Questionnaire on Meterage

Questionnaire on Meterage

Water officials of Greenfield, Mass., have been trying to decide the question whether or not to install a system of general meterage and to obtain definite data sent out a questionnaire to a number of municipalities where the system has been in use for varying periods. The answers seem to make out a strong case for meters, according to a special correspondent of the Springfield Republican. “For instance in Attleboro, with a population of 17,800— not far from the size of Greenfield—which has a system 100 per cent metered, the daily consumption per capita is only 57.6 gallons, as against a daily consumption in Greenfield of about 105 gallons per capita. In Clinton, which has a population of 13,000 and is 90 per cent metered there is a daily consumption of only 42 gallons per capita per day. And so on through the list, and it is interesting to note that there is only one town in the list, Westfield, which has adopted meters only to the extent of 22.45 per cent which has a larger per capita consumption of water than Greenfield, Westfield having a consumption of 110 gallons. The opponents of the meter system advance many arguments to support their side of the question. One is the cost of installing the meters and caring for them after they are installed. In answer to this the superintendent of the water works is authority for the statement that while the price of most material used in waterworks construction has advanced more than 100 per cent in price, the price of water meters for some reason has advanced only about 50 per cent, and that owing to the demand for meters, due to the agitation for conservation of water, this price will probably not be lowered for some years to come. It is argued that there will be an increase in the price of water to the consumer resulting from the adoption of the meter system. This is met by those in favor by saying that $1.25, which is the present price per quarter for the first kitchen faucet, or what is called the family rate, will entitle the user under the meter system to draw 6,000 gallons of water, which is nearly 833 cubic feet. This water may be drawn from as many fixtures as the consumer chooses to have, while under the present arrangement the consumer pays extra for each additional fixture.”

Water officials of Greenfield, Mass., have been trying to decide the question whether or not to install a system of general meterage and to obtain definite data sent out a questionnaire to a number of municipalities where the system has been in use for varying periods. The answers seem to make out a strong case for meters, according to a special correspondent of the Springfield Republican. “For instance in Attleboro, with a population of 17,800— not far from the size of Greenfield—which has a system 100 per cent metered, the daily consumption per capita is only 57.6 gallons, as against a daily consumption in Greenfield of about 105 gallons per capita. In Clinton, which has a population of 13,000 and is 90 per cent metered there is a daily consumption of only 42 gallons per capita per day. And so on through the list, and it is interesting to note that there is only one town in the list, Westfield, which has adopted meters only to the extent of 22.45 per cent which has a larger per capita consumption of water than Greenfield, Westfield having a consumption of 110 gallons. The opponents of the meter system advance many arguments to support their side of the question. One is the cost of installing the meters and caring for them after they are installed. In answer to this the superintendent of the water works is authority for the statement that while the price of most material used in waterworks construction has advanced more than 100 per cent in price, the price of water meters for some reason has advanced only about 50 per cent, and that owing to the demand for meters, due to the agitation for conservation of water, this price will probably not be lowered for some years to come. It is argued that there will be an increase in the price of water to the consumer resulting from the adoption of the meter system. This is met by those in favor by saying that $1.25, which is the present price per quarter for the first kitchen faucet, or what is called the family rate, will entitle the user under the meter system to draw 6,000 gallons of water, which is nearly 833 cubic feet. This water may be drawn from as many fixtures as the consumer chooses to have, while under the present arrangement the consumer pays extra for each additional fixture.”