WHAT WATERWORKS MEN ARE DOING

Notes on Construction, Extension and Management

The shortage of water in the Kensington district of

is a source of great trouble to the residents, who claim that it is as bad as at any time last winter. At times it is impossible to draw water front taps on the second floors of houses in that district and throughout the entire northeast part of the city. During a large portion of one day recently it was impossible to get any water from any of the taps in any of the homes in that part of the city. Nor was that the only way in which there was a shortage of the water supply. At various times this summer the water supply has been as low throughout that section of the city as it was during the troublesome times of last winter. The residents of Kensington believe that the shortage of power is the correct explanation, and, on that theory, they suggested that the city should make a contract with a private water company, preferably the Depew & Lake Erie Water company, to supply the Kensington d»strict with an adequate amount of water. 11ns water company’s mains encircle the city just outside the Kensington district, and the residents of the district are sure that there is enough pressure in the mains of this company to force the water through all the taps of every structure in the northeastern part of the city. Commissioner Ward, on being asked how it w’as that Kensington people have to pay taxes for water they do not get, while outside factories, which do not pay city taxes, are using 35,000,000 gallons of city water every month, is reported to have answ ered as follows; * It is a plea put forward in the interests of the Western New York Water company which was organised with a capital ot $5,000,000 and which has about live customers. Naturally, it grieves the company to find that large concerns like the Lackawanna company, the Milsom Rendering Works and the Haynes Garbage Crematory prefer the water of the city to that drawn from lake Erie by this company.

There is still trouble over the question of a waterworks system being put to the vote at

instead a motion was passed instructing the city attorney to prepare an ordinance providing for the control of the waterworks system by a board of commissioners, l he vote on the adoption of the resolution was taken after a somewhat lengthy debate. C. K. Holliday spoke against the resolution on the ground that the adoption of the statute would take the control of the waterworks out of the hands of the council and prevent the extension of water mains. After the vote had been taken it was moved that the city attorney be instructed to draw up an ordinance on the lines of the original Howe ordinance providing for the management of the waterworks plant by a board of three commissioners appointed by the mayor for terms of two years. 1 he motion was carried, and the ordinance will be prepared. Before it comes up for adoption, however, there will probably be at least one more light on the adoption of the State statute.

Among all the cities of South Carolina

is rapidly coming to the front. So great is its growth that its present waterworks system is inadequate to supply the winter consumption. Under the most favorable conditions only 240,000 gallons can be pumped in a day. lhe present system can easily supply the summer consumption; but, owing to the large number of winter tourists, much more water is used in the winter than in the summer. A proposition has been made to’ secure the services of a competent engineer to look over the various sources of water supply near Aiken. It has also been decided to secure options on the available property on which good water supplies are situated. A proposition was received from C. K. Henderson offering to sell the China springs on the lands formerly’ owned by the Pope Clay company’. No price was stated. 1 he water from the artesian wells now’ in use has been proved by analysis to be of the highest quality, and the China springs w’ater is considered very good.

The Temescal Water company has been inspecting its property and the work done on it. The first place visited w’as

where the company’s powerful pumping plant was first established at a cost of $1,000,000 by E. A. Chase, who sold out to the present proprietors. These at once developed the property and laid a pipe line and dug a ditch to convey water to Cowna, forty miles distant. This is the longest line for irrigation in the United States. The plant is up-to-date in every respect and consists of three large steam boilers capable of driving the two engines of seven or eight hundred-horsepower. The engines are oil-burning, of the Hamilton-Corliss make and of 425 and 250-horsepower. At the time of the visit only the large engine of 400 or 500-horsepower was working, the other being held in reserve for emergencies. Electricity is the power in actual use, the engines driving a large dynamo, from which the electric power is derived that pumps the water. The pumping stations to the number of eleven, three of them being at Temescal, are scattered over the valley, each station having from two to four wells. The total capacity of the eleven plants in the Perris valley is about 1,000 inches. The pumps are almost automatic in their operations, requiring a visit from an attendant only two or three times a day. If by’ any accident the pumps cease to work the pow’er is instantly shut oft. Generally the wells are about forty feet to water with a depth of eighty feet of water. In pumping, the water level in the wells is but little affected. Each station in pumping raises about one hundred and fifty inches of water, the various streams being finally united at the crossing of the San Jacinto river a mile or so from Perris. From that point the water is conveyed by open cemented or concreted canals or wooden or cement pipe all the way to the orchards at Corona, which knows exactly how much water she can depend on. The ultimate capacity is 700 inches from the Ethanac plant and 300 from the Temescal. In addition to the water from Perris valley, 300 inches are contributed to the poo inches when the pipe line reaches Temescal. At station F a triplex pump is used, being connected with a forty-horsepower electric motor. The pump here is twenty-seven feet below the surface, the water level being from thirty-five to forty feet. Four wells, 100 feet apart, arc being pumped, and a flow of 120 inches is secured. Each station is visited two or three times a day, and at each is an automatic arrangement for shutting off the power should the water stop running over the weir. As has been said, the distance from the central pumping station to Corona is forty miles, and the water is conveyed alternately in a redw’ood pipe and cement ditch, ‘lhe construction is of the most permanent character, and was improved the past season by the building of storm water courses of cement at points where most needed in the canon. The cost of maintenance has been found to be very small. l he least fall on the line is three-quarters of an inch to too feet. The pipe and canal parallel the railroad all the way to Elsinore. Where the ground is rocky pipe is used, otherwise the water is carried in an open canal.

The other day, for the first time since the fall of 1900, the pumps at the waterworks pumping station of

were entirely at rest during the testing of the new standpipe on Boston Heights. The test lasted for fourteen hours, and during that interval the city was supplied with water from the new standpipe. At the close of that period there still remained twenty-two and a half feet of water in the tank—about 200,000 gallons. The heavy consumption of water which then began about the city pulled down the pressure in the lower part of the town to less than seventy pounds, and, in order to raise this pressure, the pumps were started up and the balance of the water in the pipe was allowed to flow out into the ditches of Boston Heights. Only a few leaks were found, and only a half dozen rivets, where these leaks existed, were removed and replaced. The seams in the tank will at once be caulked and then painted, after which the tank will be ready for active service. I bis test of the tank demonstrated that the pumps at the station might be closed down for quite a period in case of an accident and still the city be with fire protection for any reasonable time while the repairs were being made.

I lie official State board of health analyses of the water of Palmer, Mass., show the presence of considerable numbers of microscopic organisms in the water, of kinds which have been known to impart a disagreeable taste and odor. They are not known to be injurious to health and the board cannot advise a safe and practicable method of preventing their presence in the water. The board states that a thorough cleaning of the bottoms of the reservoirs would no doubt improve the quality of the water. It believes that the supply is insufficient for the needs of Palmer in dry times and thinks an additional water supply is necessary. It advises an immediate investigation with a view to increasing and improving the supply.

T he department of water supply of Brooklyn, New York, will soon expend $2,750,000 of the $3.3QO.ooo recently appropriated by the board of estimate, for the construction of a new conduit from Masapequa (L. I.). to the Ridgewood reservoir, the old brick conduits having been greatly overtaxed during the past winter, compelling the use of Brooklyn’s reserve suppb of water. At Ridgewood the engine house is to be completely remodeled at a cost of $600,000, and several of the largest engines ever installed in a water plant will be erected there. Another $200,000 will be utilised for the extension of the immense distributing system, and a new driven well plant wilt be establisned within the old Brooklyn city limits, to cost about $250,000.

At Lead, S. Dak., the Hotnestakc company is preparing to expend a large amount of money to complete the system whereby Lead and Deadwood are furnished with water. A few years ago, this company spent $1,000,000 to erect a pumping station and bring the water to Whitcwood creek. A tile ditch will now be put in at great expense, t transfer the water from the pumping station to the cities. This will insure for Deadwood and Lead the best water supply in the country. A survey is now being made, right of way procured, and work upon the ditch itself will begin soon.

Colonel L. E. Stephens, of Davis, I. T., has invented a self-motor for waterpower, whose plan is that of levers and pulleys. By the action of water running through the series of tubes and pipes he claims that he can develop many horsepower at practically no cost, except the wear and tear of his machine. At the end of a ten-inch lever he can lift 200 pounds. A small stream is led through a one-inch pipe, and this water passes through a series of tubes and acts upon pulleys. The loss by friction cannot be calculated, as it is so small. When once in motion the machine runs as long as the small stream of water is used.

It is learned that the Temple, Tex., Water comyany has undertaken extensive improvements. The machinery will soon he at Temple for an entirely new pumping outfit at the river, and, if found practicable, a filtering well will be dug. This latter project would call for a large well some distance from the river, into which the water would percolate and become clarified before being pumped to town. A good porous sand would be necessary to the success of such a system, and investigation to this end. is to be made.

At Chicago so serious is the situation in the water department over the delay in considering the new meter ordinance that it was given out at the city hall Monday it might he necessary to call a special meeting of the council during the summer vacation to consider it.