Henderson Daily Dispatch

City Now Considering Abandoning Electricity For Use Of Waterworks

Unable to reach agreement with Carolina Power and Light on service rates, gasoline engines may be put in use. Council authorizes committee to investigate costs and to act if deemed advisable for purposes of economy in operating the plant.

Discarding of electricity as a means of furnishing power to pump water through the city waterworks system is being considered by the Henderson City Council because it has been unable so far to negotiate an acceptable rate with the Carolina Power and Light Company. The Council last night at its monthly meeting for February discussed the proposal at some length, and authorized Mayor Irvine B. Watkins and the city purchasing agent, Alderman K. L. Burton, to investigate facilities to be used for pumping water at the water works plant, and authorized the committee to contract for and purchase such equipment if it deemed it advisable.

The question has been under consideration for some months, during which time the city authorities have been endeavoring to obtain a contract from the power company to supply secondary power for the waterworks plant. A conference to that end was had with power company officials by members of the City Council a week ago, but no agreement was reached.

The State Corporation Commission has been appealed to for a hearing in the matter and a date was set for the hearing, but was deferred before the appeal could be presented. No new date has been fixed.

Pumping of the water by the use of a gasoline and a Diesel engine is the alternative before the committee, which expects soon to have some definite information in hand on which to proceed.