The Effect of Sizes and Maintenance of Meters on Revenues

Abstract

On December 31, 1931, there were in the City of Chicago, 427,860 water services and of these, 101,999, or 23.84 percent, were metered. During 1931 the Chicago water supply system delivered, within the City limits, 363,028,977,206 gallons of water. Of this pumpage 120,287,237,953 gallons, or 33 percent, was metered. In addition, 55 to 60 percent of the total metered consumption passed through less than 3000 meters (4 percent of the total numbers of meters in 1929). The average daily pumpage in 1931 was 994,599,937 gallons, giving an average of 2324 gallons per tap and 282.56 gallons per inhabitant. The revenue derived from frontage, or assessed rates, was §4,068,743.00 and the revenue derived from metered consumers was $8,951,442.00. In other words, 68.7 percent of the income from the water supply system was paid by metered users. The foregoing statistics indicate the importance of meters in connection with the revenue from the water supply system and the necessity for keeping these measuring devices in such condition that they will correctly register the amount of water delivered, for, as the greater part of the revenue comes from the metered consumer, any under-registration of the measuring devices would greatly reduce the revenue of the department. Prior to 1925 the size of the meter to be installed in connection