Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1873-11-26
Our Water Supply.

The committee appointed at tho last village
meeting to investigate the feasibility and COS,
OF procuring a more adequate supply of water
Tor the use Of this village, have made n report,
and the same has been printed and generally
circulated. The committee recommend. as did
the bailils two years ago, that this supply be
procured by building reservoir on the Berlin
Pond Brook, on the land owned by Alden
Doten, in Berlin, near the head Of Benjamin
Falls. They also recommend the building Of
a reservoir on Seminary Hill, with capacity
Of about one million gallons. Their estimate
OF the entire cost Of the work, completed, j.
$4,000 The water taken from this locality,
ut time Of low water, last summer, has been
forwarded tn DR.. Hayes, the State Assayor and
Chemist for Massachusetts, and pronounced a.
possessing the desirable and requisite qualities
for drinking and domestic purposes.
We certainly do not believe that there is
another village Of the size Of Montpelier in New
England, where, by the outlay Of so little
money, permanent and sufficient quantity Of
water can be procured for all necessary pur.
pnses. II IL true that at present most Of our
dwelling houses, and some Of our stores and
Offices, are provided 70 a limited extent, and
set there are very few Of US who know the
luxury OF q full and abundant supply Of water.
But IL is needless To ~ into hbJred argu-
mcnt 70 show the advantage to be derived from
IT, In the matter Of protection from FIRE alone,
and IN the decreased rates Of insurance nov
exorhlmntly high-we believe the investment
- be good and desr,ble one, and this j.. A.
We believe, the main interest With which we,
rs municipality have to do with it.
In our judgment, it is simply a matter of
time when we shall have all that the committee
recommend us TO procure now The hard
times, and the Indebtedness Of the town. may
stave it oil for the PRESENT. ought not to,
but it may, we say--but It's ultimate adoption
By the village we regard a. certain us anything
in the future can De.
Since writing the above. We have been re-
quested 10 publish a communication on thi.
subject, which will be found elsewhere The
author isa gentleman Of high personal and
professional standing in our village, but as it
seems to us he bases bis argument against the
proposition simply By denying the facts already
established by tho committee Allow us to
ask him IL be has ever analysed the water
taken from Berlin Pond, and found it satu-
rate with vegetable aud animal remains pc
The result Of the analysis made by Dr. Hayes
shows that this water is preferable, By far, to
the water in use in a majority Of the cities
and towns 10 the country.
In regard to the expense Of building the
works exceeding the estimates made, We have
simply % Say that we have beard competent
aud responsible gentleman Of this village de
clare that he would take the contract, ami per
form all that is proposed in the report, for the
price Of $4,000. The comparison made be-
tween other towns and Montpelier We do not
regard os pertinent As We before intmated,
wc are situated 10 peculiarly favorable situ-
alton for procuring water with a comparatively
small outlay.
Did the author OF that article ever ask him
self how many Of our citizens did not possess
the advantage Of having the " pure, sparkling
spring water. but were compelled 10 rely on
wells sunk where they made convenient cess.
pool into which the filth of the neighblrho1l
would naturally and inevitably How? lfnot.
a Iew inquiries in this direction might prove
profitable.