FROM SHORTAGE TO ABUNDANCE.

FROM SHORTAGE TO ABUNDANCE.

良好的再保险sults which have been attained by the Thompsonville, Conn., Water Company in eliminating waste of water by the introduction of meters are illustrative of the benefits meterage has given many municipalities and also of what it can do for others that are confronted with the problem of a water consumption in excess of needs. The Thompsonville water property was taken over by its present owners about three years ago, at which time there was considerable complaint on account of inadequacy of pressure, and also a shortage of water. Consumers were forbidden to use hose for sprinkling and the town was obliged to discontinue the sprinkling of streets. The output at the time sometimes ran as high as a million gallons a day! On taking over the property the present owners made a number of improvements,—installed a one-half million gallons elevated reservoir, raised the pressure over the entire system thirty pounds, enlarged the principal mains and immediately metered the entire system. About 1,800 meters are now in use and the result attained by the company is that the maximum daily output has been reduced to between five and six hundred thousand gallons. The company is, therefore, enabled to encourage the use of water and is doing so in connection with the home gardening propaganda, a recent advertisement by the company in which it announced that to encourage home gardening and to assist in watering crops it would supply water for this purpose at the reduced rate of twenty cents per thousand gallons. This means, said the company, that it would deliver at the faucet one hundred gallons of water for two cents, or approximately a barrel full for one cent, under sufficient pressure for satisfactory use. This rate, it stated, would be given during this Summer for the quantity of water used in excess of the quantity of water used for the same period last year, providing the minimum rate charge is exceeded and that this rate would apply only to consumers who have planted a garden, or have an outside hose cock installed for watering or lawn sprinkling. There has been much favorable comment on this action of the company. A local newspaper in referring to the announcement pointed out that usually it had been necessary for the company to place restrictions against the use of water during the dry months of the summer season for garden purposes, but under the new meter system there has been a sufficient conservation of the supply to enable the company to make its new offer. The enterprise displayed by the present management, Walter P. Schwabe, president and general manager, and Superintendent H. R. Cooper, in effecting the metering of the system and in making the other improvements cited has changed the situation in Thompsonville from one of shortage to one where the needs are met and there is water to spare which can he given to the public at a reduction in price in the present emergency. An improved service to the community results from the water company's enterprising methods and as has been said, and reiterated, service to the public is the fundamental purpose of a water company or department. The Thompsonville situation is one of those concrete examples that furnish absolute evidence in support of the claims advanced for meterage. Thompsonville before and after meters were installed shows the difference between inadequate and abundant water supply with distribution changes only.

良好的再保险sults which have been attained by the Thompsonville, Conn., Water Company in eliminating waste of water by the introduction of meters are illustrative of the benefits meterage has given many municipalities and also of what it can do for others that are confronted with the problem of a water consumption in excess of needs. The Thompsonville water property was taken over by its present owners about three years ago, at which time there was considerable complaint on account of inadequacy of pressure, and also a shortage of water. Consumers were forbidden to use hose for sprinkling and the town was obliged to discontinue the sprinkling of streets. The output at the time sometimes ran as high as a million gallons a day! On taking over the property the present owners made a number of improvements,—installed a one-half million gallons elevated reservoir, raised the pressure over the entire system thirty pounds, enlarged the principal mains and immediately metered the entire system. About 1,800 meters are now in use and the result attained by the company is that the maximum daily output has been reduced to between five and six hundred thousand gallons. The company is, therefore, enabled to encourage the use of water and is doing so in connection with the home gardening propaganda, a recent advertisement by the company in which it announced that to encourage home gardening and to assist in watering crops it would supply water for this purpose at the reduced rate of twenty cents per thousand gallons. This means, said the company, that it would deliver at the faucet one hundred gallons of water for two cents, or approximately a barrel full for one cent, under sufficient pressure for satisfactory use. This rate, it stated, would be given during this Summer for the quantity of water used in excess of the quantity of water used for the same period last year, providing the minimum rate charge is exceeded and that this rate would apply only to consumers who have planted a garden, or have an outside hose cock installed for watering or lawn sprinkling. There has been much favorable comment on this action of the company. A local newspaper in referring to the announcement pointed out that usually it had been necessary for the company to place restrictions against the use of water during the dry months of the summer season for garden purposes, but under the new meter system there has been a sufficient conservation of the supply to enable the company to make its new offer. The enterprise displayed by the present management, Walter P. Schwabe, president and general manager, and Superintendent H. R. Cooper, in effecting the metering of the system and in making the other improvements cited has changed the situation in Thompsonville from one of shortage to one where the needs are met and there is water to spare which can he given to the public at a reduction in price in the present emergency. An improved service to the community results from the water company's enterprising methods and as has been said, and reiterated, service to the public is the fundamental purpose of a water company or department. The Thompsonville situation is one of those concrete examples that furnish absolute evidence in support of the claims advanced for meterage. Thompsonville before and after meters were installed shows the difference between inadequate and abundant water supply with distribution changes only.