The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-04-15
SOME WATER OPINIONS
Additional Report Of City Engineer
Blackford to the Council.
FAMILY RATES MENTIONED
Comparison OF Prices Charged In
Eastern Cities and at Home
Source OF Supply-com-
piIation of Facts.


ARD, goes exhaustively into the water
question and the Butte City Water COM
pany seems to be shown up in an unfavor-
able light. Its rates for both the city and
private consumers are shown TO be cxor-
bitant in comparison with those charged
in other cities throughout the country, and
furthermore the prediction is made that
Butte's water supply from its present
source will never be up to what ii should
DE in quality while 1t is not looked upon
as an unlikely event that moro filth
similar to that which flowed through the
water company's mains last year will
again be served up TO the long-suifering
people of Butte. Mr.. Blackford's views
attention as he is recognized as one of the
worry best authorities in Montana on en-
gineering, particularly jim regard to cities,
and he has made n very careful and thor
ocgh study OF Butte's water supply and
that of other cities.
WATER SUPPLY.
Under this healing the report says:
"The city is supplied with water for
domestic purposes and fire protection by
a private corporation, the Butte City
Water company, successors to the Silver
Bow Hydraulic Mining company, whose
franchise they obtained by purchase.
Said company entered into n contract
with the city Jan. Is, 1898, whereby water
for fire protection must be furnished for a
period of two and one-half years at GER
tain prices, and water for domestic pur-
poses at prices not greater than those
mentioned in the ordinance granting n
right-of-way through the city to the Silver
Bow Hydraulic Mining company. .
Until October, 1892, said company sup
piled the city with water drawn from n
small reservoir on Basin creek at a point
about III miles south of the city and with
tor Silver I<,xx
point Immediately south of the city. Dur
ing the summer of 1892 the supply pipe
was extended to q point on Basin creek
about ID miles from the business center
of the city, and since October of that year
water has been supplied from that
source. The general plan of the company
for furnishing water has been in a meas
ure executed and may be briefly outlined
as follows: The formation of an inn
pounding reservoir by means of a masonry
dam across the channel of Basin creek
from which the water is to be conducted
by gravity through a 24-inch California
redwood stave pipe to the distributing
system of the city. In consequence of H.
terruptions in 1898 and 1894, caused by the
financial depression and railroad strike,
the top of the dam is now only Sc feet
above bedrock in the channel of Basin
creek and has an impounding capacity of
approximately 5000, 900 gallons. The top
OF the completed dam will be 40 feet
above bedrock and will have an impound-
ing capacity estimated att, 900 900 900 gal
Ions.
THE plans of the company have been
practically carried to completion with the
exception of building the upper portion
of the dam. The distributing system ex-
tends to every part of the city and SUI
burbs and to a number of copper mines
on the hill, the highest being the East
Grey Rock, and is well planned. The size
of min il ha
have to do and no hydrant is supplied
with pipe less than six inches in di-
ameter. .EsN
1.-The system is a combined gravity and
pumping system; the water flows by grav-
ity to the pump at the corner of Montana
and Galena streets, it is then pumped to
the tank on Upper Main street, near the
B., A. d p. railway crossing, and from
there pumped again to Centerviiie, Walk
erville and the mines on the hill. IL is
therefore apparent that practically all of
the city is supplied by the gravity system,
and all of the remainder within the cor
porate limits by tho middle system. The
water would rise if unobstructed to the
corner of Main and Copper streets.
1.-THE following general information was
received from Eugene Carroll, superin-
tendent of the water company: Present
elevation OF top of dam, 1886 feet above
tide; elevation of completed dam, 800
above tide; elevation of Galena street
pumping station, 1854 feet above tide /;
elevation of Main street pumping station,
5,921 feet above tide; pumping capacity
of Galena street station. 4,000, 900 gallons
daily; pumping capacity of Main street
station, at present. 1,50o, 900 gallons daily.
Another pump of 10000 gallons daily ca
pacity is now on the grounds, but is not
yet put up.
WHERE THE. WATER COMES FROM.
"The water shed from which the supply
sod n. -
miles and lies at an elevation of from
$500 to 6,4oO feet. 1t never was densely
timbered and unfortunately much of the
live timber has been removed; several
square miles near Basin creek. having
been cut over to obtain cordwood and
sawlogs. A great deal of dead timber and
trectops litter the cut district and much
timber found it's way into the bed of Basin
creek, where until recently it lay in a
state of decay
Last summer the water company had
n force OF men engaged in clearing the
caying vegetable matter. This disturb
-ance, / think. was to a greater or less de-
gree the cause of the bad water delivered
last summer and TO the present time.
The neglect of the company to thoroughly
clear tho streams before attempting 10
store water cannot. be too strongly con-
demned. 1t is to be hoped that they have
done this work thoroughly and that the
experience of last summer will not be re-
peated.
There are no habitations on the water
shed and strenuous efforts have been
made to keep il clear of all kinds of stock
and so far as my observation extended
this has been accomplished.
THE slow progress made with the con-
struction of the dam, the failure of the
company to clear tho streams of dead
tmber. and its efforts to sell the mines
and smelters outside of the city limits
more water than its water shed would
afford is in my opinion the principal
cause OF the bad quality of water fur
nished at intervals during the past three
years. In view of the light snow fall a
repetition of such, experiences during the
coming summer and autumn. necessl-
Eating a resort TO the Silver Bow creek
pumping station is not an unlikely event.
-Four or five years,hence after the dam
is completed and filled thus creating a
reservoir with Q capacity OF about 1000
CO., 600 gallons we may have an abund-