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Show Mountains Give Zion Pure, Sparkling Water COMPARED with, that of almost any American, city, tho water supply of Salt Lake is not to bo surpassed; yet tho question of increasing tho supply, safeguarding it, conserving it and distributing it equitably equit-ably it at present a paramount .ono to Suit Lake, just as it is to almost any larco and growing community. Tho present administration, under which ono of tho fivo city commissioners commission-ers devotes his entire official time to the water department, has given tho question of water supply much oaruest consideration during the last yoax. The needs of tho city havo been discovered dis-covered and fairly comprchensivo plans for meeting th'o prcsont requirements require-ments ns well as thoso likely to arise in tbo near future aro said to havo been worked out. Tbo coming year will see tho execution of some of these plans ou a large scale. These improvements, according to expert ex-pert estimates, can bo raado to add almost al-most twenty millions of gallons to tho daily flow that surges through tho city-'a iron pipes, bringing tho total daily supply to approximately forty-five forty-five millions, tho proscnt supply being about twonty-fivo millions. Tho cost of tho improvements contemplated is estimated at $250,000. and there's tho rub. v How to financo tho undertakings is perhaps more serious to tho present administration than is tho question of where to get tho water. Of water there is no lack in the surrounding sur-rounding hills, where pure, sparkling streams courso down nearly every clort that boasts a watershed, but tho expense ex-pense of diverting the runway waters into tho city's system will bo considerable. consid-erable. Talk of a bond issue has been prevalent prev-alent for scvorni months and undoubtedly undoubt-edly that; will be thn method turned to ultimately. Commissioner W. II. Korns, head of tho water department, favors au issue of water bonds aud so do most of the other eommiseionors. Howcvor, a bond issuo is not considered feasible just at present, as thero musti bo a new bond issuo short-b' to Tctiro an old issue about to fall due. Capable men aro figuring out ways and means, however, and there is littlo doubt that the proposed improvements can bo mado xenlitios within the next fow years. Growth of the System. Tho growth of tho water system in 191" is worthy of exceptional comment. Tho daily supn'v has boon increased substantially, tho system has been extended ex-tended to now portions of tho rapidly growing suburban sections and moro Uiau 700 now connections havo been made during the year. For $5000, which is the amount spent up to dale, nn insignificant sum when compared with tho cost of getting a suitable wator supply in some cities, the water department lias bored a hole in the heart of a mountain of stono in Emi gration canyon and, liko Moses of old, has brought forth a supply exceeding ono million gallons daily flow. Tho tunneling operations aro still in progress prog-ress and are apt to result in a much larger flow than the foregoing estimate esti-mate This fresh supply, "brought nearly a thousand feet from the interior of the mountain, will provo a boon to tho city as a means of offsetting tho annual midwinter shortage. Any period of extremely ex-tremely cold weather always results in a curtailment of the regular supply from tho odcii mountain streams whoro tho frost king waves his imperious waud. During a recent cold spell this winter tho supply was cut down moro than a million gallons a day. With tho new flow from tho heart of tho mountains, which can bo used in tho mains or .allowed to run free, tho wintor ahortago will bo largely eliminated, elim-inated, for it will bo piped within the tunnel beforo tho frost cau place its restraining hand upon it. Upon reaching tho furthest point in a straight lino that tho amount of water will justify, the tunnel will bo deflected de-flected at right angles and holes will bo bored in cither direction to catch tho lateral flow of tho underground system that is known to exist in tho canyon. This tunnel, because of its inoxpen-siveness inoxpen-siveness and its morc-than-looked-for success is counted as one of tho most profitable achievements of tho water department in many years. Another striking improvement to the water system conceited within tho Inst few weeks, and which is to bo carried out early this spring, is a systm of pumping stations and wells just touth east of Liberty park, whoro a number of artesinn flowing wells have oxist-od oxist-od sinco early davs. For about $35,000 Superintendent C. F. Barrett belioves ho can drivo now wells, renew the old ones and install a pumping station eupa-blc eupa-blc of forcing into tho city mains au additional 6,000,000 gallons daily flow. This supply could be maintained for emergency uso so long as tbo regular wipply is adequate, and would provo invaluable during the heavy drain of summer or for any possible emergency that might ariso. Like that from the Emigration canyon tunnel, the artesian 'flow would bo impervious to frost and could bo counted upon for midwintor tuppb'. Tho wator rises from the same subterranean sources as tho water obtained ob-tained through tho tunnel. Big Underground Flow. The extent of the underground water that might be obtained through similar operations at points where it is known to exist in largo quantities is boyond estimation. Commissioner Korns is inclined to bclievo that the source is iu-exhausliblo iu-exhausliblo so far as tho necd6 of the city are concerned, and ho is convinced that it can bo obtained at far ljss oxpense than would bo necessary if the city extends its supply by the ordinary means, Tho latter method would call for purchaso of water rights in valuable streams, expensive conduits and othor operations incident to bringing water from a distance. Commissioner Korns is engaged in figuring out the number of gallons that might bo obtained by driving wells in the bed of Big Cottonwood crcok. lie believes that 10,000.000 gallons daily aro availablo in that neighborhood alone. This year baw the launching of a groat undertaking to harness tho headwaters head-waters of Cottonwood canyon by tho construction of a monster dam near the lakes around Brighton. It is estimated that this reservoir will add 9.000.000 srallons daily to th supply. Completed, this improvement will cost $150,000. During tho past year between $5000 and $6000 woro cpeut in preliminary work on tho site. A grading crew was busy most of the fall season preparing prepar-ing tho site, but was forced to desist early in November owing to tho heavy snows. The work will bo taken up again early in tho spring, Other proposed improvements con-tcmplato con-tcmplato an increase iu tho supply from Parley's creok. Competent engineers en-gineers havo estimated that about 0,000.000 gallons moro than tho pros-ent pros-ent flow can bo turned into tho city mnins from this stream, which now yields littlo moro than 2.000,000 gallons. gal-lons. It ia also proposed to extend a twenty-four-inch conduit direct to Parley's conduit to Sugar Houso and Forcstdalo, thereby improving tho sorv-ico sorv-ico to those districts. Asido from tho many improvements boing considered, Salt Lako'a wator Si'PP'Jt unocr prosont conditions, 16 tno equal of almost any in tho country. Tho rato to the consumer is low and tho supply per capita is greater than that of any other city so far as tho water officiala aro aware. Tho present pres-ent supply is about 25,000,000 gallons daily, Figuring the nopulation of tho city at 100.000 and allowing for a loss of a million or two gallons through 'eakage, the daily sunoly to each man, woman and child is 2-1 gallons. This, of course, includes the ontensivo street sprinkling and cleaning, scwor flushing flush-ing and watering of lawns, public and private. Miles of New Mains. A fcaturo of tho water dopartmont achiovemonto last year was tho now method of carrying out all improvement improve-ment extensions under the diroct supervision su-pervision of tho department instead of lotting contracts for tho work. As i3 shown hi Mayor Park's exhaustive ro-sumo ro-sumo of tho commission's administration, administra-tion, tho saving thus effected has been great. In some instances tho saving has amounted to more than 60 per cent. During tho first elovon months of 1912 nearly six milog of water mains wcro laid and 635 now connections wero authorized. Tho connections by municipal mu-nicipal wards wcro as follow: First ward, -L2S; Second ward, 86: Third ward. 73; Fourth ward, 37: Fifth ward, 11: Total. 635. Estimating tho comioctiouH for De-comber De-comber on a fair basis, tho total connections con-nections will exceed 700. This number, num-ber, though considerably less lhan that of 1911 and little moro than half of that of 1910. is a fair record of tho growth of tho city. In other years when tho numbor of connections were greater moro oxtensions of water mains woro mado aud consequently moro users were brought in touch with tho system. Far from indicating a falling off in the growth of tho city, tho figures for 1912 go to show that the water system is moro nearly universal than ovor beforo. be-foro. Tho total number of wator usorB iu tho city, exclusivo of thoso who obtain frco water, is 1S.-126. and the anuual assessment on this number is $1S4,-IS2.57, $1S4,-IS2.57, au incr'caso of $15,606.20 ovor the assessment last year. A glanco over the" rocorda of tho water dopartmont shows that in ton years tho department has increased from S779 service connections to 1S.426, nearly 10.000 increase. The total expenditures of tho department depart-ment during tho first eleven months of 1012, exclusivo of water main extensions, exten-sions, wore 6136.925.94. Tho water maiu extensions cost $'(6,936.29. bringing the grand tota to nearly $1S4.000. Tho total rovonuo for tho year will amount to $279,627.56. This includes revenue from flat assessments, supplemental assessments, as-sessments, moter accounts and budget appropriations Recommends Meters. At present the city's chief supply is from Big Cottonwood crook, whouco a great conduit carries 13,000,000 gallons daily to the city. This conduit has about 30,000,000 gallons capacity and tho water is at hand providing the city will obtain water rights to that amount. City creek contributes 2,500,-000 2,500,-000 gallons daily and has threo reservoirs reser-voirs for storage purposes. Emigration Emigra-tion canyon furnished 2,000.000 gallons and Parley's canyon furnishes a similar sim-ilar amount. The reservoirs supplied by a combination of Parlc3''s creek and Big Cottouwood, exclusivo of tho amounts enumerated, hold auother 5,000,000 gallons in resorve. In his annual report to tho citv commission, com-mission, C. F. Barrett, superintendent of waterworks, will recommend tho installation in-stallation of metors on all water mains and at tho intakes of the sj'stem so that an accurate record of the daily flow into the system and of the amounts used by the various districts into which tho system is divided can be obtained. This information is os-sential, os-sential, it is held, to tho propor administration admin-istration of tho water dopartmont. By means of it the water officials can determine at any moment whore the greatest need for water exists, whore water is wasted and how much is lost by sccpago and leakage throughout the systom. Opponents of this plan sa' that less water would be need on lawns and tho citv would therefore bo much less attractive A problem which, whilo insignificant as yet, may present serious trouble lator on, has been oncountored this year iu tho nature of electrolysis of water pipes. Measures to rcduco the damage to a minimum and to provide against it in the future aro being considered. con-sidered. Data is being gathered by the city statistician from many largo cities throughout tho country whoro tho samo problem has arisen. By electrolysis is meant tho escape of electric current from the rails of tho street car system into tho ground where it seeks tho iron pipes. Tho current, cur-rent, sent out frpm tho generating station sta-tion along the trolloy wires, goes down through iho trolloy to tho motors and thenco must make its return to the station sta-tion along tho path of least resistance. Where tho normal paths arc defective it escapes into the ground and follows tho wntor pipes. So harm results so long as tho current flows smoothly along the wator pipes, but in caso of defectivo joints or connections it escapes es-capes again to tho ground, carrying with it iron at the rate of twenty pounds per ampere por annum. As yet the damage to the local water systcrn has not been sufficient to cause immediate alarm, but in view of the eravo nroblem that has arisen tu other cjties because of this electrical action, tho water officials aro intont upon providing pro-viding a remedy while there is yet time. Several conferences with tho Utah Lipht & Railway company havo bcou held roceutly to consider tho matter. |