The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1921-09-07
WATER SUPPLY IS
NOT SUFFICIENT
SAYS MR.. SPARGO
Homes at Old Bennington with
out Water
IMPROVEMENT IS NEEDED
Supply Pipe TO Reservoir TOO
Small or Reservoir Capacity
Is Not Enough
IMPROVEMENT IS NEEDED

Editor of the Banner: II wonder
how many citizens OF Bennington are
aware Of the serious and menacing de-
ficiency IN the water supply from
which the inhabitants Of Old Ben
ningt0n have been and are suffering
do not believe that II the serious
ness OF our situation we're generally
understood people in the lower vii
lage would be SO reckless in their use
and waste-of the village water as
they appear TO be- Permit me, then,
on behalf OF a cons derabie number
Of the residents OF Old Bennington,
to state our case and TO make a brief
plea for considerate and humane
treatment at the hands OF our fellow
citizens During walk from my
house to the post Office one morning
last week, counted five persons wa
tering lawns and three watering the
street in front OF their houses, to lay
the dust At that same hour III my
residence. and in the residences OF a.
number OF my neighbors, II was I'M
possible to draw as much as tea
kettle OF water 1t was Impossible TO-
Obtain water for baths, OF course, or
even to fill an ordinary washbJwl
This condition lasted during practi'
cally the whole of that dag, namely
from shortly before eight in The morn
ing until after I've at nign. 1t was
impossible TO obtain water for COOK
ing even. let alone Tor ctler domes-I
tic purposes. Babies had pertorce toI
20 without their baths, water closets
TO remain unfinished, and sick persons
IN be unwashed In view of these cir'
cumstances, watering lawns and road
ways from the village water supply
was little short OF a crime against our
community.
Unfortunately the conditions ! have
described have been exec sdmsly pre-.
yalent this summer This is IN haIt
due no doubt, to the large drain up
ON the water supply resulting from
the construction OF the new 3'reets'
understand tat in miXin; The con
crete village water has been used.
Whether in the circumstances
would not have been practicable 10
draw water for this purpose iroin
some other source Is a question ! am
NOT competent to discuss. do state
that il would nave been entirely prac
tical at a very small expense to have
drawn all the water needed Tor the
concrete work dur ng the nighttime
and 60 to have reduced the luconyen'
iepca and suffering Of this community
on the hill to n minimum. | assert
further that to permit the watering OF
lawns and roadways anywhere IN the
area served by the village water sys-
tenn while q considerable section ol
the community lacks the necessary wa
ter supply for the most vital needs OF
life is an outrage and piece oil
criminal negligence on the part OF the
authorities for which no condemnation
can be too severe. The authorities
cannot plead ignorance OF the condl'
tions for these have been reported
TO them again and again. Not less
than dozen times-and probably
many more the matter has been
cal ed to their attention by myself
or ether members Of my family. and
/ am informed that several Of my
neighbors have made repeated com
pla 'nts. Yet in the face of these facts
thousands OF gallons OF village water
are wasted in a few minutes in con
nection with the iiremen's tournament.
II cannot be gainsayed, in my opinion,
that some other equally attractive
snort could have been subst uted for
the hose fight without lessening the
attractiveness of the program of sports
in any particu ar.
Residents of Old Bennington have
long suffered more or less from low
pressure 1t has been quite com
mon experience for the people in one
house to have to wait few minutes
for water because their neighbors
were drawing water for baths or sim
liar purposes. II has been common
too. for people upstairs to be unable
to draw water because somebody
| downstairs happened TO he drawing
water at the time As the number
of large houses on the hin increases,
this problem naturally grows more
serious as a logical resu of the in
creased demand upon an inadequate
! volume of supply. AT the same
time, the large increase in the use OF
water for Industrial purposes in the
lower village naturally tends to les.
sen our pressure during the greater
part of the day This summer. how
ever. the service has been exception.
/ ally bad, primarily because of the ex.
/ traordinary drain upon the village
water supply in connection with the
construction of the new streets IN the
lower village, THAT, at any rate. is
the explanation given by the village
water department There has been
hardly a day-Sundays excepted
when we have had reasonably good
service, there have been many days
when we have lacked water for cook.
ing and toilet purposes during the
greater part of the day. On a number
and bring home water for drinking
20 in my car to neighboring springs
Of occasions have been obliged to