Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1886-07-23
THE CITY WATER WORKS
HOW THE IMPROVEMENTS CAME TO
BE RECOMMENDED.
Some Interesting Facts and Figures Pre-
scented by superintendent Parker-Ihe
system AS il is and as IL should he.


RESERVOIR.
The present reservoir holds 2,23G,OOO gal
Ions, but owing to the height of the out
let pipe less than 100000 gallons are
available for use. The bottom when built
was hard-pan covered with a layer of
sand. The side slopes were paved with
rubble stone embedded in the clay. a
three inch pipe, the valve to which is in
the bottom of the reservoir, was design
ed for drawing off the water.
After Is years of use the condition of
this reservoir is as follows The sediment
from the water pumped for many years
has become mixed with the sand and soft
ened clay of the bottom, forming body
of mud offensive both to the sight and
smell, and certainly not improving to the
water Weeds make a luXuriant growth
in this mud, and break off when an at
tempt is made to remove them and the
roots remain to grow again.
In the winter when the ice freezes to the
stone paving of the side slopes, and the
level of the water falls, the weight of the
ice draws the stones, which are of light
weight, from their beds and deposits them
lower down on the slope, and now part of
the sides look more like stone dump
than paved surface. This action Has
been going on so long, that the dirt OF the
banks in several places is settling towards
the bottom of the reservoir, and depos-
it of sediment is accommodating among the
loose stones, where II cannot easily be re-
moved. As we have no direct pumping
main, all water pumped into the reservoir
is drawn out through the same pipe at the
"a : a
ordinary consumption very little circula-
ton takes place in the water remote from
this pipe. The pipe for drawing off the
water is so small that it is useless, as I'M
der so slight head of water it becomes
choked with sediment, and therefore the
main pipe has to be used for this purpose,
hence the bad water and fish when the
reservoir is being drawn off.
The proposed new reservoir was de-
signed to remedy as far as possible the de
feCts of the present one. With the lower
part of the side slopes and bottom ce-
mented, and an eight inch pipe provided
for drawing off the water, no sediment or
weeds need be allowed to accumulate
With the upper part of the slope paved
with blocks of stone so heavy, That the
ice could not pull them from their beds
the earth work would be protected from
the wash of the waves. Among the OBJ
iectiOnS raised against building another
reservoir is the one that If the water
from the one now III use is bad, 1t would
he worse if larger body We're stored
The reply to this is that if the present re-
servor was built like the proposed one,
there would he no such accumulation OF
mud to give taste to the water, and by
pumping nights into the proposed reser-
voir at the south end, connecting the TWO
with pipe, and drawing out OF the pres
ent reservoir as now at the north west
corner, circulation would be obtained
throughout the whole length OF the two
reservoirs, and there would be less dead
water than at present.
1t has been suggested that we should
pump direct long enough to repair our
reservoir, while others maintain that we
should follow that plan all the time.
Most cities that have the direct system
of pumping, have adopted 1t either be-
cause they have water power, when costs
them very little to run their pumps, or
because they have no elevation or lana
available for reservoir site, ana are
therefore obliged to adopt that system
with or without stand pipe. A system
of direct pumping requires duplicate sets
of machinery and larger and stronger
mains than with our system. We pump
direct whenever the reservoir is drawn
off, but are not in condition to continue
this practice for any length OF time, IRON
the fact that we have Is miles OF cement
pipes with many weak spots in them
Our mains in the north part of the city
are now so small, that we have no effect
i've fire pressure, even when fed by boti
reservoir and pumps. If while the reser
VOir was undergoing repairs any accident
should occur to either pumps with no du
plicate machinery to fail back upon, ant
with cement mains to depend upon, /
would not require much OF ire TO dam
age the city more than the cost of "A new
reservoir.
The maximum capacity of our pumps
in good working order Is about 9,SOO,OU
gallons, for seven days of "A hours each
while week before last we pumped nearl.
1000, 900 gallons. Therefore If 1t is deem
ed best to adopt here the direct system o
pumping it will be necessary TO provide
system of large iron mains and then dU
plicate sets of larger and more powerful
pumps than we have at present. BY TIN
system the cost of pumping would b
largely increased, as the pumps Woul
have to be run continuously, and agains
an increased head sufficient to suppl
those at present supplied by the hlghe
service. If our present system is to b
continued, it would seem prudent to pro
vide increased reservoir capacity.
SUCTION PIPE.
The pier at the pump house in which
located the wells Is connected with tn
dock front and extends but 81 feet int
the lake Any matter held in suspensiO
Ill the water llONluS ulpllE VIC uONh llOl
has tendency to settle in the angle b'
tween the pier and dock, or in passing OF
and around the pier may be drawn in i
the pumps. When the wind blows all ii
sediment is stirred up by the waves bea
ing against the dock and pier, and
seems reasonable to suppose, that IL
water would be treer from sediment
taken at point outside this wave actor
than in the midst of it. After the Batter
street sewer now in process of constru
ton reaches College street, very little seN
age will enter the lake a. the foot of TIN
street, and by extending the suction PHI
to the pumps few hundred feet into Il
lake, we would probably get as good,wat
as can be obtained within reasonable d
lance of the present pumping station.
FUEL SHED.
The present fuel shed is about ready
tumble down, the roof has settled so tn
the water falling upon it runs toward t
centre and is delivered in the inside of I
shed, in winter freezing the coal togeth
so that it has to be broken apart by pic