HARRISBURG AND ITS WATER SYSTEM.

HARRISBURG AND ITS WATER SYSTEM.

UNDER the continued presidency of Edmund Mather the water system of Harrisburg, Pa., continues to prosper. The total cash receipts for last year were $106,353.67, of which $104,801.28 came from water rents, besides a profit of $623.60 on meters. The total operating expenses, including betterments, extraordinary expenses, and improvements at Reservoir Park, wero $81,687.22, which left a balance of $74,660.45 for payment of interest on bonds, State tax on loans, and the general and sinking funds. Deducting the extraordinary expenses and improvements at Reservoir Park, the net operating expenses wero $24,040.42. The total pnmpage was 2,993,928,100 gallons—an avernge of 8,202,543 gallons a day and a daily per capita of 144 gallons. It is> estimated that, eighty gallons per capita a day were used for domestic purposes, and aixly-fonr for other purposes. Water furnished free amounted to $22,575.50, this included $798.90 for water supplied gratis to fifty-six churches! The pumpage last year exceeded that of the year before by 321-,038,050 gallons, and that of 1898 by 564,880.47. The increuse of last year was greater than that of auy previous year, and was due chiefly to manufacturing growth and railroad activity, besides the drought in neighboring towns, which made it necessary to fill as many locomotive tanks as possible at Harrisburg. The addition of 8,311 buildings for dwellings and other purposes since 1888 (of winch 189 were built during 1900) greatly increased the consumption, as well as the hot dry summer, which caused an additiouul amount to be used for sanitary purposes, such as flushing sewers, etc. The amount for rebate on the assessment for laying Btreet mains in compliance with the ordinance was greater last year than In any previous, except one. The report points out that this is an advantage to water users which is unusual in water departments. It encourages the laying of mains, thus increasing the water supply, giving better fire protection, and helping improvements in building up the suburbs for homes.

There are 621 public fire hydrants in service, nearly all of the newest style, very few of the old style being now in service, and these will be removed when they show any signs of being inefficient or out of repair. There ure 1,042 valves in service in the street mains,of which there were laid 223,606 feet, 9,600 feet of forcemains, and 7,800 feet of supply mains—a total of fortyfive miles, 3,406 feet. Two large mains have been laid as general feeders—one an eight-inch, the other a twelve-inch. The pressure was thereby increased from thirty pounds to fifty pounds. There are now 4,260 meters in service, of which fifty-two are owned by the city and meter water for manufactories; the 4,208 remaining are owned by consumers and measure water for 6,197 buildiugs used for domestic and other purposes. An ordinance was passed by council, authorizing the purchase of a new pumping engine or engines for the water department, and the contract was awarded to the Barr Pumping Engine company, of Philadelphia (the lowest bidder) for a 12,000,000-gallon, high-duty,pumping engine of the vertical, triple expansion crank and flywheel type. It is expected that the new engine will be installed by the latter part of next snmmer.