Amarillo daily news. [volume] (Amarillo, Tex.) 19??-current, 1921-01-21
WATER SITUATION
IS FULLY DISCUSSED
SUPPLY ADEQUATE FOR PRESENT
NEEDS. BUT FUTURE MIST
BE CONSIDERED.

by W. W. Fienniken. vice president ~
the organization. Of n committee COM
uosed of Ross Rogers. Grover iIill and
Y. n. Rigs. 10 meet the city commits
sten and request from that body q fund
with which to have made a survey and
report tn tho commission and 10 the
hoard. the bes, available source u va.
ter supply. This action was taken NJ
ter lengthy discussion m which J. y
pirrs. Mayor Lon u. Mars. Guy W
Faller. A. T. Dickey. G. II. Mccullough
and Chester u. Clcgg. the Santa r
water expert participated.
The discussion wns orcncd 10y J y
Rigs, the chairman Il the public uit
itles committee. who ASSERTED That h.
had given quite good deal u ihough,
10 the water situation. hut hid come
"a no definite conclusions slyc that thc
city needed water and needed IL badly.
A. 20 ways ara means % securing II hc
urnfessed Ignorance az 60 The best meth
od Of procedure. and invited suggest
ions nom others. Chairman F1cnniken
invited Mayor Lon u. Mars who WIS
present. 10 express himself On the qucs
ticn.
Mayer Mars stated that he he'd aseer.
talned. from reports ~ the officials u
the water company that there was q
sufficient supply ~ water available for
Che present needs q Amarillo. but that
che future requirements were another
matter He said that there WIS 40 drubt
shat the water situation In Amarillo WIS
asgnva one and one that required care
full thought In handling II. lie inform
I'D hls hsaFers that the water company
had reported To thu city commission
that with two more wells the company
would IN all likelihood b. able In pro.
vide a sufficient supply az water "a last
through the summer but that even with
tyo more wells there might h. some
xhoriage. Tho mayor thought II would
hs the most feasible plan u ~ 20 the
shallow water belt near Hereford.
where Il was known there was an ahun.
dant supply of water. and then work to-
yard Amarillo. testing from time %
limo. until II should he shown that the
supply showed signs q falling OF then
stop and make plans fer getting water
from that point.
We can resoluio." declared the
mayor. ''snd discuss as long as we IKE
and Il will not help the situation any.
] sc We have some engineers here
with M tonight. They can give US
some wonderful and valuable inforIna.
tion. Mr.. Ciegg. Of the Santa Re u
here. I suggest that we call on him
for his views.
Mr.. ciegg. when called upon hy the
chairman. suggested that Il nigh, b.
well to hear from a. W Fallcr. tho
general manager q the City Light a
Water Company.
Mr.. failcy began with the admission
that his company had experienced con
siderable difficulty In the past seven
years IN getting an adequate supply
Il water from Amarillo. ard stated
that his company had been aboring
under adverse conditions lie asserted
that NJ no time had the company sue.
ceeded In locating a well that could
supply more than ninety gallons Of
water per minute. Il am not optimistic"
he stated. as 90 the possibilities Of ever
securing cheap water for Amarillo. I
don't believe that Amarillo win ever
have cheap water. That simply T. an
unfortunate condition which the city
must face. Last year We furnished
lso.oeo.opo gallons of water To Amarillo.
That - more than the city ever before
used The overhead expense. the de-
probation and the Interest on Invest.
ment VIII. when apporuonod Ia tina;
amount Of wafer. inevitably make the
cost when distributed to the con.
sumer above seseniy.five cents Der
thousand gallons" When questioned
by G. n Mccullough as 10 the value
81 his plant. Mr.. Falier gave Il rs
about tso6.o0o. in tangible assets. but
stated that the replacement val,,c
would be about ss0o doc
g, ID cierR waa next called tp1n
~ Mr.. Flenniken 10 state his views
lie outlined three great necessities for
the growth OF any city. viz: trangpor.
tatlon. fuel and water He stated that.
with three erea; trunk lines the trans.
portatfon needs were wen taken care
a.. that the fuel supply was great, but
that tho lack u water was a serious
one. Delving Immediately into tho
Mart OF his subject. no attacked Mr.
faller's statement thai IL was not likely
that Amarillo would ever have cheap
wafer. Taking the figures quoted by
me water company's manager lor the
year % 1890. Ia which $50. 900 COO
gallons a water were consunsd. he
siaied thai that consumption was by
lAtrona q the water company alone
apd asserted that an additional amount
was consumed by the railroads. laun.
ofies and other enterprises with wells
4 thru own which would Dearlv
elual that amount % one hundred ana
e,shiy millions 81 gallons. and thai an
o. 'hcss woala b. purchasers Of water
NON tho city should u install a system
NON which Il could supply waller a, a
reasonable rate. Mr.. CIexg poln,ed os,,
mat This would make the total Cos.
Sumption about SEQ. 0oo. 900 her wear
and stated that that amount wosild
lkely Be douhlcd In ten years from
nov. ~ me water consumption q rail.
roads IN growing communities. and ~
growing communities themselves
usually doubled each ten years. Al
MS point be asked Mr.. FaIler. who
wAs siili present. whether his figures
which were based on a consumptlon
81 ite.o0o.O90 per year we're no; incor.
rect; Mr. Faller admitted that they
were.
NJ. CleEs then went on 10 point out
mat water consumption varied in al.
fsrent cities IN slnoet direc, proper.
ttnn % tina charges made for IL. Ho
gave II a. q princlpi. that y,e charges