The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-07-12
THE NEW WATER SUPPLY
ENGINEER JOHNsTON'S VIEWS ON
TIE WATER QUESTION.

Springfield aud the Ola * ate-
Works Site-A Rev.ew Ct toe "a at,r
Supply Problem.
Consulting Engineer Johnston, vh- Mss
given a good deal of study - the wsta- SUP
ply of Savannah AID TIE means necsSsa-y
TO improve it, is Of the Opinion shat the ei-y
council did q wise thing IT. selsclnS The
site for the new eo-fs decided upon uv she
water COMMITTEES. lie saws there was cor,
siderable Oh jecaoa . the SnriDghe.a loJ ,2e
cause of its close proximity g Lau-e. Grow
cemetery. and AecauSe Of tHe fact ~ having
TO lay the r.a5air iu she bed Of the cana
instead ct -r6o- s.
Mr.. Johnston ST ourly commanded fhf
ShefeaIl trsct. and his views bsa much Z,
do with tie s. ZION OF TIE council EnEinee-
Johus.ol was sser bV MORNING STws
report e. II regard 20 toe new WORKS.
Whst ar vnur views OF fht question %.
extending o. Improving toe watsr suupr
Mr.. JChusto. WISE sssel
- sfs- IS uesdsl fer sanitation fir SCI
wise, ca1ms-oia purposes AND dons'sia
uses be rBnliso 'The rressHi sus-
Ply s not safisfsctor~ roy arv %;
these purposes Sanitation requires
wstAr pot only Tor keaunC tns SIR
f8cs Clean, ouj Pr ARRIVING away refuse r.
Ehs form o. ~ wage Tbs H auf ----.'s--
fsct.v 1lns al present au1 r.ls condition
uSnoot ~ -als1iad unless g. .zPs-o vsd
rs ~ su..r Il provided NJ ca s.y
sxts1s : b, ss -sas g. tbs 21lss drainage
sTEta- T,si w. ~ s1s@-lrs-
ms 1rs sa-rlcs- ~. .ae2st : a16sd,
re ass ooG- 10. supply & vstsr s;
Goo1 gl-ass--s- ~ It's po-p1ea there
sAo-l- - svsLlAc.s a s1rrl-s L excess q
Us c.TTa-t Ts- -ITs-ls-hs. Esersss al TIE
vsfsT 81 T7essct ava. she Is being col-
SANITY Esa1 SCao,.ly : needed 70 extin-
Gllsh 6rss, SD pressure IS needed 70 force
tae Este- through tie p.pas % the locality
o. tie ira I; 5 useful - have enough
pressure So tai ere stream car Dc taken
direct from TIE hydraIts Every city oc-
crss1o1a-T Lss a large fire, such as
tss reosl; IRE Sc Jacksonville or
tie disastrous IRE IN Savannah two
years ego Many such fires are prevented
ty having 81 s1equ water supply, and
they are constantly menaciug a city with
cut suct s safeguard Savannah is surely
without it now. There Is no surplus OF
water above an unsatisisd daily demand,
and tie pressure at the water tower is
scarcely enough al times TO put any water
IN the tank which surmounts it. That is
the pressure fails 70 about twenty-five
pounds or fftyesevsn feet. The pressure at
the water tower should not az any time fall
below forty pounds
DANGER IN LACK OF WATER
The domestic use of water is Of a con.
slant nature and satisfactory service. is
only obtained when there is plenty of good
water and good pressure. When water
fails to reach the second and third stories Of
houses there is danger as well as annoy
ance. Sewer connections at the upper |
floors haNou1a nd claa al g.
have existence. In no respect can the Sa-
vannah water supply be said to be salts
factory, except that toe quality of the |
water Is good and that it is possible to get
plenty more Of it. The quantity OF water
pumped daily into the city is such that
pressure Of but little over twenty-five
pounds exists at the water tower in the
morning hours, and 1t is not possible now to
pump any more.
THE problem to be solved continued
Mr.. Johnston lis to deliver plenty of good
water az good pressure. More wells are
needed 70 provide the water. More pump
ing capacity is needed to pump it when it
is obtained. n re force main is needed TO
conduct the water to the city pipes after it
Is pumped. 1t is natural at first thought
to suppose that extension at
the existing works would answer
these purposes. And such would be
better. The necessity for new force main
stood in the way. The existing works are
at some distance from the city, and the
water Is now forced from there through q
force main only twenty-four inches
In diameter. This is not large
enough TO properly serve in an
improved water supply, because the frlc-
tlonal resistance in it would entail an I'M
oearable loss of pressure in getting the
water to the city The length of force main
involved is 10, 500 feet, aud the cost Of lay
Ing 1t would be 1922 .000."
CUTTING OFF THE WELLS.
How about cutting off the wells to
secure better supply"
Experience at the existing water works
shows that "a wider expanse If ground nust
be occupied in order to obtain enough
water. 1t is true that the lower the level at
which pumps are placed the more water
may be obtained, and the effect of tho
pumping now being done is tue same as If
the wells we're cut of at the level OF high
water. BY placing new pumps at a lower
level more water could be obtained
from these wells, but the
new force main would be needed,
and worse yet, the wells would have
to be cut off below sea level and the danper
OF obtaining salt water incurred. The sea-
ward direction of the flow in the water
bearing strata dictates north and south
OF wells TO intercept the wafer
and the experience above cited made it sure
that an expanse Of ground 1900 feet wide
would not be sufficient. Provision had
therefore TO be made TO use G wider ex-
pause. These conditions predetermined sew
eral features as 70 the proposed works
Styles avenue is the only continuous north |
aud south road existing near the city, and |
leads, without material deviation from this |
direction, TO the present water works.
Wells can be distributed along !
this road at such distances as NAV |
prove to be proper as the work Of
well-bortnR progresses. The water can flow |
into conduit laid in the road. As neces-
slty for more water occurs the conduit can
be extended northward and new wells be
bored to flow into it. Eventually it can be
extended to reach the existing water works
ana utilize the wells now existing, besides
being available for conducting river water
TO the new pump house.
PLAN OF THE NEW WORKS.
The plan proposed for the improvement
Of the water supply may therefore be stated
BIS follows: Starting at the corner Of Gwiu-
nett street and Styles avenue. locate and
bore a number of wells in a northerlv
direction in this avenue. Starting at the
same point, construct in this avenue
a conduit Of masonry or timber
having six feet internal diameter,
the bottom OF which shall be at the level of
low water, the distance north ward to which
the conduit will be constructed, and the
number Of wells which are &c be bored. to be
determined by the flow that can be derived
from the wells as they are completed. This