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r [‘\he sense of community spirit and enterprise in the history of Waterloo is no better illustrated than in the manner in which water, sewage and electricity were taken on as municipal responsibilities at a relatively early date. One hundred and fifty years ago, as Waterloo was incorporatâ€" ed as a village, drinking water and the disposal of waste waters were strictly private concerns. Wells and septic beds were almost as numerous as private houses. Waterloo‘s sense of community seen in history of public utilities House lots generally measâ€" ured only 16 metres (54 feet) in width. Many households kept a horse, a pig and a hen or two, and maybe a cow, to say nothing of dogs. The sanitary conditions in town might sometimes fall a little short of today‘s modern standards. As early as 1885, J. M. Scully and L. J. Breithaupt proâ€" posed spending $35,000 for a municipal water system in Berlin (Kitchener)}, but the plan was too expensive for the Berlin town council. A private U.S. company distributed untreated water in wooden pipes from Shoemakers Lake in Berlin. In 1888 Waterloo residents acquired a 10â€"year access to that system. In 1999, the Town of Waterloo set up a municiâ€" pal water commission, drilled a deep well and built a pumpâ€" ing station on it. â€"Both the well and building still exist on William and Regiâ€" na streets. The latter has been designated a heritage buildâ€" ing. â€" â€" â€" s s â€" The picture shown here shows the huge diesel engine that drove electric water pumps from the 1920s. It remains, unused, in the pump house. Cast iron distribution lines gradually replaced wooden NNHITHrmErirminrnromrmrrnremfamnmie. PIPINEâ€" k By 1887, the Waterloo /1‘1(’(/1'!'/4’ WAuT /(N'(/A. Gas Co. established a plant on Herbert Street. The town‘s water and light commission made gas for heating and lighting a municipal concern by buying the Gas Co. in 1904. And finally, the electrical age brought Waterloo to the forefront of the vast majority of Canadian towns and cities. It was again Charles G. Moogk, named the Town of Waterâ€" loo‘s first engineer in 1899, who instigated the town‘s purâ€" chase of the Snider Grist Mill‘s small steamâ€"powered elecâ€" tricity generator in 1907. He installed it on the William and Regina site, However, the demand of the town‘s residents for this new miracle power was such that local visionaries, E. W. B. Snider in particular, along with D. B. Detweiler and Adam Beck, were at the origin of the Ontario Power Commission that, in 1910, transmitted "unlimited and cheap" hydroâ€"electricity from Niagara Falls right across western Ontario. A yearv later, electric light fixtures marvellously iltluminatâ€" ed all of Waterloo‘s central King Street. â€" The relationship between the Town of Waterloo and Ontario Hydro is a proud story of national significance. Telegraph service was available along Grand Trunk wires in Waterloo from 1882, and later through Canadian Pacific‘s office in the Devitt Block on the southwest of King and Erb streets. And Charles G. Moogk was there to supervise the exten sion of electrical service throughout the town. _ _ A telephone switchboard operated in 1885 with some 20 subscribers, for the most part commercial. _ 0 It was in large measure the competent initiative of the early town‘s entrepreneurs and councillors that ensured Waterloo‘s health, comfort and prosperity. Terence Scully, a member of the Municipal Heritage Comâ€" mittee, with the support of the Waterloo public library, and heritage resources, will be writing a column biâ€"weekly throughout 2007 to celebrate Waterloo‘s 150th anniversary. Scully can be reached by emailing tscully@uwlu.ca. Charles G. Moogk, a local builder, determined the location of a sewageâ€" treatment plant on Laurel Creek and laid out the iniâ€" tial system of pipes and mains for waste water. A diesel engine from the 19205 is now unused in a pumping station. PHOTOGRAPH PROWIDED COURTESY OF TERENCE SCULLY fi uburn Hearing Centre} AUDIOLOGY & HEARING AID SERVICES 570 University Ave E., Unit 905, Waterloo g" ptarsic (519) 886â€"2416 o s Oticon Epoq â€" a new family of wireless hearing devices Oticon Epoq Epoq hearing aids can significantly improve your ability to locate sounds, not to mention the overall sound quality Use your cell phone â€" handsâ€"free like everyone else! Imagine treely talking on the cell phone or enjoying music from your MP3 plaver as a natural part of daily lite! With Epoq The new accessory to Epoq â€" the Epog Streamer connects your cell phone wirelessly and a pair of Epogs. Turning them into the world‘s smaliest handsâ€"tree head set. Have a portable music player? Epoq will also serve as wireless earphones â€" supplying great sound quality to both ears. An advantage your friends will surely envy! L Call today to book an appointment! www.aubumhearing.com WATERLOO CHRONICLE + Wednesday, August 1 IN _ 370 usaversity ave £. 2007 + 15