411 Minutes of a Called Meeting of the City Council. Austin, Texas June 19, 1896. Hon. Lewis Hancock, Mayor, presiding. Roll Called. Present Aldermen Beaty, Goeth, Haynes, Blart, Powell, Roberdeau, Schneider, Shelley, Stumpf, Saylor, Townsend and Zilker. 12. Absent Aldermen Fischer, Glascock, Glass, Horton, Lawless, Linn, Nitschke, Redd, Rosengren and Tobin 10 The following call of the Mayor, with the Marshals return was read: Mayor's call for a Special Meeting. Mayor's Office, Austin Texas June 19th 1896 A special meeting of the City Council is hereby called to meet in the Council Chamber at 5 oclock P.M. today, to take into consider -ation the prevention of waste of Water by Water Consumers, and also the connection of the Stillwell-Bierce pumps with the Spring in the Power House. Lewis Hancock, Mayor. City Marshals Cer- tificate of Aldermen having been served with call. Austin Texas 4, P.M., June 19th 1896. I hereby certify that the following Aldermen have been served with the above call by having it read to each of them in person, viz: Beaty, Blart, Glass, Goeth, Haynes, Lawless, Linn, Blart, Powell, Redd, Roberdeau, Rosengren, Schneider, Shelley, Stumpf, Saylor, Tobin, Townsend, Fischer, Horton and Zilker and that Aldermen Nitschke and Strickers have been served by a true copy being left at each of their respective places of business and Alderman Glascock has been served by a true copy having been left at his last known place of residence; the latter four (4) Aldermen being out of the City. James E. Lucy, City Marshall. Mayor's Message Mayor's Office, June 19th 1896. To the Honorable City Council: Gentlemen: I have called you together in special session to consider the condition of affairs now existing in our Pumping and Water system A condition too serious, in my opinion, to permit of delay till your next regular session. As has often before stated to you, the 30-inch main from the Power House to the City has a normal capacity to deliver about 5,000,000 gallons of water per day of twenty-four hours, that is that much water can be pumped through this main without raising the pump to an injurious pressure Only a limited additional amount of water can be forced through the main and that only at the expense of injury to the Pumps. Five million gallons per day of twenty-four hours is at the rate of 208,000 per hour, and that amount may be taken as the limit that can be forced through the main with due regard for the preservation of the Pumps, regardless of what our Pumping capacity may be. Up to the beginning of the dry weather no difficulty was encountered in supplying the demands of customers, but with the dry weather the use of water has increased, until it is now beyond the capacity --- Page break --- 412 Mayor's Message of the 20-inch main to carry enough water to supply all consumers, and the service furnished by the City is thus rendered very unsatisfactory. Nearly all consumers on elevated points have constant cause to complain either of having no water at all or a very inadequate supply. The State Lunatic Asylum, the City's largest customer, is one of the worst sufferers, and for days at a time the Engineer at the Bower House has found it impossible to keep their stand pipe filled to a proper height to ensure proper service to their buildings. This state of affairs is a serious one, and, if possible, should be remidied at once, and I believe it can be remidied immediately and without hardships upon any one. There can be no doubt that the greatly increased demand upon the system is due to the use of water for sprinkling. The very low rates at which water is sold for sprinkling have induced a great many customers to avail themselves of the sprinkling privilege. This is only right and desirable if water was used for sprinkling with proper economy. But the ordinances of the water works, while forbidding waste of water, do not define what shall constitute waste, and the evidence exists on every street that far more water is used than is required to keep lawns, shrubbery etc., green and in good conditions. Many customers let the water run all day, and not a few let it run night as well as day. A half hour's walk on any residence street will prove by the muddy side walks that water is daily and hourly night as well as day, being allowed to run to waste. To show the enormous quantity of water used in this way I may state that the Superintendent's Reports show a registered average consumption of 1,750,867 gallons per day for the month of December of 1,984,100 gallons per day for the month of April, and an average for the five months, December to April, inclusive, of 1,399,696 gallons per day; while he reports to me today that on May 7, 1884 from 7 to 8 A.M., we pumped at the rate of 5,788,104 gallons per twenty four hours, and since that time I am sure we have delivered water at a greater rate. Now you can see from this statement that the full limit of the pipe capacity has been reached, and it is probable that the amount pumped, 5,700,000 gallons, is only attained at a costly expense to the pump, and yet the service is defective on all elevated points as I have stated to you. The reason is simply that consumers on lower elevations draw off all the water as it comes and leave little or none to reach the higher points. I do not believe this condition of affairs is necessary, or that it should continue. My own experience, with rather a large lawn and many trees and shrubs, is that three hours' sprinkling per day, is sufficient to keep them in good condition. That was the limit I allowed on my place for many years when a customer (through meter) of the old Company. I am confident the City can enforce the same, or a similar limitation upon its customers and, without in any way interfering with the efficiency of its sprinkling service. I, therefore, recommend to you that you provide, by ordinances or otherwise, as shall seem proper to you, --- Page break --- 413 Mayor's Message some such limitation. In order to facilitate your deliberations I herewith lay before you an ordinance, drawn by the Superintendent after con- sultation between him and myself. I ask your consideration of same and the immediate application of the remedy therein provided or some other equally efficacious. In this connection I may call your attention to the low water in the lake, and to the saving of water which this ordinance will effect as during most of the day our turbines will be able to furnish sufficient pumping capacity, and the water now used to run the other turbines can be saved. I would further call your attention to the fact that as the water falls in the lake it becomes less desirable as drinking water, and should it fall very low indeed might be disagreeable. I think, therefore, additional pumping capacity should be supplied for use of the spring water. In view of the necessity of doing this at once and of the comparatively small cost, I recommend that the Stillwell-Bierce pumps be connected up by means of a centrifugal or rotary pump, using two of the space between the [illegible] pump. Herewith I lay before you a resolution to that effect. While upon this subject I would say that the present low water in the lake is not a cause for serious alarm. In view of the large water shed of the Colorado River, rains are most certainly to be expected within a short time, which will raise the water. In the meantime, the storage capacity of the lake is ample to carry us through several months without any rain at all. The Superintendent informs me that during the last forty-eight hours there has been no further fall in the water in the lake. The situation therefore is not one to cause uneasiness, but every reasonable means should be availed of to economise in the use of the water. Respectfully, Lewis Hancock, Mayor. Alderman Glass entered the Council Chamber and answered to his name. Ord. regulating use of The Mayor laid before the Council and had read, "An ordinance Water for Sprinkling purposes. to regulate the use of water for sprinkling purposes." The Mayor also laid before the Council and had read the following resolution: Resolution authorizing the Supt. of W. & L. to Resolved, by the City Council of the City of Austin, That connect up the pumps to as soon as practicable the Superintendent shall, with the advice the spring Water Supply of the W. & L. Com. to connect one or both of the 1,000,000 gallon pumps to the spring water supply, the work to be done in such a way as to leave the pumps connected as now to their present supply, and at an expense not to exceed $375 00/100. Names of Special Com. on Alderman Schneider moved to fill the blank space in the resolution W. & L. referred to by inserting the following: "Five members of the Council and the Mayor". Alderman Lord moved that four of the above committee be the former Water & Light Commission, which amendment was accepted by Alderman Schneider. The motion of Alderman Schneider, as amended, was adopted, and the [illegible] --- Page break --- 414 resolution as amended was then adopted. The Mayor appointed Alderman Zilker as the other member of the Committee. Alderman Taylor asked unanimous consent of the Council to offer a resolution, which was granted. Alderman Taylor then offered the following resolution; Resolution authorizing the Supt. of W.L. to wire Convention Hall & furnish power for electric fans during State Democratic Convention Resolved, that the Superintendent of Water & Light be and is hereby authorized to wire Convention hall and furnish power for incandescent lights and for electric fans to be used during the State Democratic Convention. On motion the resolution was adopted. Alderman Taylor moved a call of the Council which was ordered. Alderman Goeth moved that the Council take a recess of ten minutes Carried. At the expiration of the recess the Council was called to order by the Mayor. Roll Called! Present Aldermen Beaty, Glass, Goeth, Haynes, Platt, Powell, Roberdeau, Rosengren, Schneider, Shelley, Stumpf, Taylor, Tobin, Town- send, and Zilker. 15. Absent Aldermen Fischer, Glascock, Horton, Lawless, Lumm, Nitsche and Todd. 7. Ord regulating use of water for Sprinkling purposes read 2nd time. On motion of Alderman Taylor the call was suspended. Alderman Taylor moved to suspend the rules, and place the ordinance to regulate the use of water for sprinkling purposes on its second reading, which motion prevailed by the following vote: Yeas Aldermen Beaty, Glass, Goeth, Haynes, Platt, Powell, Roberdeau, Rosengren, Schneider, Shelley, Stumpf, Taylor, Tobin, Townsend and Zilker. 15. Nays None The ordinance was read a second time. Sect. 1 amended in regard to hours for sprinkling Alderman Haynes moved to amend section 1 of the ordinance, in regard to the hours for sprinkling, which as amended, was then passed under suspension of the rules by the following vote: Yeas Aldermen Beaty, Glass, Goeth, Haynes, Platt, Powell, Roberdeau, Rosengren, Schneider, Shelley, Stumpf, Taylor, Tobin, Townsend and Zilker. 15. Nays None. Final passage! The Ordinance as passed. The Ordinance as passed reads as follows An Ordinance to regulate the uses of water for Sprinkling purposes. Section 1. Be it ordained by the City Council of the City of Austin: That all flat rate water consumers who use water for sprinkling purposes shall do so from 5 to 8 A.M., and from 6 to 9 P.M., and during no other hours of the day or night. Section 2. And it shall be the duty of the Police force, and all other city employes to report promptly to the Superintendent all violations of this ordinance. Said Superintendent shall discontinue the water service of all who violate the provisions of this ordinance --- Page break --- 415 and Water service shall not again be given to any consumer whose service has been discontinued until he pays. To cover the expense of discontinuing and renewing such service. Alderman Haynie offered the following resolution, which was read and adopted: Be it resolved by the City Council of the City of Austin: That the ordinance Committee be and they are hereby instructed to prepare and present at the next regular meeting of the Council an ordinance making it a penal offence to violate any of the provisions of an ordinance regulating use of Water for sprinkling purposes. On motion of Alderman Dorth the Council adjourned. Jno. C. Jefferson City Clerk Resolution instructing Ord. Committee to prepare an Ord. making it a penal offence to violate any of the provisions of an Ord. regulating use of Water for sprinkling purposes.