The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-01-27
The Remedy.
What is the remedy

That too has been considered.
The committee does not believe in I'll.
~tration. Its members have consulted
with practical chemists auI lind that nor
even the sloweSt and most careful filtrn-
ton will chang the cue meal condition
of water and tnat d-isease-germs are not
removed by any process OF filtration to
them known, in fact that nothing but
sterilization b. heat will destroy these
germs.
There is no remedy left but to get
water from the sources befor il is pol
luted. The north br tnch of the Paw.
tuxet was examined and there IL not
enough water tnat is available for city
uses. But the south branch solved the
problem.
Here from Washington village TO the
head waters is n watershed, thai has an
area OF alb ut seventy square miles. This
flows into Flat River reservoir. the sur
face of which, in the normal condition. IL
24S feet above mean tide water and sixty
eigh t feet above the water in the Socka-
nosset reservoir from which Providenc,
is now supplied by gravity. This water
shed covers nearly half the towns OF Gov
entry aud West Greenwich, extends
south ward into the town of Exeter and
into the towns Of Scituate and Foster on
the north.
The Croton watershed, which supplies
ten times the population OF Providence.
contains only l52 square miles. or a little
more h twice the watershed OF the
Washington vail ".
The average rainfall in this section. as
shown by the records kept in the CITY en-.
gineer's Office for the last sixty years. is
~ 65 inches; this is equal e. rs gallons
per quare foot, or 40, 939, j07 gallons per
square mile. As the whole basin con.
lains an area OF 20 SQUARE miles. the rain
fuNl 4 canal 10 II 11E - rnI III NJ
whole OF this water cannot be used by the
city without nterfe ing with the vested
rights OF the manufacturers' N.
ments on the P~awtuXet river. but ali the
water that the city of Providence noe re-
quires, or may possibly require, can be
secured from this watershed by a proper
system OF storage without depriving the
manufacturers OF any water they now
require for their 'mills.
During four months OF the wear there
flows over the Fiat River reservoir dam
30, Sii, 100000 gallons of water which is
wasted.
1.-The largest manufactures on this
stream requires 50, 7S2, 800 gallons per
day. The whole rainfall i'm the Wash.
ington watershed will supply las. 7gt O0o
gallons per day, and this will leave a sur
plus OF 6S,0ll, 900 gallons. III we now
allow for evaporation 10 per cent OF the
whole rain fall. we have, after SUPPLYING
all the largest manufacturing establish
ments, a daily surplus OF IS. 1871. 900 gal
Ions. The city OF Providence will re-
quire an amount OF water equal To nm
average supply OF 5000, 900 gallons Der
day. We would Still nave in this water
shed n surplus OF 80. l3i, 900 gallons.
This watershed II supplied 10y perpetual
springs and the level OF tue ponds is noE
low cred in the dryest season.
The Cost.
The committee believe that to con.
struct the proposed viaduct TO carry the
from its source to S~ockanosset
will cost "A sum the interest OF which will
not exceed the cost of maintaining the
present pumping station, aud what t.
may he necessary to add in the near
The question Of d damages il a vital one.
and the committee made a somewhat px.
examination OF the pre- ,edents
aud authoritie. ant has concluded thai
the rights OF the mill owners on the Paw
river are limited aud that the dam
ages would be e~XCppdiuglV df0icuIt -.