The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1859-10-04 00:00:00

WATILII•WORKB.

The water is obtained from a well and bore-hole, with
edits driven into the chalk. It is pumped by steam
power into a covered brick reservoir, capable of holding
about T. 11,500 gallons. When the plans For the water-
works were submitted to the late General Board, Mr.
Austin. in his report, made several recommendations to
re: der them more complete. He objected to the shape
of the proposed uncovered reservoir, as being ill adapted
for the use of Dr. Clarke's softening process, which it
wee then proposed to adopt; and he objected to th,
erection of only one pumping engine, as likely to lead to
oceseional serious inconvenience; but as the Local Hoard
were desirous of commencing the general works a* soon
as possible, he recommended that the necessary sanction
should be given, on the understanding that the design
of the reservoir and engine buildingi shold be re-:won-
dered, and again submitted to the Board. Ultimately
Mr. Austin, having conferred with the Local Board's
Engineer on these point., passel the plans, and tlo• De-
catur), sanction was given. The works generally have
been carried oat in accordance with the sanctioned
plans.
• _ .

111 tails.
It appears that by an agreement made between the
Local Board and Mr. Wl.itchead, it was arranged that
the works should be examined and approved by an officer
of the General Board of Health before final payments
were made. The General Board having ceased to cilia,
the Local Board made an application to the Secretary of
Rtatc, under the Local Government Act. IW, that an
Inspector should be sent down to make the examination
agreed upon. I urty here remark that in the PIM of
drainage works, such as those caaried out in Gorelie,ter,
ally examination made after the completion of the work 4
can only be dm limited kiwi, and must be confined t
the watching of the Row in tile beWCII.I after Rushing,
(non the various examinat,on bhofts. It would, in iny
opinion, have been far more Kitidactory (die approval
of an olliccr of this department having been apsmd uism
1114AWOCII time Local board and their coginecri if load in-
spect' had been numie at various tittles during the actual
ciinydrueliuti a the works. As it was, I made as perfect
an caatiiiiiat.iini 411 was in my power, and hare to report,
fingly, as regards time drainage. • . . .

Tim works e.ui ti have been very fairly carried out,
and with the exception of the walls of I nu: or two tin h-
g chambers having got shaken by the traffic over them,
to have been well executed. flaring the flushing expe-
riment I made. I caused large bungs covered with white
card board to he floated down the sewers, cud ob.:ryes'
their progre,s from phiht to point. In every case they
were satisfautorily floated down the sewers. In mic c 330
tlic extreme length the bungs were observed wa3 1,,410
feet. Five buogs thrown Into the sewer at the upper
mid made their appearance almost siniultanevusly at thu
lower end, iii a very few
.tninutes.
. .

I was particular y careful in leaching these experi-
meets, as it was reported to me that some portion of the
pipee hail demi crushed in lilting in ever thou. I am
of opinion, from the result of toy experiinents, no such
crushing can have taken place, or that it must be to a
very limited extent. Of course, without taking up the
*bole length of the sewer, it is ituposaible positively to
say how far this may be the case, but I repeat I am of
opinion there is no cause for apprehensi ~,, . As the
ground leis again to be spened out to inahe the
lieces-
nary house connections, for which junctions have been
left, good opportunity will occur of testing the sootiness
of the pipes at various points.
With respect to the substitution of the pipes for the
brick sewer in the " Common Meadow, I am of
opinion, from the arrangetnenta which Mr. Whitehead
tells in. were made to encore good work, that he acted
wisely in substituting some more impermeable material
for the sewer at thit point than the single ring brick
sewer. I bad no opportunity of examining this portion '
of the drainage, as there is no examination shaft along
it. length; bat from observation at points above and
below the length of pipes, I have no doubt it is acting
satisketorily. There is evident permeation into the
sewer towards the outfall from the land-springs, but I
think not to an exteut to interfere with the proper
working of the sewers.
Secondly, as regards the water-works. On the after-
noon of the 23rd August I caused the whole of the
pipes in the town to be charged from the service reser-
voir, and directed that they should be kept charged all ,
night, to be ready for the Meshing experiment next
morning. I mimed the hose and jets to be attached to
a hydrant about the centre of the town, ant • fine jet of
water, invaluable for fire purpcees, was the remit, the
stream of water being forted to the top of • tower of •
church—the highest building near. In the morning it
was discovered that the reservoir was empty, and that
the mans pipes, down to a certain point, were also
ezry. It was discovered that several of the hydrants
leaked very much, and that there were a few bad
joints, and at one point, in the lower part of the town,
It was supposed • pipe had burst, but the quaiitity of
water that had been leaking from these points could in
no way amount for the loss of all the water. Later in
the day, as our inspection proceeded, it was discovered
that am of the plugs at the " dead end" of • line of
pipes had been blown out, which circumstance accounted
lathdaetortlY for the lost of a very large quantity of
water.
As I have before described, the surface reservoir is
construeted of brick, end is covered over by sowbee
springing from a number of piers, also of brick. After
the reservoir hail been completed for many months and
the water was first pumped re
into it, it war discove:tl to
be in a very leaky state. This defect arose, as Mr.
Whitehead believed, from bad puddle having been need.
Ile therefore mused this defect to be remedied, and the
floor to be re-laid. The leakage was then considerably
reduced, as I was informed that on the Bth of July the
reservoir was found to have lost a quantity of only 41
inches in depth in 12 hours, with an original depth of
16 feet of water, and to have lost half-eteinch of water
in 12 hours, with an original depth of 6 feet of water.
Ateording to the figure* furnished to nie by the present
herveyor, the leakage for the 671 hours previous to my
iuspeotiou, had been 14j inches, the reservoir having
been pumped full.
It Is clear from this that there is still leakage from
souse part of the work. The more abeortion by the
brick piers would not in my opinion account for it. I
&111 iordisied to think that there meet be leaksge at the
junctions of the door with the brick piers. TM. le Mg
the new, I would &deltic a eery esreful examination of
these points, and all ile6ciencie4 iliould le made good
• :th the beet hydraulic cesurict, or hy .01110 other effec-
tual means. The contractor for the 14;e-1/lying txpressed
his willingness, in any presence, to make good all defi-
cient jeuitt and other imperfect work, as far as his con-
tract was concerned. The nueetructo: fw• t/a• rtsteroir
should be called spins to fled cad and effectually slop the
teat 15 the creuccuir, and minute exaniiiiation should be
made of all valves or sluices, and any defect in thew
should be carefully and immediately repaired.
It is to be regretted that during the progress of the
work money was paid to one of the contractors without
the engineer's certificate, no illUt Mz. Whitehead ci.anet
be he'll respoueible for the mode in which it WA& spent.
It Is unueomeu-y for nio to say much as regarde the
engine and pumps, as lir. Whitehead is not responsible
for them, the Local Beard having refused to adopt Lie
recommendations with reference to the description of
engines to be used. I do not think the Lineal Board
have adopted the best engines f tis
In comlusion, Iha fur ePe9a'fe rbluired•
have to express my °lemon that the
works, generally, have been carried out satisfactorily, and
that when the of the reservoir is effectually
etoll'Pd• th” will;'11:71tel to answer the purpose' fur
which they were designed.
I lank spin point out, that the examinatioo of the
Dorchester works in their complete state, ied
limited one, and that in ',aking this saa --y he •
report I othnot
take the naPollathelth of aartiftlng m to the mod. l'
wkisk the undergrotuld work kw been executed. a
I: a. d.
sulSolsk.water'workshasbew 6.862 10 4
UN* sewegrworks

WA« U 1,651 3 5

Survey . ... 3OO 0 0
Surveyors' and clerks' charges and
sllary f 139 4 1
Miscellaneous payments
I am of opinion that Mr. Whitehead has performed
his share of the work in a proper manner, and that ho
is entitled to the settlement of his account.
One word on the subject of the execution of the pri-
vate works. I would call the attention .1 the Is.cal
Ltonnl most strongly Anil most earnestly to the enormous
importance of the most rigid supervision in this respect.
The bast public work. es er executed become worse than
useless if the private works Mn negligently or unakiliuhly
turista out.