The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-12-19

proVement IN this respect.
BALLARD STREET.
The sewer in Ballard street was COM
pleted during the winter and affords an
opportunity for the sewerage of the
south works Of the American Steel 81
Wire company. This was an expensive
sewer because it was quite deep and the
excavation was through rock which had
absolutely no cleavage, and for that rea-
son was very difficult to work. In adj
dition to this, the ground was full Of
water, and while the soil was such that
large amount of water did not drain
from it, there was enough to make the
work very tedious and uncomfortable
1t is expected that no unfinished work
will be left over until spring, 80 that the
entire income of the new year may be
devoted to work ordered during that
time.
PROPERTY OWNED.
Following is brief schedule of the
property owned by the department:
Personal property, SAT, 436 81; Hammond
street, 100 feet of land, $425; East Wor-
cester street, buildings and machinery,
S2700; publication works, land $54,016.75,
buildings and machinery $32,925. Total,
S137 SOB 81.
The work of separation has been
progressing continuously since it was
first started in July, 1897, and during
the past year an average of about 800
men have been employed upon it. This
does not include the force engaged in
the construction of the filter beds at the
publication works.
In the sections of the city where the
separating system is being constructed,
| 1t has been necessary to change many
house connections from the old sewers
to be used for surface water in the flu
ture, to the new ones. In such cases
| the owners of the property have been
notified that the change was necessary,
and that If they desired, the depart
ment would do the work free of charge
| to them.
In few of these cases it has been
found that the plumbing in the houses
was too low to be connected to the new
sewer, and consequently it will have
to be raised. This the department has
not undertaken to do and has served
notices upon the owners accordingly.
The actual amount of money thus far
expended upon the separating system
| is but about 100000, including the
construction of filter beds and payment
of land damages.
1t will be necessary to obtain more
money from some source, and this
that there may be no delay in prosecut-
ing the work,
POWER STATION, WATER STREET
Engineer in charge of mechanical en-
cheering, Harry L. Dadmun; engineer
in charge of electrical engineering,
Robert N. Cundall; engineer in charge
of station-day shift, M. Osmer Scott;
| engineer in charge of station-night
shift, Frank A. Grimley.
The pneumatic tunnel through the
quicksands of Green street required
large quantities of compressed air, and
in the Water street tunnels the drills
We're driven by the same power. All
the tunnels were lighted by electricity
and electric motor cars were operated
in several. The necessary station for
furnishing this power was established
at the corner of Water and Pond
streets. A section of the building be-
| longing to the F. B. Norton heirs and
| formerly used for manufacturing po.-
terry was leased for this purpose.
PURIFICATION.
The publication of the sewage is and
probably always will be, the part OF
the work allotted to this department,
which is of most popular interest. This
| is due mainly to the large appropria-
tons which are necessary to the sue
cessful solution of this problem.
From time to time reports have been
printed explaining this work and set
| ting forth the necessities for further
constructions of various kinds. During
the past year >at the request of the
city council, a~special report was
printed giving, Resume Of the studies
and progress made toward the solution
of the sewerage problem" All of these
1 .Srste5 IL. -
! and would doubtless answer many
| questiors arising in their minds if cop
les were obtained for reference.
The average amount of sewage treat
ed daily has been III million gallons
AS in former years some sewage has
discharged into the Blackstone river
during storms. The average amount of
water entering the Millbrook sewer
from Salisbury pond has been 10.1 mil
lion gallons daily. This is comparative
ly clean water, and, as has often been
stated, greatly complieates the prob
lem of treatment. This flow is not uni
form throughout the year. From De-
cember 1, 1898, to May l, 1899, the av-
erage daily flow was 15.9 million gall
Ions, while it amounted to an average
of 60 million gallons daily from May
1, 1899, to Dec. l. 1899. During this lat
ter period the flow of sewage at Ouin-
d
of which 60 million gallons was unpol-
luted water from North pond, leaving
10.6 million gallons Of sewage proper
From a study of these figures, 1t will
be seen that the early completion of
the interceptina sewers is of much i'm
portance.
CHEMICAL PRECIPITATION.
The chemical treatment of the sew
hon ~
past year, and all of the sewage which
could be forced through the outfall
sewer has been treated either by this
method or by intermittent filtration
The method of treatment has remained
practically unchanged and the results
have been about the same as in for
mer years.
A new complication of the chemical
treatment has arisen during the year,
caused by the enormous quantities Of
picking liquids turned into the sew
ers by the various manufacturing es-
Establishments of the city. With the
gradual improvement in business, there
has been continual increase in the
quantity of acid present in the sewage.
In December, 1898, the acid, calculated
| as copperas, amounted to 21.4 tons per
day, which was not a serious handicap
to the treatment, although it was
double the amount actually necessary
for good results. From December to
the end of November, there was a
gradual increase until the amount of
copperas reached 64.6 tons per day in
the latter month. This amount of
acid requires an enormous quantity of
lime for naturalization, and also
| makes vast quantities of sludge. 1t is
safe to say that the increase in the
amount of this acid over and above
what has been received in past years,
has cost the CITY ct laas coz nnn