Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-12-29 00:00:00

WATER COMMITTEE.

At the weekly meeting of this committee yesterday,
Mr. W. Earle presided ; and the other members present
were Messrs. Beloe, Rae, Wagstaff, Woodruff, Estill,
Farnworth, and Bennett.

THE RMNGTON SCHEME AGAIN CALLED IN QUESTION.
Mr. FARNWORTH wished, to ask. a question with
respect to the colour of the Rivington water. Several
gentlemen had spoken to hinr as to the, state of the
water ; and be, as a 'membpr of the committee, could
not understand how it was that the water was worse in
colour, now that the proportion of Rivington to well
water was as 51 to 32, than it was when it was only
about one-fourth' well water.
Mr. DUNCAN replied that, there were two. reasons.
The first was that they had had two stoppages on the
pipe line, and that necessitated their' stopping the water
off partially at night. The consequence was that when
the water was turned on in the ,morning it carried the
sediment along the pipes. The other reason was that
in the winter the water in the reservoirs was much
darker than it was in the summer.
Mr. FARNWORTII said, they were always led to unden
stand that the water:would improve 'in colour when the
reservoirs had been some time in use.. According to'
the engineer's showing, the Water was getting worse..
Mr; DUNCAN said, it was unquestionably worse thair
in the' summer, and, in his opinion, it must of necessity
be so. In the autumn floods they got down the heather
bloom from the uplands ; but, of coUrSe,. When that,
subsided the water would become pure by precipitation.
Mr. BENNETT—WiII the engineer' tell us how the
tinge is more deep in December, 1859, than it was in,
December, 186$ ?
Mr. DUNCAN stated that the additional tinge, might
be attributed to the scheme he had to have recourse to
of turning off the water at night.
Mr. BENNETT—And though you have an> increased
supply in the Presccit reservoir close at hand; you are
obliged to turn the water off at night ?
Mr. Deseix wished to state one ParticUlar to the
committee. The Present reservoir Was barely sufficient
in height to supply that part of the town of Prescot now
laid on. They had not yet had time to put up the
tower at Prescot, in order to' supply the whole place
from . that tower; and he was therefore obliged at pre-
sent to keep one reservoir well up at' Prescot,. and this
deprived him of -the supply Mr. Bennett had alluded to.
Mi. lUrtii-Err—The fact is, with all these additional
resources, and with the great addition pumped from the
wells, we are Obligld to have the water off at night:
DUNCA4—Bot wholly off.
Mr. pinomirri—SO much off as to cause the discolour—
ing of the water. It shows that an immense amount of
sediment must be in those pipes.
Mr. FARNWORTH asked the engineer whether he•
considered the filter bedS'perfOrmed their dutieS:now 'as.
well as they did at first.
Mr. DUNCAN said they had not ; but he had been
endeavouring to remedy the evil, and thought that in a,
short tithe he would be able to report to the committee
that he had' been successfid. The filters were better
than they were a month ago.
Mr. FARNWORTH did not think the water was so
well filtered' as before.
Mr. BENNETT—Are you not using the whole-of the,
six filters ?
Mr. DUNCAN.--Yes.

Mr. BENNETT—Was it not Mr. Hawksley's intention
to use only three for the sixteen million gallons a-day ?
You are now using the six for ten million gallons.
Mr. Duziotor—l do not believe that the filters will
pass that quantity thoroughly. I have heard, that Mr.
Hawksley said the three would be sufficient, but lac
never said so to me.
Mr. FARNWORTa asked were the out-townships and
the town of Liverpool supplied from the same source ?
Mr. DurreArr replied that ,they, were not. At Aig-
burth they got well water from the Park-hill reservoir,
and for Mosley-hill the Windsor engine was turned
round, so that well water was supplied in that direction.
The CrimaxA.N.--Some gentlemen may be. 'very
squeamish. I find the water good enough at my house,
but I don't know where it comes from.
Mr. riutliwoßmi said the colour of the water was
certainly very unsatisfactory.
The OGA/RWA.N—The 'Pike water is perfectly fit to
drink. It is not pellucid ; I have never said that it was,
but it is certainly good' water, and for it other parts of
the country would be extremely thankful if they could
get it.
Alderman BENNETT asked what steps were being
taken to supply the town with Rivington water only ?
The -Exonsana said lie reported when the reservoirs
were full, but the committee had made no order on the
subject. He should not now advise the supply of Riv-
ington water only.
-The Engineer reported that the quantity of water re-
ceived troll -Riyington during the week ending 24th of
December Was 54,891,030 gallons, and that the quantity
pumped from the wells was 37,814,179. gallons, making
a total of 92,736,209 gallons. .
Mt..Dunean further reported as follows:
, The depths of.water.under the. overflows of the undermen,
firmed reserroira'were, on the rnernizig of the 24th instant, or 3.
tabulated under : • • - •
Dec. 24. Dec. 17. Rise. Fall.
.ft. in. ft. in. ft. in. ft. in.
Roddiesworth 9 7 ... 8 7 ... 0 0 ... 1 0
Rake 9 .0 ... 8 9 ... 0 0 ... 0 3:
Anglezark lO 3 910 0 0 ... 0 5,
Rivington
Preaoest (No. 1) 0 2,} 0 6 ... 0 4 ... 0
Prescot (No. 2) 11 10 14 4 ... 2 6 ... 0) Os
PIPE LINE.
Appended is a copy of a report 'received from Mr„ Charlton,
superintendent of the pipe line; narrating the particulars.
attending the recent breakage near Ashton :
"I am of opinion that, in order to lessen the risks.ou that-
portion of the line near the self-acting valve reforred toOtt
will be advisable to. Place-an escape calve on the4iigher side •ell
the momentum valve; as thereby the shook on the latter :sheik
ting .would , much be diminished. On two former oteaffielio a,
similar •breakages have at this point, been eaperienced).,
damage to the cottager partially flooded has.noti Intider4 nd,
been of monsent.: '1 purpose going over thoground toinllar
andshall exarninetheinjuries dune (if al, It appear s that
' • the pipe which first- Ore wayovas thinrsided, and! y
split
from end Wend, :.- the second,'vfhich, was of agerage c#ip thy, ;,a,
a burst out; front this; however, not nauCh.waters ear
In compliance with the resolution/of. the Waterßo'
the 19thinst., I have further to reposttthat tho.flw
,t intithatier,
I harbor the accident was from Mr, charlton,, tour
snigh pet. I
imraediately instructed Mr. Dunaansori Jo, ay
awes pipelayevs t0619t0 asehit. in-rep ig in*, atth half a
Ste breakage
andto proceed to Ashtoni.,rendeia alt the '3B/' ,stance he could, "
aura 'rePost en his return, to me4lll.l,o,__.,htlisft lie reached there
shortly before the, men, and. reinaumig. ' until they procured
everrthing necessary for the crimpled" r of the work.. The men
continued at work until .Sunda,'y rnorstir When the work was
completed and the watek:•flowedi
..ough the pipes: ' With
reference to the position of thePieso across the Lancashire aid:
Torkaldre Railway at 111/1,0,y,.10 not apprehend any damage
to this work by the a:tiara of host, for, as long as the orate/
continues to flew through the 'cubes' at a temperature above
freezing,. there can be, no *to' opaga ; and when, by accident;
similar to the last...the watsr • ceases to flow, the pipe at this
will be empty In this '
' to whotn I hare spoken.
„ari Lam borne out by Mr. Hayksley
•
the subject.
Mr. Was:mat:oT viar-d 'the report was a full ex-
plicit one.
Mr. Alderman WOODRUFF said more expedition
should have brorie used in repairing the damage, and
immediately Oie accident was discovered,
.a special
messenger raYould have been Sent to•the' engineer.
fir•l3ll4/..0e concurred in this remark, but said it
aPPenie4r all had been done . that was necessary to stop
thee, of water along the pipe line.
-Mt . ATderinan'Wdoraterf• said 'that Mr. Charlton
boa been guilty of a great dereliction of duty, and
ro')ved'that 1-:e be requested to attend the next meeting
'of the' committee, and explain why he did not take'
more prompt measures to -.inform the engiader Of the
accident. •• • ' •
Alderman BENNETT suggested that a reprimand
would answer the purpose.
The ENGINEER said he had reprimanded Mr. Charl-
ton already. • , •
The question then dropped, and the committee
shortly afterwards adjourned.