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Show How Waterworks Grew Beginning with Boston in the year 1652, the number of waterworks had grown to 17 by 1800; 4,000 by 1900, and 15,400 by 1945.1 This growth is even more accelerated than urbaniza- tion (cities over 2,500 population) in the United States, which was 5.1 percent in 1790; 39.7 per- cent in 1900, and 56.5 percent in 1940. At the present time, 30 million people, 20 percent of the population, live in 5 metropolitan areas having a central city of more than 1 million population. Twenty-six percent live in the 10 largest metro- politan areas. On the other hand, almost 80 percent of public water supplies are in communi- ties of 2,500 population or less. Waterworks are in general local enterprises, of which 80 percent are publicly owned and 20 per- cent privately owned. This is the reverse of the situation 10O years ago. During the past 30 years, there has been a dis- tinct tendency for the remaining privately owned waterworks to consolidate into larger companies operating in many separate communities. Only a few of these water companies operate inter- connected water systems such as have grown up under public ownership through the formation of metropolitan water districts to serve several separate communities from one interconnected system. Table 1, Number and Population of Cities Obtaining Water from Surface and Ground Water, shows that the greater number of cities TABLE 1.-Number and population of cities obtaining water from surface and ground water Population (thousands) Number of cities Ground water Number of cities Surface Over 100_________ .. 60 to 100________ ... 25 to 50____ 22 20 67 268 543 3,526 3,085,455 1,481,810 2,406,860 3,953,690 3,581,070 6,995,830 144 61 115 284 323 1,193 30,382,555 4,880,250 4,594,185 4,709,565 2,569,715 3,581,315 10 to 25________ 5 to 10 1 to5.......... Total___ 4,446 21,504,715 2,120 50,717,585 Source: U. S. Public Health Service, 1950. »V. 8. Public Health Service Survey in 1945 recorded a total of l«,400 water systems which served 94,390,000 persons living hi population groups of more than 200. obtain their supplies from ground water, but the greater population secures its supply from surface sources. The Low Cost of Urban Water Administration of waterworks in most cities is an integral part of city government, and such systems pay their revenues into the general fund and operate on annual appropriations. Al- though this condition is generally confined to the smaller communities, it still exists in such large cities as New York and Philadelphia. A growing number of cities provide for the operation of their waterworks as public utilities under ap- pointive boards and with funds kept separate from the general funds. Such is the situation in the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. By recent authority to issue revenue bonds for construction, many such communities may con- struct needed additions to plant facilities without relation to limitation upon issuance of bonds secured by the real property of the community. Utility operation, under this plan, tends toward better management and sounder financing of the waterworks. The historic cost of waterworks averages about $60 a person, but in cities importing their water great distances the cost may be twice as much. Costs have increased in recent years so that the present average for new construction is probably $100 to $125 for each person served in cities having local water supplies. In spite of these increasing costs, water is one of the least expensive essential commodities that the public buys. Annual domestic water charges in the United States average only $6 a person, or less than 2 cents a day. In general, domestic water is procured, filtered, pumped, and dis- tributed at the small cost of less than 5 cents a ton. On the basis of such low costs there should be no American community that cannot afford an adequate domestic water supply. These figures also indicate that water can be sold at prices which should enable any domestic and industrial water supply features of multiple-purpose projects to be 176 |