Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1863-12-23
WORCESTER:



the 18th of January next to decide the follow
ing question;
shall water be introduced into the city Of wolcest.r
by authority of the city from lde Brook, in the town
of Leicester, in substantial accordance with TIE report
of Mr. Phinehas Ball and the Joint standing committee
of the City Council on water"
This important question in one form or an
other has been before the citizens and the city
government for the past ten years. 1t has
been the subject of patient and laboTious III
vestigaton the results of which are given in
the report of Mr.. Phne'.as Ball to the city
government-now printed for general distri-
button. 1t is the clearest and best statement
yet. made upon the subject, and ought to be in
the hands of ever, citizen before the time
fixed for acting upon it.
The questions considered are: LIST. Wheth-
er the demand Tor an increased supply of
pure water in the city is of so public and gem
eral character as to justify the cost; I'd,
Which Of the plans that have at various times
been agtaled is the best, viz: Lynde Brook,
Henshaw Pond, or Lake Qunsigamond. The
demand now is mainly confined to what is fa-
milarly known as the "center district" en-
bracing about two-thirds of the population of
the city. To supply them we have now the
city aqueduct, four small aqueducts in which
few parties are interested; besides many
wells and springs belonging to private houses.
These sources of supply are taxed to their
fullest extent in the best season; while the
experience of the past summer leads the COM
missioner to tie conclusion that the city aque-
duct would fail even the present number of
takers in a season of drought. The conSum-
ers of water from this source are also liable
to be restricted or cut off at any time vixen
the supply seems only enough for the exigen-
cies of the fire department Yet there are
now but one hundred and forty-Sir parties
who take water from the city aqueduct, and
but about one hundred and twelve from pri-
vate aqueducts; while there are two thousand
one hundred and twenty eight buildings, and
three thousand four hundred and seventeen
tenements within the limits of the district to
be supplied.
With regard to fires, there is no place in
the city where over three hydrants can be
etfectually used at the same time, in most
places only two in some only one. West OF
Main street property is quite insufficiently
protected. The pipes cover only portions of
Pleasant, Elm, Chestnut, and Bowdoin streets,
and away from these localities, especially in
dry weather, there is practically no water that
can be obtained for fire purposes within avail
ahla distances oft ba
of Chandler, Chatham, Austin, William, and
the northerly portions OF Harvard streets. In
view Of these facts, the commissioner calls
serious attention to the subject; as a single
fire in these unprotected sections might de-
strOy Pr~ro-.s- 49, --~..lA aafrav the
cost of completing the present project-and
that, too, in spite of the best and highest ef-
forts of an efficient fire department.
For manufacturing purposes all the present
supplies of pure water combined are made
quate. Mill Brook has long been impure and
unfit for any purpose for which pure water is
needed. The manufacturers who are now
supplied in whole or in part from that stream
would gladly exchange it, at reasonable rates,
for any supply which would be reliable and
pure. To the objection that Mill Brook
should not be allowed to be used as COM
mon sewer, it is pertinently answered that
sewerage is just as necessary to a city as wa
ter, and any system of sewerage that shall
supersede Mill Brook will be more expensive
than the project of supplying the city abund-
antly from other sources.
The present project contemplates building
a retaining reservoir on Lynde Brook, on the
farm of Mr.. Edwin Waite, in Leicester, and
distributing reservoir near the school-house
in Valley Falls district, at the same elevation
the present one on Chandler Hill, and the
laying of so much main pipe as shall be neces-
sary to convey the water from the storing re-
servoir to the distributing. and thence along
the main road to the city, and connect this
main with the present city aqueduct at Thorn
as street, and then supply from the present
pipes all which they will be able to distribute,
and lay distributing pipes only so fast as the
public interests and the income to be derived
from the sales of water shall warrant. The
estimated first cost of the project is SIS, $50.
The report advocates the introduction of
water from new sources for many reasons of
public economy, as well as of public conven-
fence and caution. 1t also shows the advan-
tage of the Lynde Brook over the Lake Quin-
sigamond or the Henshaw Pond plans, for
reasons TO which we shall at another time
refer.