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Water! Water! Water!

Water! Water! Water! image
Parent Issue
Day
29
Month
April
Year
1885
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

At the council meeting Monday oven ing, one of the aldermx-n inthnated tha no points liaü ever been broiiglit up whercin the contract witli the Anti Arbo Water company was weak. Tlmt gen tleinan was not familiar with water work contract, perhaps, nor bad he exnminec into contracts of such companies witl otber citie8. Had he posted bimself 01 the subject, he never would have mad that remark, for lie is usually n veil nicaiHiig fellow. The contract of the city of Ann Arbo with the Water Works Company, wliicl was published in the Coubiek of Apn 15tli, and wliich is now before a com mittec of tlie common council for exam ination and revisión, while it ma y bc i good and sound document in many re speels, wlien eompared with contracts in otlier cities, it has many loop-holes. The writer of this article has takei considerable pains to secure In forma tloi and contracts fiom other cities, and n oomparlng tbea witb our own, the fol lowing sa 1 ie u t, amonj rnany minor point are noted: First. Should bo the provisión for pure and whoïesome water fordomestlc and cul lnary purposes- an objecllou that bids fai to be remedled. But the water should be made to stand a fair test at Ihe laborator) Second. A test of the pipes before thoy are lald should be provided for- say S00 llis. pres sure to the square Inch. This would be found valuablu should the city be forced lo buy the works. Thlrd. The hydrants should be Iurnlshd with frost Jiickets to protect thetu in the winter. Fourth. The city should be allowed to change the locatiou ol any hydrant- :t lts own expense. For instance, a lot of bulldiugs may burn down In one portion of the town, and a few blocks away others may spring up. As the contract uow stands, the company could force the city to put in uew nydraiits In such Instances. Flftn. Hydraots should be fltted to the couplings now In use by the nre department - or guch as the chlef of the flre department may require. sixtn. The company should be bound to keep the bydrants, (all of tlitini) In paod, workiug order- and to do so tbey shoukl be requlred to test those loeuted on the business portions of Main, Ann, Hurón, Washington and Liberty atreets, once in oiich 24 hours at such tune a the lliermometer muy be at zeroor below;ami all olher hydraniN hMild be tested Kt least once h week op onen is thecuiefof the flredepartment muy require. Seventh. THe dlgtance of l.OOIeetof tourlnch pipe tlirouicli whu-h wuier nny be fiirced Intoa liydrant should bc redoead loTuOfeel, the muxliuum dlstauce belween bydraota. Elghth. The chlef of the flie depirtment sliuuld be the ludge of whut oonHtltalva y reusonable uiuouul of witter lor praolli ttie (ii vin n. Nloth The city sliould have the privilege allowed tliem between the hours oí ti ml 9 o'olock a. m ,ol uslng the water fromar.y two hydrants through a Iwolnrh hone. for the purpose of cleaniug tlie public gutlers, SU Tenlli. The only thlng Ihe present contract says ab. ut Ihe cmnplrtlun of Ihe works ii Ui is: "The works hall be complettd aud the water turned on, 011 or hefore the flrat day of Jan. 188Í." Uut Mipposlng they a e notcompleu-d wlutt can the city do nbout 11 f 'J'his Isa tcrrlbly looxe har. Supposlug also, tlie works are completed, and are nol accordIng to the cou raet, whal redress has tlie cttyT Nota partlcie. The oompau; snoald glve a liond for tlie performance of Uk part of the co' tract, and a penalty sliould he providt-d for a fallure so to do. Eleventh. The works hould foesubjected to a Iwu lays' lest wlien corupleted, and before being accepled by the round I, aud the reutal oí the hydrants shotild not commence uutil such works are completel aud accepted. Twelfth. Should the company fall to kpep the works running In good condlllon lb city ought to be accorded the right to deducl hydrant reutal for all unnecessary delais. Thlrteen. A deflnite amount should be specifled that the city Is to pay lor water furnluhed 11 for all public purpOM Uuslilng sewers, publlo fouulaluH, buildin({s, drlnklng fountaiiiN, for man aud heust., etc. Putting tnls In the contract might sve expeuslve lltigation in tne future. Fourteenth. In reference to laylng the pipis and restorlnu the streets; the pipes should be lald to conform to the grade of the streets. aud the slreet commlttee should be the Judge of the. proper reatoratlou ol the streeiH. Fifteenth. Tue rlght should be accorded the city to connect each of the public school buildings a d englue houses of the city wnli Hifwait-r inains wiih pipes of sumcleul capaclly for Ure purposes. Sixteenth. There should be a provisión for the appcmit mi-n t of a coinpelent man by the city lo see that the works are couHtructeu accordlug to the contract. Seveuteenth. The map of Professor C. E. Greeue, whlch Is marien pHrt of the contract oniy provldes for 81 liyürauu. Elghteen. The quanlliy. In gallons, of waler the wells from wlilcli the water sup ply Is lo be lurnished. should be Klated In the eoulract. Jn Adrián the supply is insuf fleient and the compuuy is endeavoriiiK lo force the city to pay lor an liiKUfflcient supply of bad water-so we are lnlormed. These points are gatliered by comparinjj our contract with other contracta. Ttiese can be put in the contract without making any additional cost to the cornpany putting in the woiks. And üs they are in the interest of the city, should thcy not be put in tliat contract? KXPEItlENCE. Experience is said to be a dcar teacher, but he wlio profils by tlie experience of others is wise. The City Recorder of Adrián, in a private letter to the Recorder of Aun Albor, 6nys: 'II you have not yetdruw up your contract, I sh uld adviseyou lo have Kllpul.uecl tiie amount iu gallons per day the bpjitis innsi supply you w in of pure water. VS e have nol gol h suIUcit-ut supply. nor Is the quallty eudorsed by ihe cllizeus lor cullnary purpoaes." The Aurian contract, a copy of wliich we have in our possession, is by far moie bindiuu; than the one our city has reudy tur execntioii. Aud jet they have called upon tlie COOCtl already lo settle disputes and misuiiderslandihgü. At Rlehmond, Indiana, a compauy got a contract through the council and igned, a year afro, auil thcy cominenced wurk. Alter laying about 18 miles of pipe MHM of the citizens brouglit suit in the circuit court, and a decisión wasrendered tbereln aiiiiulliiig the Cüiitract. 'l'he city theu made anotiMf conti act with the cumpany, and etill suiuu of the citizens tbiuk the city's intcrests are not yet sufflaently protected. Tlie contract and ordiuance together, covers 75 pages of legal cap. A fiiend writing us from Bicbmoud, gives the following points: "Youare wiBcln taking the precaullon to get everyihliig right fur lliecity belure your contract in 8inei, uk lliese wuter eomprniles generally get tlie besl ol all lowus tlial they can get lo contract wnti Uiem. "Ah to pipe. Thai. is oue of the great points. We have no ppe leu Iban sil inclu-s internal diameter, and I would advise you lo liave is little of that ns possilile. Uet the pip uh large us posMilile, from six luches uu lo iwinty-lour luches. And agalo, the gentleman addi a uord'" of warnlng: " You can nol be too careful In contractlng for the cny'8 interest, lor our auihoiiiies flnd it very hard to keep the water coiiiuaiiy' up to thelr contract." ¦ This gives a few points from these places, wliere they speak from an actual knowledge. Tbese ure sufficicnt, amply suflicient, one would tliink, to cause our council to use all the safe-guards possible, n aroldlng future tronble and litigation. CAPACITT OF PIPK. The following table is valuable as bowlnjt the area, capacity and value of he different slzes of plpea. It will be seen tliat the figures declino with remarkable rapldity, and wlien they got down to 4-inch pipe, the valué as a rapid vntr distribueer is greatly diminished : Diameter A rea In 1 11 lnclie.s. inclii-s. 4-luch Ili.li864 0-1 nch 28 2774 H-lnch 50.285U lüinoh 78.54 12-inch 113.078 ll-inch 153.098 lli inch 201.062 lS-tnch 2514OT ¦Miich 814.16 22-lnch Ï80.1.'! 24-tuoli: 452.39 A 4 Inch pipe, wltli 4-foot head, 141 fect lom;, discharges 190 urIIoiih per minute. A inch pipe, wlth 4-foot head, 144 feet long, dlsoharges 51S galtous per minute. THE UIOIIT 01MNION. One of tbe aldermen remarked to another last Moiulay eveninj : "Tliis is a thiug we shall be eitber eterually blessed or eternally damned for, and for one, I prefer the blessing." .NnthinR raust be left for the company to inake right alter the contract issiffned. For if ynu expect tliem to agree to anylhig tlien, you are makiiig a iniatHkc - unleult is somethinp; to lessen their expenaei und rMpondblllty.

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Subjects
Ann Arbor Courier
Old News