The Alaska daily empire., 1925-03-07
ORGANIZATION OF SENATE BLOCKED
RECOMMEND CHANGES
IN WATER SYSTEM OF
JUNEAU;REPORT MADE

| developed by the. Juneau Water
Company is adequate to meet the
demands for domestic and fire pnr-
poses for community of more
that 1000 population, that the re.
cent shortage of water was due to
wastage and unscientific dstribut
ion. and that the City should correct
the situation by requiring certain
changes in the distributing system
was reported by the special commit
! tee appointed by the Chamber of
Commerce at the meeting of the
Chamber yesterday. The report sug-
gested lne changes that ought to be
made.
The report of the committee, con-
sisting of C. W. Cheatham. b. d.
Stewart and Frank A. Boyle, is as
follows:
Franchise.
The history Of the juneau Water
Company's activities in Juneau COM
mences officially with the passing of
Ordinance No. 81 on February 23
1903. This ordinance provided for
the use of the streets for pipe lines,
for tunnel connecting Gold Greek
with water tank now situated on
Franklin Street and for construction
of storage tanks to provide water
for domestic uses and fire protection.
Among other things the ordinance
granted
ITO exercise the privilege of sup
plying water to the inhabitants of
said city, or to corporations or
others, for domestic, manufactur-
ing or other uses, and of con-
ducting a water works business
within said city
The ordinance did not provide any
regulations for the use of water, or
any penalty for the failure of the
company to furnish an adequate sup
ply at all times, although the letter
of Mr.. Lewis accepting the ordinance
contained the statement that
Tanks will be kept full even
though individual power plants
be shut Off"
This statement binds the company
to keep these tanks full at all times
to afford an adequate supply of water
for fire protection and domestic use.
AS has already been stated the
ordinance fails to provide regulation
for the use of water ia, 1t is the op-
inion of several Juneau attorneys
who have been consulted on the
subject that the City Council has at
all times the power to make any
reasonable regulations and that they
con do so by ordinance in this case.
1t is their opinion that the City
Council could not at any time enter
into contract or agreement with any
company whereby they could waive
this power so far as 1t relates to
public service corporations.
WATER SUPPLY FOR DOMESTIC
USE AND FIRE PROTECTION.
(a) Upper Springs.
On Sunday, March l, 1925, there
was found to be discharging in the
mains at the inlet chamber of the
water system at Eighth and Gold
This discharge is believed to repre-
sent the main flow of water avail
able during the past winter. This
flow is equivalent to 100000 gallons
per "a hours or sufficient to supply
41,667 persons at the rate of 60
gallons per day per person which is
a liberal amount as compared with
the average allowance for municipal
water supply throughout the country.
At the level of Front Street this
water is discharged through faucets
under head of approximately 200
feet and pressure of 81 pounds per
square inch. On the above named
date both concrete tanks of the
Juneau Water Company at Eighth
and Gold Streets were found to be
entirely empty: condition that must
have existed throughout the entire
period of the recent water shortage.
The reason for this condition was
found to lie in the fact that no pro-
vision has been made by the juneau
Water Company to supply said tanks
with water unless there is sufficient
surplus water at the intake box
supplying the mains at Eighth and
Gold Streets to cause said mains to
overflow into the tanks; or unless
the town supply is shut off by means
| of valves to such an extent as to
cause overflow into the tanks. In
other words. under the present ar
rangement all water from the source
of supply passed directly into the
mains instead of through the tanks
and thence to the mains.
Your committee found that the
areas most seriously affected by the
recent water shortage were the Gold
Belt addition and that portion OF the
Casey-Shattuck addition lying north
of Ninth Street. The reason for
this was found to be the fact that
the mains serving said areas receive
their supply not from the storage
tanks but from a small water box.
1