The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-05-21
GOOD WATER IS DEAR
The Pequannock Made An
Excuse to Raise Rates
in Newark.
PRETTY MUDDY, TOO.
But | is hid This is Because the
passalc is Being Washed
Out of the Pipes.
Snecial to the JERSEY City Netrs.

Special to the jersey CITY Netrs.
NEWARK. May 20. 1S92.-For three
weeks now the city of Newark has been
blessed with a supply of P~equannock
water. In that time not one drop of Pas
sale water has been pumped into the
reservoirs, and although at times the
water has presented rather a muddy ap-
pearance, people claimed that 1t was BET
ter than the old.
Since the water was turned on about
three weeks ago. 1T has been running
steadily into the Belleville reservoir, anu
also MO the one at Chatham street, put
it has had to be pumped from the latter
to the high service reservoir on South
Orange avenue The spu that is 10 con-
vey the water directly from the main pipe
line to the high service reservoir Dy gray
itv is not yet completed. nor is 1t llkeiy
that it will be for some time yet.
The flow of water into the BelleVliie
reservoir on Sunday was 20,0O0,0O GAL
Ions, which was sufficient to meet the 90
mands of the city. A reporter vlsle-
ed Belleville yesterday and went
to the old pumping station on the
river. The pumps were motionlesS, puS
steam was up, the fires were banked,
everything was in readiness to start at
moments notice. A regular watch Is
Kept on duty day aud night. but all they
have had had to do for three weeks Is to
catch eeIs and catfish that find their way
into the intake. >,
An official of the Board of Works said
last night that he was unable TO staIe
when the new water supply would be IN
spected, as the Water Company had as
vet expressed no desire to submit the
work as finished. and is waiting TO have
the defects remedied before inviting an
inspection.
BLOWING OFF DID 1T. aG
That the Newark aqueduct water was
not quite as good last week as it was the
week before is due to two causes. One
was the rainfall throughout the water
shed aud the other was a thorough STIR
ring up of the sediment in the city mains
by blowing off at MIGRANTS in various
parts of the city. This work of cleaning
out the pipes is being systematically done
by districts, and will continue for several
weeks or until all of the loose sediment
from the Passaic supply is washed out
and swept into the sewers.
When a fire plug is opened the water
comes out with the hue of coffee, ana u
minute or two may elapse before 1t shows
at all natural in color. The men work
away from the reservoir as they blow OH
the MIGRANTS and clean every section sue
cessively as they go along. $50
For several successive Mondays the
dirty condition OF the water has been re-
marked throughout the city, and a reason
has been asked for it.. The answer given
by an employee of the Water Board Is that
the blowing off, combined with the extra
ordinary demand for water for factories
and family washing on Mondays, st1rs
up the old sediment in the pipe. He said
that it was a matter which would remedy
itself in u few days.
The question was asked last week why
the Clifton avenue pumps were constantly
RAINING if the water from the Pequan-
mock was supplying both reservoirs under
greater pressure than is absolutely neces-
sary to supply the city. The answer Is
that the pumps are necessary now
to supply the special high service in
that part o. the city which is higher
thar than the South Orange reservoir.
Ultimately the three-foot pipe running
from above the Belleville reservoir out OF
the four-feer conduit, will supply this
district of the city. but it does not do it
now because Newark has not had permits
sion from the East Jersey Water Com
pany TO open the big connecting valve
which was attached to the three feet pipe
ut Bank street last February. When this
is opened. the special high service will
cease to exist and pumping will be stop
sped. as the pressure will then be regu-
lated by pressure valves on the gates at
South Orange avenue reservoir.
NOTHING DONE ABOUT THE CONTRACT.
President james Smith, Jr., of the
Street and Water Board, said last night
that when Mr.. Herschel told him re-
Gently that the water company was ready
to give the Newark engineers a chance to
test the conduitS he took it for granted
that the Board could GO ahead, but SUISSE
quently Mr.. Herschel changed his mind
about the matter, and when EnRlneer
jacobson went to the company office to
confer with Chief Engineer HeIschel the
latter told him that the company was not
vet ready to have the tests begun. III
view of this statement. Mr.. Saith said
asst night. nothing further had been done
in regard to the settlement of the differ
ence between the city n the East Jersey
Water Company. He said that he would
request that a committee from the Com
mon Council join the Street and Water
| Board IN an effort to meet the East Jersey
Water Company and listen to any Sug-
gestions which might be made. Mr..
| Smith said that he made o pleasant
| visit to the reservoir sites on Thursday
| with Commissioner Harlan. DR.. Wright
| sou and Engineer jacobson. They
| found that the leak at Clinton dam had
| not diminished any, and that there were
twelve feet of water just oil the dam. The
water was within W and three tenths
feet of the subway. Nothing seemed to
| have been lone by the company at this
| place since the last visit.
Mr.. Smith said that at Oak Ridge a
little work was being done, but the com
pany was not building a g~atehouse over
/ the chamber. The men were merely
building a coping around the top of the
gate cham, Der, to replace a slopiug belt of
| cement which surrounded the top of the
chamber. He lauuhed when asked about
| the statement in All interview with Mr..
| Whiulock in the Advertiser last week,
| that the city was now paying the East
Jersey Water Company a certain sum per
| day for a certain supply Of water. He
| said:-"If Mr.. Whitlock said that he Is
mistaken. We are not paying for water
by the million gallons. II what is more
to the point, we never will"
In speaking of the communication from
the Board OF Health to the Water Board,
advocating the purchase of seven miles OF
land alongside the '.pipe-line." Mr..
Smith said that it was probably mis-
quoted, as the land which the suggestion
referred to was on the banks of 'he Pc
ouanuock River. In regard 10 the con
ference with the water company. Mr..
Smith said that it was not likely that 1t
would be held until the pipeline was
| tested by the city engineers.
NEW WATER REGULATIONS.
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