History of the Water Supply of the World / arranged in a comprehensive form from eminent authorities, containing a description of the various methods of water supply, pollution and purification of waters, and sanitary effects, with analyses of potable waters, also geology and water strata of Hamilton county, Ohio, statistics of the Ohio river, proposed water supply of Cincinnati.

by Thomas J. Bell

REVENUE AND EXPENSE.

The average water-rent receipts, for 1880, per mile of water pipe in use, was $2,022 for Chicago, $3,200 for New York, $1,932 for Philadelphia, $2,730 for Boston, $3,307 for Brooklyn, $2,183 for Baltimore, $3,112 for St. Louis, $2,647 for Cincinnati, $1,600 for Louisville, $1,611 for Cleveland, $1,821 for Detroit, $2,060 for Buffalo, $1,500 for Milwaukee, $1,746 for Indianapolis; $1,128 for Columbus, Ohio, $3,556 for Pittsburgh, $397 for Washington, and $618 for Toledo, Ohio.

The cost of maintenance, for stand-pipe system, varies from 10 to 90 per cent. of revenue; for direct pumping, from 30 to 140 per cent. of revenue; for reservoir pumping, for large cities, from 12 to 37 per cent. of revenue; for small cities, from 12 to 120 per cent. of revenue; and new works, from 12 to 60 per cent. of revenue; for gravitation works, from 13 to 120 per cent. of revenue.

The revenue and the cost of maintenance (exclusive of interest), for each 1,000 gallons of water pumped, are respectively: Philadelphia, 5.77 and 1.28 cents; St. Louis, 6.91 and 2.55 cents; Chicago, 4.12 and 1.18 cents; Detroit, 4.09 and 82 cents; Buffalo, 3.50 and 1.00 cents; New York, 4.7 and one cent; Cleveland, 5.43 and 1.5 cents; Cincinnati, 7.01 and 2.6 cents.

The revenue received, for each 1,000 gallons delivered, is 15.52 cents at Liverpool, England; 14.35 cents at Berlin, Germany; 8.13 cents at Dresden, and 4 cents at Hamburg.

The comparative annual water-rent charges for a large house, in different cities, are as follows: Columbus, Ohio, $23.50; Lawrence, Mass., $20; Providence, R. I., $31; Brooklyn, $29.25; Buffalo, $43.50; Detroit, $23.25; Cincinnati, $28.73; Cleveland, $21.50; Chicago, $34; Philadelphia, $27.75; Pittsburgh, $71.50; Milwaukee, $34.50; Louisville, $51.50.

The meter rate charges, per 1,000 gallons, are 10 to 40 cents at Boston; 10 cents at Chicago; 10.2 at Cincinnati; 7 to 20 at Columbus, Ohio; 15 cents at Brooklyn; 13½ at Baltimore; 6 to 12 at Cleveland; 20 to 30 at Buffalo; 15 cents at Philadelphia; 7½ cents at New York; and 30 cents at Providence, Rhode Island.

The meter rates, per 1,000 U. S. gallons, at Stuttgart, Germany, are 11 cents for filtered river water, 5½ cents for lake water, and 15 cents for spring water. The rates, at Frankfort-on-the-Main, are 3.7 to 5 cents; at Hamburg, Germany, 8½ cents; at Leipsic, 7½ to 9¼ cents; at Berlin, Germany, 6½ to 25½ cents; at Dublin, Ireland, 6½ to 11 cents; and at Glasgow, Scotland, 15 cents per 1,000 U. S. gallons.

The average dividend paid by the water companies of Great Britain, in 1870, was 7 per cent.