The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1849-05-01 00:00:00

" 1. The quantity of water whiCh can be collected

" 2. The amount of storage room, and its influence on
the supply.

" 3: The quality of the water.
" 4. The conveyance of the water to Liverpool: and,
" 5. The cost of the works."
From the rain gauges set up by the Corporation, the
rainfall in the Rivington district appears to have been in
1847 50.18 inches, and the average available quantity 25
millions of gallons per day. In 1848 the fall was 53.24
inches, and the average available quantity 26i millions of
gallons. It is proved, however' by examining the obser-
vations made in other parts of the neighbourhood,—Li-
verpool, Manchester, Bolton, and the Belmont reservoir,
—that the fall in the years 1847 and 1848 was much above
an average. One example will chew this. In Bolton the
fall was in 1842, 38.63 inches ; in 1843, 49.40 inches ; in
1844, 34.63 inches; in 1845, 48.11 inches; in 1846, 40.82
inches ; in 1847, 52.32 inches ; and in 1848, 54.05 inches.
There was thus an excess in 1847 of 15 per cent. above
the average of the preceding years; and of 19 per cent. in
1848. Taking the fall at the Belmont reservoir as the
most favourable guide to determine the probable fall at
Rivington during the years prior to its being gauged, the
average of the six years appears to have been only 461
inches ; and in 1844 and 1846, the driest of the years, it
would have been only 40 inches. It is remarked that the
same proportion of rainfall cannot be realised in dry as in
wet years ; and that although in 1847 and 1848 four-fifths
of the rain may have run off the land, a much less pro-
portion ought to be calculated upon in dry years, when
so much more is absorbed by the soil and by evaporation.
Two-thirds of the fall, the engineers are of opinion, is
all that they are warranted in expecting in dry years ;
and they say:— . .

"We have the available quantity in 1844 and 1846 reduced
to 261 inches, which, over 9,B47acres, is equal to 16,200,000
gallons per diem, or (deducting 8,000,000 for compensa-
tion) 8,200,000 gallons per diem to the town. The average
yield over the six years would be about 21,600,000, i.e.,
13,600,000 to the town ; but, when we come to consider
the question of storage room, we shall show that the reser-
voirs would not be of sufficient equalising capacity to en-
sure the maintaining of this average supply."
The next point which has received consideration is
the sufficiency of the storage room proposed to be pro-
vided ; and in testing this the engineers have abstained
from taking a particularly dry series of years. They remark,
that from the fact that the rain in the Rivington district

' generally falls suddenly and heavily, as much as 500,000,000
gallons having some times flowed down the streams in a
day, whilst at other times the quantity has diminished
to 200,000,000 gallons, it is necessary that the storage
should be sufficient to enable the wet seasons to provide
for the dry. By a careful admeasurement of the reservoirs
proposed at Roddlesworth, Rake Brook, Anglezark, and
Rivington, and omitting a deduction to be made in the
first two, Messrs. Simpson and Newlands have ascertained
the capacity of the whole to be 2,850 millions of gallons.
In the first place, out of this quantity, eight millions per
day have to be given as compensation, previous to Liver-
pool having a single gallon. It is to be borne in mind,
too, that the demand for water is much greater in sum-
mer than in winter ; and provision must be made for this
circumstance. According to Mr. Simpson's experience
there is 20 per cent. more demand in summer than in
winter; and, adopting this proportion. the minimum
supply will be in January, and the maximum in July.
With the proposed storage, taking the yield of the streams
at Rivington according to the guage book, and presuming
the reservoirs to have been two-thirds full at the com-
mencement, the supply would have been in 1847 and 1848
about 16,000,000 daily. Taking any one year, and one
year only, they state that " the capacity of the reservoirs
would generally be sufficient to distribute the excess of
the wet months over those which are dry." " But," they
continue, " it is necessary that we go further than this, and
inquire whether the capacity is sufficient to equalise the
supply over a number of successive years, i. e., to make
the excess in wet years available to supply the deficiency
in dry ones. We have already proved the importance of
this, when we have shown that in two years out of six
the total yield of the brooks would diminish to about
16,000,000 gallons per diem. For the purpose of testing
this, we have made the calculations detailed in Appendix
E, which show the working of the scheme during the six
years,-1843 to 1848. The rain-fall during the first four
of these has been proportioned from the two latter, in the
ratio shown by the Belmont rain-gauge ; the available
yield in the driest years is assumed to be two-thirds of
the total rain-fall ; and the average daily quantity to be
drawn from the reservoirs is taken at the average yield
over the six years, i. e. 21,660,000 gallons per diem
Calculating on these conditions, therefore, we find that,
In 1845 the town would have been left
without water

51 days.
In 1846
In 1847
" We find also, in addition to this deficiency, that for
one day in 1845, and fifteen days in 1847, no compensation
water could have been delivered to any parties whatever.
" It must be observed that an occasional limitation of
the quantity is a much more difficult matter to deal with
when the system of constant supply is adopted, than on
the intermittent plan ; because, under the former, the
tenants may help themselves to water as long as there is
any in the head reservoirs, and the absence of it is at

once made public; while, on the intermittent system, a
temporary deficiency may often, under judicious manage-
ment, be rendered less apparent and inconvenient to the

"On a careful consideration of the subject of the
storage, as combined with that of the probable yield, we
are of opinion that the Rivington scheme will ensure, for
a succession of years, an average supply to the town of
eleven or eleven and a half millions of gallons daily, but
not more."
With respect to the quality of the water the opinion of
the reporting engineers is, on the whole favourable,
although they consider it probable at times it may be
stained from the peat mosses, or turbid from floods and
other causes. It is also generally favorable upon the
engineering features of the plan, the capacity of the pipes,
&c. But they hint at the possibility of accidents, from
imperfections in the castings and other causes.
The following are the concluding remarks in the report:
" We now offer a summary of the conclusions to which
we have been led in the course of our investigation.
They are as follow :

' As regards the DISTRIBUTION OF THE WATER WITHIN

THE TOWN

" I.—That it is highly desirable, whatever be the source
of supply, to abolish the present system of pumping
direct into the mains, and to substitute the better plan of
distribution from head reservoirs.
" As regards the PRESENT WATER-WORKS STATIONS.

" 2.--fhat the engines and machinery at some of the
stations are in very bad order; that, under any circum-
stances, arrangements ought to be made immediately for
their repair ; and that at least one duplicate engine should
be erected without delay.

" 3.—That the quantity of water distributed from these
stations may be estimated at 4,000,000 gallons per day;
but that a further supply of from 2,000,000 to 3,000,000
gallons appears to be derived from private wells.
"4.—That a further supply is immediately necessary,
to satisfy all the wants of the town.

" s.—That additional supplies might be obtained, to
some extent, by improving and extending the present
stations, but that we do not consider such improvements
and extensions advisable, excepting at Green-lane.
" As regards ADDITIONAL WELLS TO BE SUNK IN THE
LOCALITY.

" 6.—That we are of opinion a supply of water suffi-
cient for the present and prospective wants of the town
may be obtained from the new red sand-stone.

" 7.—That such supply would be most advantageously
obtained by certain measures already explained in the
body of our report; and that, if these measures are carried
into execution, some of the present stations may be
abandoned with advantage.
" B.—That the quality of the water thus obtained would
be unobjectionable.

_
" 9.—That we do not apprehend the suggested new
works would have any permanent injurious influence on
private wells.

" As regards the Rivington Project.
" 10.—That the total yield of the streams proposed to
be impounded may be estimated on the average, in round
numbers,
On the average of a number
of years at ..
In wet years at
In dry

21,500,000 galls. per diem
26,500,000 9 9 If
16,500,000 ~ _ ,_,

" 11.—That the quantity of water to be afforded for
preferential and compulsory compensation may be esti-
mated at 8,000,000 gallons per diem.
" 12.—That the storage room of the proposed reservoirs,
though sufficient to equalise the supply for a single year,
is not sufficient to maintain the average over a number of
years.

" 13.—That, considering the questions of yield and
storage together, the project will ensure, for a succession
of years, an average supply to the town of 11 or 11% mil-
lions of gallons daily, but not more.
" 14.—That the quality of the water is satisfactory, or
may easily be made so.
" 15.—That we find no engineering difficulties of hn-
porinnce in the details of the scheme.
" The COST OF THE WORKS we estimate as in Appendix
" We have the honour to be, Sir, your.very obedient
" JAMES SIMPSON.
" JAMES NEWLANDS.

Servants,

"Liverpool, 23rd April,. 1849." -----
The appendices contain a mass of valuable information,
and shew the data upon which the engineers have arrived
at their conclusions. The most interesting, however,
is their estimate of the cost of the Rivington Pike pro-
ject. For the construction of the various reservoirs,
bridges, piping, land, &c., including compensations, legal
expenses and contingencies, they put down a sum of
£739,269 18s. sd. For distributing reservoirs, mains
and works in the town, £lOO,OOO. Total, £839,269, 18s.
sd. This does not include the money already spent.
The works are estimated according to the parliamentary
plans, to be constructed as they think they ought to be
for a work of such magnitude. By certain modifications,
however, they consider that £60,000 and upwards might
be saved. The annual expenditure to be raised by the
ratepayers would be as follows :
_

Interest on £839,270 at 5 per cent
General expenses of carrying on the
works, including compensations, man-
agement, &c.

£41963 10 0

£23750 0 0

Total
Against £35,000 per annum, the cost of an ample supply
for our present and prospective wants, from the red
sand-stone formation.