The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-03-03

PORTLAND, March 2, 1876.
Mr.. EDTToR:-In reply to ''sufferer" we
wo1ld say that Sebago Lake contains water
enough to supply the city of Portland for all
uses and waste; but as Sebago Lake is seven
teen miles distant from Portland we can only
make use of such amount of its water as is
brought to the city in the water pipe. This
amounts to about 100000 gallons per day of
twenty-four hours, enough to give to each per-
son, man, woman and child 100 gallons of water
every twenty-four hours
That this amount is amply sufficient for all
uses is proved by the fact that in the hottest
months Of Summer when the consumption is
greatest there is water enough and to spare.
As to the waste, the Water Company now
have 5000 service pipes, some of which supply
number of families making in the aggregate
$500 takers. Now supposing that to prevent
freezing, each family should run small stream
land small it soould be) that would waste gall
Ion in five minutes which would amount to
1885, 900 gallons in twenty-four hours, enough
to give the whole city an ample supply for do
nestle purposes
Again as showing the waste, on the night of
the 22nd ultimo, which was mild, the gain into
the reservoir, over and above the consumntion
and waste. was some 200, 600 gallons, while on
the night of the Oath which was very cold, the
loss was over 400, 900 in addition to the flow of
the main, in all over 100000 gallons in a
single night nine-tenths of which was actual
waste From Saturday night to Sunday night,
when the manufactures, railroads and steam
boats were using no water, the loss from the
reservoir was 100000 gallons. This immense
loss was occasoned by the careless, and we
might almost say criminal waste by the people
on the lower levels, who allow the water to run,
rather than use little care or incur a slight
expense to prevent their nipes from freezing
The present managers of the company, since
taking possession of the water works have done
everything they could to keep a constant sup
ply. They have had difficulties to contend
with, and Improvements to make
They found among other faults of construc-
ton that the same sized pipe had been used
from the lower gate house to Wards Hill that
was laid from Wards Hill to Portland, conse-
quently the pipe would not bring as much water
with fall OF only five feet to the mile as was
required to fill the pipe from Wards Hill to
Portland with fall of fifteen feet or more to a
mile. To remedy this fault in the original
construction, the company commenced laying
main pipe 26 inches in diameter from the
lower gate house to Wards Hill, but owing to
vexations delays and early freezing up of the
ground, were prevented from finishing the
work the past season. When the present i'm
provements are completed the two pipes will
have a capacity of about 100000 gallons Of
water daily to Wards Hill. We hope to have
the larger pipe connected by the last of June
The pipe the company are laying to Wards
Hill will increase the present capacity of the
works about 1000 600 gallons per day, thus
showing their disposition to do all in their
power to accommodate their customers
1t is not in the power of the company to sup.
ply water to run to waste, and unless the water
takers will stop it, the company will be obliged
to resort to meters, thus adding largely to the
cost of water to the consumers, without any
real advantage to them. d. w. CLARK.