The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-02-24


lage of Ponaganset,. has a drainage area
OF fwenty-pine and seyen-tenths square
miles and an elevation of 345 feet above !
tide.
1T is evident that only the Barden
reservoir among these is worth a second
thought, and this falls too far short OF
our requirements TO waNxnt serious con-
sideration.
But the insufiiciency Of supply, though
an all-sufiieient objection TO "A source OF
water supply, Is net the only one TO tax
ing the head waters of well developed
mill stream. Water has value as power.
"A fair and common valuation is 200
per horse power on the shaft. Gases of
damages for diversion of water in Rhode
Island have been settled at higher rates
than this. But at 81 COG per dynamo
metric horse power, the damages 10 MN
owners for the diversion of twenty-five
and one half million gallons per day, If 1t
could be obtained AT the elevation of Wal
lum pond, would amount TO S3,065, 500, on
the assumption that one-tenth OF the
head would be lost, and one-sixth OF the
water would be lost, in utilization. The
same quantity under the same conditions
at the elevation of Ponaganset reservoir
il would cost 1885, 400; and at the eleva-
tion OF the Moswansicut reservoir 1T
would cost 81 ,59S, ,0l0. and at the elevation
OF Barden reservoir it would cost 81 ,s4O,-
200. All this before stroke OF work had
been done OH construction.
Two lines of forty-eigh, inch pipe into
the present system would probably cost
about $4,000 per mile, or for fifteen
miles, about the distance of the Barden
reservoir, -, 54, 600.
:" IL is reasonable to assume that the city
can rely on the prevention OF unlawful
acts of pollution by parties above their
intake. Ii is only sought to simplify the
process and secure certainty OF proof and
conviction for such unlawful acts.
:" think a great mistake is made in
supposing that a hardship viii be Inn
posed on the people of this valley by the
passage of this act. No hardship Will, in
my opinion, be imposed by requiring the
inhabitants TO take care of their pollutions
to the extent named. Each mill owner
has uses for the water, like making steam
and use in the processes OF manufacture,
requiring comparatively pure water. !
believe that the combined value of the
purer water To the manufacturers would
be about as great as the combined cost OF
living honestly up To the provisions OF this
act.
1T has been said here that this legisla-
tion would take rights away, would desc
late the valley and would bring other dire
misfortunes, for which expressions there
is no foundation but in the untaught i'm
agination of the speakers. The drainage
can be settled i'm basins or strained
through the earth or treated in other ways
simple and effectual without prohibitive
cost A sewer could be laid To take the
drainage below Pettaconseu TO tide.
"Mr. Greene, in mis- moderate statements
on the subject, indicated one effect which
may be remembered. He said that their
own wastes turned into the river with the
coloring matter caused such rapid precip-
itation that in running 200 PAGES below
the junction of the two rivers the water
entirely cleared itself. Let them turn all
their wastes into tank on their own
premises and allow only the clear efiluent
TO flow into the river. In this way the
proportions of the wastes as mixed can be
controlled.
"A bugbear has been made of the cost
of pumping. on the ground that some OF
the mills are so low they could not run
their wastes into tanks or through the
earth for filtration without pumping.
Suppose mill befouls million OK gal
Ions per day-this would be worth on the
basis OF supplies of its water TO manufac
turers by the city about $40, 100 per year
and if it must be pumped ten feet high TO
purify il the value Of the horse power ex-
pended would be only about sl.36 per
day.
lis il to be said that large manufac-
turing establishment should be allowed to
continue TO do wrong against tie inhabl-
tants of great city to save in money sl.3t
per days
"The interest in this matter is general.
There are numerous public water supplies
in this State. Let me give you the esti-
mated population furnished with public
supply; ,.;,ouoo -, 900. go s,,hrrns 10 ooo
Pawtucket; with all its numerous outside
takers, 10000 Newport, 1900: Woon-
socket. 1900, and Manville, l,SO0. War
wick, Coventry, PheniX, River Point and
other villages, supplied by two companies,
14.0OO; Westerly, 5000: Bristol, $500 (;
A Eact xt-icn 2nn .
Wakefield. Peace Dale and Narragrnsett
Pier, 3 900; harrington, 400; Block Island,
1900: Drownville. 500. A total of 264, 900
This is "A surprising result, but with
one or two small exceptions, the popula-
tion supplied has been estimated by the
managers OF the warks, who are supposed
to know very nearly the number within
reach of their lines l have no doubt of
the substantial correctness OF the figures.
Ii thus appears that little more than
three-quarters of the inhabitants of this
State have direct interest in the purity
of public water supply
Other speakers followed, including
Mayor Carroll of Pawtucket, Judge Al
bert X. Greene. solicitor for the town Of
Warwick and City Solicitor Van Slyck.
"In regard to the relative purity of the
water when it was selected and as il now
flows in the river will say that broadly
speaking there was no great differenceuntil
last year. The efforts TO abate nuisances
aud remove impurities appear TO have
about kept pace with the natural increase
from the growth OF industries in the
valley There is marked difference in
purity at different times in the year, the
water being purest in spring and most
foul in the fall. This is noticeable every
year. but from year To year the difference
is not great and such as is shown appears
to depend mainly upon the quantity of
water flowing.
81 suppose the total refuse turned into
the river does not vary much from time TO
time, but when the river is running full
there il great dilution, and as the flow
falls off there is less water for the same
impurity, and the analysis shows OF
course greater foulness. This accounts
for the greater purity in the spring when
the river is full and for the greater foul
ness i'm the fall during the dry months.
But while this is true, generally speaking,
| had little scare last fall because of the
unprecedented increase In the amount OF
/, total impurity in the water. The normal
amount i'm the fall may be said 10 he
about sixty parts in one million or about
! double tie amount in the spring, but last
Spptpmber he amount rose To OEs@utlu-