The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-12-10
DANGER OF FAMINE.
The City's Water Sup
ply Was Never So
Low AS Now
OFFICIALS READY To PUMP.
1t May Become Necessary
to Fall Back on Lake
Quinsigamond.
OFFICIALS READY TO PUMP.

The present condition of Worcester's
water supply furnishes foundation for
the gravest concern unless there is a
change in the near future. For several
months the mayor and officials who
have to do with the water department,
have watched the supply zealously
from day to day, with very little in the
way of encouragement as reward.
A lack of water in a city the size Of
Worcester is realized as serious con-
dition. Almost any other commodity
can be supplemented from the outside
but with water it is very different. The
supply is the most important mat
ter. not of paramount Importance,
in the life of the municipality. The
officials of Worcester realize this fact,
and will not be unprepared if it be-
comes necessary to adopt heroic meas
ures.
There is still supply sufficient to last
several weeks in the reservoirs of the
city, but if relief in the shape of rain
fails to replenish the supply, there is
but one course of action left, and that
is to pump from some body of water
into the pipes. Just where the supply
would be secured, has not been definite
" settled, although the machinery
owned by the city has been gone over
and put in working condition ready for
service at short notice.
Few people have any idea of the
enormous amount of water used daily
by the inhabitants of Worcester. Dur
ing the month OF November, the aver
age daily draft was 100000 gallons
IUlf1p HIlrinO he hal
quantity varied from $500, 900 to 9000,-
600 gallons daily. More water is used
in the warm season than during the
colder months, in which the street
SpIinkling, U.s. OF water for fountains
and other purposes, even additional
bathing, figures to a considerable eX-
tent.
Greater fear is entertained for the
low service than the high, as the draft
on the system supplied from the Hol-
den reservoir is between two-thirds and
quarters of the entire amount
used. The biz Holden reservoir,
which. under ordinary circumstances,
contairs about 100000, 900 gallons, holds
at present only about 1877, 100000 gallons,
while the Lynde brook reservoir which
should contain in the neighborhood of
650,000,000 gallons. has but about 49,
100000. Officials consider that there
will probably be sufficient water to tide
service supply ig decidedly low, and
in such condition. unless something out
of the ordinary transpires in the way Of
heavy rains, 1t will be necessary to
pump from some outside supply to meet
the demand.
North pond is dry, or practically so,
presenting muchc the same appearance
as the Tatnuck reservoir, which under
ordinary circumstances constitutes one
of the principal storage basins for the
city supply. There has been some talk
of utilizing the waters of Lake Quin-
sigamond, but there would be a limit
even to this supply, in addition to the
difficulty of arranging suitable pumping
apparatus, but as a last resort, city Of
ficials say, they will have the lake to
fall back upon.
Practically the same condition of af-
fairs evident in Worcester is noticeable
in every town and city throughout New
England. Men who have to do with mat
tiers pertaining to water supply for the
larger cities are coming to realize more
and more each year that the question
is one of vital interest that should be
given consideration prior to anything
else in the life of a municipality. When
the movement was started several years
ago providing for the Kettle brook sup
ply, there was considerable in the way
OF protest from certain members of the
city council of that year, but those who
looked into the future could see that
conditions providing for that day would
not hold good for all time, and in case
of extreme drouth, a state Of affairs of
the gravest nature would arise Not for
more than a quarter of a century has
the present state of affairs so far as
the water supply is concerned confront
ed citizens of the heart of the common
wealth. When it is taken into considera-
ton that without the ordinarily bounti-
full supply, the city would have expert
enced water famine, the wisdom of
the men who supported the plan for
taking the district which resulted in so
much expense and litigation is appar-
ent.
Other things are to be taken into con-
sideration aside from the Inconvenience
attending a lack of water The danger
from an epidemic of typhoid or some
other disease when the water supply
runs low, or a possible confagration,
which without the possible means of
fighting might sweep through the city
unhindered, must be faced. These
things are, of course, apparent to every
ore when they stop to consider the sit
uation.
A greater part of the water supply
is collected during the winter months,
although, of course, a certain amount
is expected to be derived from the
summer and fall rains, and it is in this
direction that disappointment has
come the past year. Several of the
rains of the past year have amounted
to little in the way of increasing the
supply from the fact that so little
water has fallen as to penetrate but a
short distance into the earth and to
pass away almost entirely by process
of evaporation.
When the cold weather starts in, a
great part of the supply is locked up,
although there is a certain amount of
water flowing in from the brooks The
reservoirs are covered with ice, and
naturally this detracts from the sup
ply, although few warm days result
ing in a thaw during the winter sea-
son may add more to the supply than
many hours of rain during the sum-
mer season.
City officials realize that there it but
one thing to do, and that is to keep
close watch of thesupply, and should
occasion require be prepared to meet
the emergency.