Flushing The Sewers

Just now the city fathers and the water wörks conipany are having a little conteution about the flushing of the sewere. The coutention arises over a clause of the contract of the water works company with the city, which reads asfollows: "The said Water Company shall fnruish water for the purpose of washing gutter and flushing all sewers that may be constructed for $100.00 per annum. ' The Ann Arbor system of sewerage uses automatic flush tanks, holding 250 gallons of water each, and the water company claim that the contraot does not oover their ase, as automatic flush tanks were not in nse at the time that the contract was made and the cornpany could not be held to have foreseeü their invention. The Board of Public Works contend that the contract covers the case and have demanded that the company conneot with the sewers as fast as completed. Connections were made with the Washngton and the Liberty street sewers bnt the company have declined to connect with the Hill street sewer until they can come to an understanding with the conncil as to their rights. The board reported the matter to the council last Wednesday night and asked the council to cumpel the oompany to connect under the clause fixing their compensation at $100 per year. The report is a leugthy one and after stating the facts of the coutention sets forth that the contract is plain, "The quantiry of water is not limited and the inanner in whioh it is to be applied is left open." It claims that the automatic flush tank system reallv effeots a saving of water. It then jets down to figures and states tnat with the Hill street sewer there are at present 97 flush tanks, holding 250 galons each, henee it will require 24,500 gallons of water to fill thein al] once. Figuring upon a basis of discharging each tank twice a week, or 104 times a year. whicb, the report states, will be sufficient to keep the sewers clean, it will take only 2,512,000 gallons to flush the entire system fór a whole year.about one-half of one per cent of the quantity which the corupany now olaims to be pumping for the supply of the city. In other words, the work upon the Water company's pump, machinery, and men will be increased one two-hnndredth part by the task of flnshing the sewers. The report continúes : "At the rate of 10 cents per thousaud gallons, at which the company retails water to private oonsurners, this quantity would oost $2 5 1. 20 per year. But in cornputing the extra expense consequent upon pumping of this water for flusihug sewers, the water coinpauy cannot fairly charge more than the cost of extra fuel. lts plant is established upon a basisjof doruestic consmnption aud the mnnieipality is already payiug a large bouus towards its maiutenance. The force of engineers and others neeessary for the working of its plant will uot be increased nor thfiir hours lengtheued by an increase in the oonsumption of water one half of one per cent. A few extra strokes of the pumps per hour aud the task is accomplished. " The report estimates the consumption of fuel neeessary to pump the 252,000 gallons of water, at six tons of good soft coal, which they say will cost not to exceed $5 and that thus the company will rnake a profit of $85. It statte that the oo=t of pompiug a miilinu gallons of water , in Detroit Í8 placed at $1 98 with oil 'for fuel and $2.98 when usiug ooal aud figures that at this rate the oost would only be $7 per year The report wal referred by the counoil to the water cornmittee. The Argus cannot give the coinpanf 'b sido of the case by authority, but it nnderstands that theydo not admit that the cost of pumping should be lirnited to the oost of fuel, and furthei claim that they could uot puinp tho amonnt of water needed for the flush tanks now in for $100, but it is believed that they would nevertheless consent to do the work for that arnount if they conld rest assured that the 97 antomatio tanks wonld be emptied only twice a week. It is stated that the tanks could be fixed so as to empty as often as once a minute and that when the full complement of 300 finsh tanks are in, the full amount of water in the company reservoir oould be quickly exhausted. What they ooiitend for, it is stated, il that the contraot does not bind them, and it is the future that they must look out for and pee that their interests are guarded so that their supply of water could not be exhausted aDd they be powerless to help themselves. It ib thought that they are willing to furnish the water on the basis of seven cents per thonsand galloas. The matter is an important one and should have the earnest attention of the water oommittee. In faot it is the most important thing juut now before the city oouncil.