PHILADELPHIA’S FIGHT AGAINST WATER WASTE
First of a Series of Articles Telling the Story of a Successful Campaign on Broad Lines-—Water Waste Division Organized—House-to-House Inspection and Pitometer Night Surveys—Mapping the Gridiron
IN the year 1806, shortly after the first water mains were laid in Philadelphia, an act of city councils made it a misdemeanor, punishable by fine, to wilfully waste water, or to allow it to run for any but useful purposes. Since that time in almost every annual report, the chief engineer of the bureau has urged that steps be taken to reduce the waste, the remedy generally suggested in recent years being the compulsory installation of meters. This remedy, however, formerly met with great opposition. In 1904 city councils passed an ordinance prohibiting the installation of meters on any premises, and later on in the local papers constantly appeared articles in this strain: “There is a strong prejudice against the installation of water meters in private houses and it is doubtful if this can ever be overcome.”
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