The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-12-31

1CtN llIllC " lliC StOA CO. SNNFNN0
of the system.
He is also of the opinion that the
sheds of the various systems are all
ready fully developed, provided the
quality of the water is to be pre-
served. and is Of the opinion that 1t
is necessary for the city to imme-
diately increase its water supply
from some other source.
1t has been suggested that the
dams of the various basins might
be raised and the storage capacity
increased in that way, but accord
ing to figures prepared by the en-
gineer the storage capacity of our
systems in a dry year is worth only
about 750 900 to $780, 900 gallons a day
per square mile, while we are con-
Stunning at the present time from our
total shed area of II square miles
9,2O1, 500 gallons daily or more than
800, 900 gallons per square mile. 1t
would seem unwiSe, therefore, for
us to increase the storage capacity
of any of our systems If the quality
of the water is to be preserved, to
more than the shed area Is worth
in a year slightly below the average
rainfall, as there have been long
periods lin the past when some of
the. reservoirs did not I'LL on ac-
count of low rainfall
There has been reserved to the
City of Worcester by Chapter 4S8
of the Acts of 1895, known as the
Metropolitan Water Act, the right
to take from the south branch of
the Nashua River. above the dam
of the Wachusett. reservoir on SAID
river. so much Of the water of said
branch of said river, as the legisla-
ture may authorize the city to take,
and ! would therefore recommend
that immediate action be taken by
the City Council authorizing the
mayor to petition the legislature for
such necessary legislation as will
enable the city to take such portion
of the water as is reserved in the
act. If immediate action is taken
in reference to this suggestion the
petition can be presented so as to be
acted upon by the next session of
this years City Council as you have
more familiarity with the whole
question than can possibly be &C
quired by the next City Council, be-
fore such time has passed as would
prevent securing any legislation
next year. / might say that the
adoption of such an order would of
itself involve no expenditure of
money on the part of the city,
neither will any liability be In
Cured until the water above re-
ferred to has been formally taken
by the city, which would require a
vote of the City Council in the fu-
ture.
The waters which can be taken by
the city include Kendall Reservoir
and Kendall Brook in the town of
Holden and Asnebumskit Brook
and brooks tributary to 1t. The
shed is now being surveyed by the
City Engineer and there are ex-
cellent locations for storage basins
on both brooks and the water can
be readily turned into the water
mains of the city through the
Tatnuck Brook system. The shed
will furnish a bountiful supply as
the area is practically equal TO the
present shed area of our entire sys-
tenn. 1 am informed by the solicit
tor that under proper legislation
we can take therefrom the whole
or such portions as we deem neces-
sary, but it would seem wise to get
the right to take all the waters of
Brook 1t might be added that it
will take several years of work to
develop this shed so that the water
can be used.
l also desire to call to your at
tention the present condition of the
high service system of the city.
The demands upon the high serv-
ice system have increased from
40,000,000 gallons per month in 1897
to 119, 275, 900 gallons per month at
the present time, an increase of all
most 200 per cent. If the same in
crease of consumption continues
another year, even under favorable
conditions. the supply will not be
equal to the demands made upon
the system. There are certain sec
lions of the city which are now
served by the high-service system
which could be equally well served
by the low-service system, and 1
would recommend that the matter
of changing from the nigh service
to the low service. wherever
feasible, be taken I'D at as early
a date as possible This will re-
quire the laying Of new pipe in
these localities, but it is absolutely
necessary, in my judgment, that
something should be done to relieve
the situation, and to make some
provision for the future when we
may not have such a favorable
rainfall as during the past year.
Extensions Of the high-service sys-
tenn ought to be carefully examined
into, as the supply from this system
is necessarily limited.
Respectfully.
PHILIP J. O'CoNNELL.
Mayor.
When the question of adopting th'