A Damning Report on Seattle's Water Works

W. E. Boone, chairman of the committee appointed to investigate the condition of the water works, submitted a lengthy report. On motion of C. J. Smith, a copy was ordered transmitted to the mayor and city council and a committee authorized to be appointed to confer with the mayor and city council on securing the reforms suggested and to provide a systematic method of operating the water works in future. The committee consists of W. E. Boone, F. J. Burns, Andrew Chilberg, A. J. Clark and Lawrence J. Colman. The report is as follows:

We have made some investigation of the subject submitted to us, and are satisfied ourselves as to the chief causes of the defect, to which we have not made so full and thorough an investigation as the importance of the subject requires, partly for the reason that the chamber desired only a general and substantially accurate presentation of the situation without entering into engineering details of a technical nature, and partly because a report embracing such details would be of little or no value to the chamber, which has no authority or power to give effect to its views upon the subject, but must depend solely upon the wisdom and discretion of the municipal authorities.

A radical defect of the water works of Seattle is due to the fact that they were projected and constructed without any proper regard to systematic provision for permanent operation and suitability. The design was clearly to do just enough to make them saleable and no more. This was done, the city bought them, and it now remains to reconstruct and manage them so as to meet the rapidly growing needs of the city. These needs have already outstripped the water works, and the demand for an increased supply of water cannot and ought not to be ignored or trifled with.

Two additional reservoirs should be provided, one at or near the City Park and one on Queen Anne hill. The Broadway and Queen Anne pumping stations should be abolished as soon as practicable. The actual running expenses of these stations, without including wear and tear, are about $15,000 per annum. As a substitute for these stations we favor high-duty pumps at the Lake Washington station, with a heavy main to the top of the hill (to withstand the additional pressure). Thus connecting with the high-service system, the Broadway and Queen Anne stations can be dispensed with and this large item of expense saved. The high-service districts include Broadway addition, Kenton addition and Rainier Heights addition. These are supplied from the Broadway pumping station. The other high-service district is Queen Anne hill, which is supplied from the Queen Anne pumping station. The suction of this station was placed 36 feet below the source of supply, thereby necessarily involving a great waste of power and fuel, the loss of power being about five pounds pressure per inch.

The designer of this wastefulness must have desired to illustrate the campaign tactics of that hero of Fredericksburg who bivouacked his army up the hill and then marched it down again.

It is almost needless to say that no map or chart of the system has been kept, but each man is to himself a law. The work has been conducted in a loose and unsystematic manner, and no record appears to have been kept of the location and size of pipes, grades, etc. The first step toward reform should be to procure from the best available sources an accurate and complete map or chart of the system, with accurate profiles and records of the location and size of every pipe, valve, hydrant and other appliance. This should be done with the utmost promptness, and no pains should be spared to make it an accurate and intelligent chart.

The management of the water works in a proper manner calls for professional training and skill of a high order, which the city cannot secure except for very high compensation. But it is true economy for the city to pay such compensation for the right kind of a man. One dollar will not purchase $10 worth of brains. Our neighboring town of Portland pays its superintendent of water works a salary of $3,000 per year and makes him independent of partisan control of the municipal patronage. Milwaukee has retained its superintendent of water works for the past twenty years without regard to partisan supremacy in the city. Other cities have learned from bitter experience the lesson that is exemplified by Portland and Milwaukee. Seattle is one of the many cities in which its folly has been demonstrated. The superintendent should be a capable engineer, and his appointment and retention should be wholly independent of partisanship. He should have entire control of his subordinates and be held responsible for the faithful and efficient performance of their duties. He should receive a salary of at least $5,000 per year, to be increased in proportion to the growth of the city and of the water works system. Seattle cannot afford to lag behind other intelligent and progressive cities in this matter; it should at once put itself in line with the experience and best thought of the country, and place the management of its water works system on a sound, economical, efficient and sensible foundation. In this good work the city authorities will be cordially encouraged and upheld by the Chamber of Commerce and by the sentiment of the entire business community.