The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-06-13
.yvoIRs Low.
Be Passaic Water
That Supplied to
the City.
LAINTs OF THE FLUID
swark's Engineer Thinks
He Gould Detect the
Change.

There is a suspicion that Newark is
again getting part of its water supply
from the Passaic River at Paterson. En-
gineer Sherrerd of the City Water De-
partment said to aNewark sunday alF'
reporter on Friday. that he thought If
the East Jersey Water Company had
been tampering with the supply he could
detect the fact. but he acknowledged
that under the exclusive control which
the water mpan insists in exercising
over the Peouannock water works. con-
duits and valves, it was possible that a
portion of the supply might be derived
from some other source than the Pequan-
mock without his knowledge.
There is a great deal of complaint about
the condition of the water. 1t is thick
and dirty in appearance. and has a de-
cidedly groundy taste. The condition has
grown preceptibly worse during the past
week. Complaints have been made to the
Board of Works and to the Health
Board.
Engineer Sherrerd says that the man
ner in which he would expect to detect
any attempt to substitute a part of the
Passaio River for Peauannock water
would be through the quantities supplies
from the different pipe lines. Both con-
duits from the Macopin intake reservoir
in the Peouannock to the Belleville res
ervoir are In use.
It is suaposed that Newark derives It's
whole supply from conduit No. l. and it
Is supposed that the supply pumped from
the Passaic River at Paterson is confined
wholly to conduit No. 2. The reports to
the engineering department of the Wa
ter Board show daily the quantity of wa
ter that lows through each conduit at
a point just west of the Belleville reser-
voir. as measured by the Ventura meter,
and by a similar measurement the guam
tity in conduit No. 2 at 2 point just east
of the Belleville reservoir. The last men
toned quantity Is subtracted from the
first mentioned, and the remainder is
supposed to be what the city IS receiving
Engineer Sherrerd says that if there was
any tampering with the gates at Belle
Vile so that a norton of the Passaic
Piver water from Paterson in conduit
No. Q was supplied to Newark. the fact
would become apparent in the difference
there would be between the quantity sup
piled to Newark. as determined by the
above calculation and the quantity flow
ing through conduit No. l, as measured
nv the Ventura meter just west of the
Bolleville reservoir.
But the gates and all the valves
along both conduits from the Macopin
intake to the Belleville reservoir are un-
der the exclusive control of the East Jer-
sew Water Company. Even the gates
into the Belleviile reservoir. which are
built Non city property. are under the
exclusive control of the East jersey Wa
ter Company. That companv has access
to them at all times, while Newark off
cials and employees only have access at
such times as they are permitted to en-
ter in COMPANY with employees of the
East Jersey Water Company.
There are two connecting valves be-
tween the two conduits. one at Little
Falls n the other at Belleville. but
these Engineer Sherrerd says are closed
sealed by the city seal. and the seal.
If broken. cannot be replaced except by
action of city officials. Mr.. Sherrerd
says he is sure the valves are closed. |
Mr.. Sherrerd was in the watershed
yesterday looking after the condition of
the reservoirs. but had not returned last
evening. The water in the Oak Ridge
reservoir is getting very low. and the
officials of the water company are some
what exercised over the conditions that
exist there. During the past week the
gates at Oak Ridge were partially shut
down and a portion of the supply was
being drawn from the Clinton reservoir.
The two big storage reservoirs in the
Pequannock Valley were never before
down so low at this season.
The quantity in gallons in the two
storage reservoirs on the dates given are
shown below
Oak Pidoa Clinton