Grand Rapids morning telegram., 1885-03-09
THE NEW WATER WORKS
PURE SPRING WATER PROMISED
Engineer Sekeli's Gallery System-its
Cost. Supply and Sources OF
Revenue Considered.


Works held Saturday evening Civil Engi-
neer Sekell, of this city. submitted has com
pleted proposition TO supply the eigy with
pure spring water BY the adoption ana con
struction of the gallery system near the
groupe OF lakes three miles north Of the
city. The plan submitted in detail is e1-
haustiye and deals at length with the ques-
tions of the cost of the system, the quantity
of water 10 be obtained and It's quality. Ii
involves the construction of an infiltration
or collecting gallery about 1900 feet long,
commencing a short distance south of Lam
berton creek on the east side o: the river.
and continuing northerly about parallel with
the river and about fifteen feet below
its summer level. The gallery will be about
four feet inside diameter. built of brick, the
wall TO be eaght inches thick. In laying the
brickwork the end joints will be left without
mortar, so there will be millions of minute
openings for the incoming water. From a
large receiving or pump well near the south
ern end of the gallery the water will be
pamped into large cast iron main, which
will lead into the city and be connected in a
number of 6laces with the present pipe sys-
tenn.
The total cost of the complete gallery, and
the other features necessary 10 introduce the
gallery water, is given in the report as 500
l45. This sum includes the building of
new pumping house, and the removal of the
machinery now in use. The plan submitted
is intended to utilize substantially all the
ground water obtainable in the district, the
ultimate source of the water supply being
rainfalls. Mr.. Sekell claims that this plant
would drain an area of $500 acres. which
would yield an average of 6,s4S,0O0 gallons
per day. Should il be necessary in the fu-
ture TO add 10 the quantity which the gallery
yields undoubtedly the best plan would be
found in the construction of a second gal
lery on the west side of the river to be con
nected with the gallery on this side
by an iron main across the river.
The report says of the ground waters along
the line of the gallery that they are char
acterized by an exquisite purity. The sur
face of the drainage ground is free from OBJ
jectionable features. The population is linn
tied. There are no manufactures or other
sources of gross pollution present, and none
are likely to be found in the future. Not
only does the water satisfy the requirements
for domestic supply as laid down by emf
nent authority, but it goes further. It's his
tory, the fact of its being derived from clean
sandy soils, free from Objectionable features,
of its having slowly filtered through vast
sheets of pure sands and gravels. the fact of
the impossibility of its contamination, it,
etquisitely clear, colorless and sparkling aI,-
ture, all combine to give it value that
would be difficult to overestimate.
The quantity required for actual munici-
pal use is about 40 gallons daily per head.
This includes all purposes, and is much
greater quantity than is used where the us,
use of GO gallons per head the gallery would
be sufficient for 10000 people. The con
struction of only portion of the gallery j.
advised at present, leaving the extensions TO
be made from the earnings of the work
In discussing the question of revenues
table is submitted, showing the actual rev.
enue derived from all cities in the United
States from 5000 TO 10000 population.
from which it appears that with one excep-
ton Grand Rapids is the lowest. The gross
result from the ten years operation of our
works, ending May !, 1854. az shown by the
last report, shows that the rents were in ex-
cess of the operating expenses only S33.-
57.6S: the interest account to same date was
S2S6, ,l17.73; leaving a deficiency of $252,-
760.05 which has been made up by a direct
tax amounting to about $50 per day. The
deficiency at present is about $65 per day.
The revenue of this city with its present
population ought to be at least $4,000 an
nuaiiy. which meaus that the investment
represented by our bonded debt should be
a paying one, and not of necessity burden
as are bonds issued for buildings OF bridges.
In concluding his report Mr.. Sekell says:
II do not for a moment doubt bat the in
vestmenf necessary TO introduce the gallery
water will not only prove q paying one in
itself, bat that il will work a complete revo-
luton in the financial condition Of the works.
and render them IN a veTy few years sell
sustaining result that must certainly be
desired by every citizen"
-- e~---