CHAPTER XII 

 LEAKAGE FROM STREET MAINS 



But a considerable quantity of water is lost through leaks in the conduit 

 which is not readily seen on account of the depth at which the conduit is 

 located. Frontinus, " Water Supply of Rome," Translation by Clemens 

 Herschel, 1899, p. 41. 



Hundred of thousands of microscopic leaks at the main pipe joints, 

 each of which individually is too small to attract notice or to warrant the 

 expense of a remedy, but which in the aggregate amount to a very note- 

 worthy quantity. John R. Freeman, Report on New York Water Supply, 

 1900, p. 58. 



At first thought leakage from street mains seems to be a 

 little outside of the question of meter rates, but it is one of 

 the matters that is closely connected with it and that always 

 has to be taken into account. 



The percentage of the total output that can be accounted for 

 by meter, even under the best American practice, is disappoint- 

 ing. The meter rates have to be higher than they otherwise 

 would be because of this shortage. This is a very practical 

 matter and one that must be fully understood in order that 

 disastrous errors may not be made in fixing meter rates. Infor- 

 mation as to the division of the water that cannot be accounted 

 for among the various possible sources of loss is disappointingly 

 meager. 



It is proposed in this chapter to take up first a very brief 

 resume of what is known about the leakage from street mains, 

 to be followed by a brief statement of the best methods of 

 locating and stopping this leakage. 



It is easy to see why there is so little definite information 

 as to the leakage from street mains. As soon as a main is laid, 

 service connections are made, and water begins to be drawn for 



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