
mated that the Wright's spring was
furnishing so per cent of the water
supply. The general construction
at Rock spring is very crude-ai
least rs per cent of the water that il
pipes into the intake at Rock spring
is water from the mill race. The
water in this race comes from &
water shed that is considered very
unsanitary. Wright's spring ant
Rock spring combined are made
quate, under normal conditions tt
meet the demand, and therefore, il
is necessary to use some of the water
from the mill race, unless one of the
other available sources of supply are
used, Briscoe and Engle Springs.
"The method of sterlizing the water
is very crude"
"The capacity of the pumps are
adequate for the present demand
There has lately been installed new
Centrifugal pump.
''The fair method is to meter al
water information shows thai
(some large patrons) are being fur
nished water at less than cost
recommends block rate on MONTH.
and quarterly consumption, with ;
fixed minimum charge :. estimates
that it now costs between II and /:
cents to deliver water to large con
sumers."
Contract Consumers.
st is noted that no increases wer,
made on this class of consumer
while domestic consumers have beef
raised twice. If the contract an,
metered consumers had been charge,
in proportion with the domestic con
sumers the Company would be in
better financial condition. Ate
illustrating with the Baltimore 4
Ohio Railroad which now only pay
$500 year for unlimited use of tn
water, the report says: "All tn
revenue from the contract consumer
with the exception of the jefferson
Cooperage Company, would show
large increase over the present rev
enue requested by the Water Com
pany, if inferred.
at is not believed that it would b
necessary to raise the domestic cor
sumers, if the monthly or quarterl
meter rates are used.
Management.
at is evident that the Charlie
Town Water Company has been in
efficiently managed. There is n
doubt but what the Receiver desire
to do what is right, but from the typ
of construction, condition of tn
plant, method in which the record
are kept, it is evident that an e,
perienced water man is needed t
handle this company efficiently. Tn
salaries paid the Receiver and Clerl
considering the amount of work pei
formed, is in excess of the averag
pay in Charles Town. The reveive
and his Clerks salary were approx
mately II per cent of the water rent
from April, 1919, to April, 1921
This is considered an excessive over
head charge. The general cond
tions show the prices of farm pre-
ducts are falling faster than an
others. This will cause the pric
of labor in an agricultural section
in which Charlie sTown is located, t
fall instead of rise"
Forrest A. Brown, Receiver for tn
Water Company, has filed the TO
lowing answer with the Public Sci
vice Commission, which we give be
low, as it is fair that both sides Q
the controversy should be heard.
IN RE: Charles Town Water Con
pany, Case No. 1898.
To the Honorable Public Servic
Commission of West Virginia:
Your petitioner, Charles Tow
Water Company, excerpts t
the report of w. B. Hall, Assistar
Engineer, dated December 1st, 1921
in the particulars hereinafter note
and begs leave to call the Commits
sions attention to the following fact
relative to the matters therein RI
ported.
1. Source of Supply.
The percentages of water take
from Wright's Spring, Rock Sprin
and the Mill Race or Evitt's Run Civ
en- in the report are purely guess
work and no kind of measurement
test has been made, but we do NO
presume that their accuracy is ma
terial at this time.
1t should be noted that the waite
from Mill Race or Evitt's Run
taken at point about half mil
above the Town, that the run raise
about two and one-half miles fun
Their up in the country and is fe
from several springs, including tn
Engle and Briscoe Springs which ar
the largest, and that the run flow
from it's source to the intake pip
through open fields.
Rock Spring is covered and Their
is concrete basin with gate TO
the purpose of shutting off or lettin
in the run water, but as a matter o
fact it is necessary to use some 0
the run water practically all of tn
time so that the gate is used only t
regulate the amount.
We doubt the accuracy of the foy
of Engle's Spring given as 100000
G. P. NJ, and do not believe it
based on any accurate test, but W
submit that this is immeterial at tn
present time.
2. Sterilizing Station.
Not only the water from Wrigh
3D.