Wilmington daily gazette., 1873-03-14
The Mn,er Department.

We have recslved from the Chief Engineer o.
the Wster Department, of this city, volume
containing l26 pages OF closely printed matter
embracing his report for 1872, and condensed
history of the Wilmington Water Works from
their origin 10 the present time, by c. H. Gal
lagher Esq, Chief Engineer The work con
tains large emyust OF information valuable tc
the city authorities, much of which however has
appeared in the columns of our city newspaper
The total cost Of the water works 10 this time ii
set down at S354,5S93i. Two hundred and five
thousand Of which sum has bsen expended since
1857. The expenditures last year were SlOO, ,Oe20
of which Sj2,27j were paid tor ground on which
to ercet a new basin, and So. 900 Tor new Worth
ington pump; leaving s42,Sl202 as the current
expenses for repairs, new pipe, salaries, &c. The
probable revenue from water reuts is set DOWN al
$4,000. We make the following extract from the
concluding pages
You will notice that the whole amount of wa
ter furnished to the city in the year 1856 was only
l5l,O3l 800 gallons, or daily average OF 495,S11
gallons and that for the year 1866 the consump-
tion amounted to 375Sl7,49O gallons or daily
average of l,029,637 gallons the consumption
having more than doubled in ten years, and this
too, under the most unfavorable circumstances,
whilst during the rebellion the city was almost
stationary, far the erection of dwellings was
concerned. 1t would, therefore, be 10 exaggeTa'
tion to say that the consumption has doubled IN
about six or seven years.
Should the city continue 10 grow in the future
as in the past las we have every reason to believe
it will, and much more TapidIy,) the whole pump
ing capacity Of the present works Will be ex-
hausted in two OF three years. This is supposing
them 10 run day and night, and no accident to
occur. But the subject assumes a more serious
aspect, when We consider that in the dry summer
months We need the greatest amount of water,
and can supply the least, OWING TO the iowness Of
the BrandyWine
Suppose, then, that either Of the present pump
ing powers should become seriously disabled,
which Is not improbable, then add to this fact that
your reservoir will contain only about two days
supply at that season of the year, and it will not
be difficult to arrive at the conclusion that. under
such circumstances, the city must be very soon
short OF water.
"I GU will readily perceive low damaging such
state OF things must prove TO the prosperity and
progress OF the city generally, and especially to
our large and growing manufacturing interests
which are always tEe trst 10 suffer from a shor
supply of water
The reply TO this earnest appesl was net had
until last year, when the order was given for o
100000 gallon Duplex Worhngton Pump, to
meet the present emergency and the same year
steps were taken, by the purchase Of ground, to
erect large double reservoir, each half capable
Of holding thiTty-fve million gallons, thereby ena-
bling the water to become settled before being
ed, and altogether avoid pumping during times Of
freshsts. These improvements will necessarily
involve the expenditure of considerable sums oi
money but II the plan be adopted OF setting aside
annually, from the income Of the Water Depart
ment, the sum Of $4,000. the whole of the i'm
pr0vements will be paid for, by the amount thuI
invested as a sinking fund, in about thirty years
reservlng from the revenue annual sum of moi
less than thirty to forty thousand dollars 10 keeT
up the extension Of pipes, salaries, repairs, sc.
thus making the Water Department actually pay
the expense OF the Improvements, large though
they seem, without burdening the people with
tax for this purpose