130 antofagasta railway waterworks. 



Methods of Distribution and Control. 



The headquarters of the department are in Antofagasta, and 

 sectional engineers are stationed in Calama and Mejiliones, and 

 there is also a branch office in Central, which is in the centre 

 of the nitrate oficina district. The care of the intakes and storage 

 reservoirs and the maintenance of the pipe lines are carried out 

 by a permanent staff stationed at convenient points, and, as the 

 pipe Imes run parallel to the railway, inspection work is greatly 

 facilitated. Venturi meters are employed to measure the water 

 leaving San Pedro, and others are placed on the mains, at Calama. 

 Central, and Antofagasta, By this means and from the fact that 

 all supplies from the main are metered, it is possible to check 

 up and account for any loss on the various sections. 



The nitrate oficinas, which are practically small towns, with 

 populations varying between 1,000 and 8,000 people, are supplied 

 with water in bulk to their pumping stations, as they are all 

 situated above the hydraulic gradient of the mains. From there 

 it is pumped to the storage tanks in the oficina through their own 

 mains, which vary in length from one to five miles. 



Three-inch Worthington meters are used for measuring these 

 supplies, as well as for the railway station supplies. 



The delivery through these meters varies between 1,000,000 

 and 2,000,000 gallons per month. "When working at this latter 

 figure, the brass liners of the cyhnders of this meter speedily 

 become worn and at the end of G months a meter has been 

 observed to be as much as 12 per cent, to 14 per cent. slow. 

 Testing chambers, therefore, have been built in concrete along- 

 side the meters for the oficina supplies, and periodical tests are 

 carried out on these meters, and faulty ones changed without 

 delay. Although this arrangement of having testing chambers 

 and pipe connections alongside each meter installation may seem 

 somewhat extravagant, when it is realised that the price for 

 water sold to oficinas is 4s. 6d. per 1,000 gallons and that some of 

 them consume 3i million gallons a month, the expense entailed 

 in making the testing arrangements is speedily recovered from 

 the extra revenue derived by the use of accurate meters. 



In Antofagasta water is supplied to consumers at the rate 

 of $1'40 (Chilian) per cubic metre. The sterling value of the 

 Chilian peso has fluctuated between 14d. and 6id. during the 

 last eight vears, the latter figure being the present rate (Julv. 

 1022.)^ 



Galvanised iron service pipes are employed in Antofagasta 

 with f inch and ^ inch Kent's Standard meters in general use for 

 domestic supplies, and the meter rents are as follows: — 



;; inch meter 4s. 3d. per month. 



i ,, 4s. lOd. 



f ,, 5s. 5d. 



1 ,, 7s. 3d. 



Agreements for water services are only entered into with the 

 owner of the property, as there is no law making it compulsory 

 to instal fresh water services in everv dwelling house. Occupiers 



