Waterbury evening Democrat., 1892-12-05
FACTS AND FIGURES
A Review of Engineer Hering's Report
 on the Water Supply.

health of citizens than foul, polluted. contaminated water? Are the lives and health of our citizens of no account in thls matter? What would injure the future prospects of our city more than to have it go abroad that it was un- neaithyT Who cares to come to an un- healthy place to live, or who would in vest capital in such a place? Suppose we had an epidemic brought on by the use Of bad water, and we lost one hun dred workingmen. Each workingman in this city and this country represents at the least a capital of $10,0 pro- ducing six per cent. If he gets $35 per month, $42O a year, or $40 per month, S4S0 year, will he not produce by his labor that and the balance to make up the $500. The loss to the city and the would be one million dollars by the death of one hundred workingmen. Why, what would be lost by the death Of even fifty of our citizens would pay the estimated cost of the water supply from the east, without taking into account the common principles of hu- man1ty. Our city government should weigh this matter we'll in all it's bear ings, and take care lest they might be responsible for the lives of their fellow citizens.
 The awful cholera epidemic of last summer was caused by impure water. Doctors Koch and Roth traced the ori- gin of the scourge in Hamburg to a Russian immigrant camp, from one of the huts of which some dirty water got into the river Elbe near the Hamburg water works. And who can estimate the loss that city sustained, not only by the death of so many of it's citizens, but also by depression in it's commercial and shipping interests.
 Now as to the sufficiency of thesupply from the east, both for the city and the manufacturers that have been using that water. Mir Herring says in page 26 Of his report: "Before leaving the sub- Ject of storage it is necessary to refer to facilities available for replacing by storage the water which would be taken by the city from the streams now SUD- plying the mills. In the case of Hop brook and Quassapaug' pond, no suffi- cient storage capacity can be obtained for this purpose high enough up the brook to be of service to all the mill owners, and the water privileges would have to be purchased. In the Mad river valley, however, the water taken by the city could be again supplied by the storage reservoirs. This water is that which is furnished by Chestnut hill and Cedar swamp reservoirs, also the mini mum flow from the territory between the proposed dam and Cedar swamp and the minimum flow from the watershed of Lindley brook proposed to be di- verted."
 According to Mir Hering's present ar engagements Lindley brook is not drawn on at all for the city's supply. Hitch cocks pond, of which Lily brook is the outlet, has at present storage capacity of 5000, ,000 gallons, but besides, ac- cording to former report of the board of water commissioners, there could be one, and if we receollect rightly, two other reservoirs formed on the outlet, basin that can be seen beside the pond that runs alongside Hitchcock pond which could, it would seem to an ordi- nary observer, be flooded from the pond itself, and no doubt the pond, too, could be enlarged if necessary.
 But let us suppose Hitchcock pond, as 1t ls, full; that is containing ITS, ,000, ,000 gallons. It could be drawn on for sixty days in the dry season and supply 12,- 966. .666 gallons daily for the mills, sup posing the rainfall for that time and the natural springs in the pond make up for evaporation. Besides this, and what would overflow from Chestnut hill pond, and the reservoir to be made on Mad river and Lindley brook as before mentioned, there is all the watershed of Mad river with its various small tri- butaries, below Cornelis pond, the lowest place down the Mad river that reservoir for city purposes is proposed to be built.
 MT Herring says: "As the water for mills, unlike water for potable purposes, reservoirs lower down the streams are not objectionable. There are several available sites for storing the desired quantity of water for mill purposes be- low the points where the city's supply would be taken" Report, page 27.
 Furthermore, there is Beaver brook, !, that runs alongside the Meriden rall- road, in which storage reservoirs could be built If necessary, and there is that stream that flows across East Main street down to the East Brass mill. And, by the way, if any one cannot find it convenient to go and see the dimen- sions of Hop brook, they can get fair idea of it's capacity by visiting this stream, so near the city. To the eye the bed of this stream and it's flow seem to be as large as Hop brook at the point where the Hop brook reservoir is pro- posed to be built. It is certainly purer water. But it would seem nothing can be serviceable but what is costly.
 From what has been above stated it may be concluded that there would be no damage done to those manufacturers who have been using the water of Mad river, by the city taking it's water sup ply from the east. There is this great question at issue which must interest ths manufacturers as we'll as the citi zens at large: That, according to the un- biased and disinterested opinion of l armed and skillful engineer, who care fully examined the proposed eastern and western sources, the supply from Hop brook and our present gravity supply would not serve the city's wants longer than 1896, or three years from next January, and that if an additional supply from Quassapaug be added, both combined, would not serve the city be- yond ten years. There is no definite, we'll authenticated statement of the cost of getting water from those two sources yet placed before the public, further than an unqualified demand for the issuing of bonds to the extent of five hundred thousand dollars.
 Let us for the present suppose that that amount would meet the cost and