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

One of the most important measures
passed by the present city government
was the adoption of an order last nlgh'
authorizing the mayor to peutlon tnt
Legislature of 1902 to grant to the city
of Worcester such legislation as viii
enable the city to acquire the waters
of Kendall Reservoir Kendall Brook
and Asnebumskit Brook, for increasing
the present water supply of the city.
After the communication, which FOL
lows, was read by President Bousquet
Alderman Louis ]. Kendall moved the
adoption of the order authorizing the
mayor to petition the Legislature, ano
the order was adopted unanimously
without debate, showing the confidence
felt in the statements of the executive
head of the city, and thorough appre-
citation of the need of an increased
water supply for the city of Worcester
The communication is as follows:
To the city Council of the City of
Worcester
Gentlemen desire to call your
attention to the present condition of
the water supply of the City OF
Worcester, and also to the demands
upon the system. At the present
time the average daily draught up
on the water supply amounts to
g,201 500 gallons, while in 1897 the
average daily draught amounted to
but 60S4 900 gallons, showing an in
crease at the present time OF
more than 80 per cent over the aV-
erage daily draught four years ago.
During the past fiscal year the rain
fall on Tatnuck Brook amounted
to SO inches, and on Lynde Brook
and Kettle Brook systems As inches,
while the average rainfall for a
long period of years amounted to a
little more than AZ inches on both
systems Notwithstanding the very
great rainfall during the year end
ing Dec. /, 1901 there was on that
date stored on the Lynde and Ket-
tie Brook system but 263, 000,0 900 gall
Ions. and on Tatnuck Brook 430,
100000 gallons. If. instead of the
very large rainfall which we had
during the past fiscal year, there
had been but an average rainfall,
or rainfall slightly below the av-
erage, and there had been the same
consumption of water during the
past year, there would have been on
Dec l. 1901 no water whatsoever
in the Lynde and Kettle Brook res
ervoirs. and very little, if any, in
the Tatnuck Brook reservoir. Ac-
cording to figures prepared by the
city engineer this would be true
in extreme dry weather. even
though the reservoir Recently COIl-
pleted at Holden had been availa-
bile for use a year ago, and even
though the reservoir now under
construction at what is known as
the Saw Mill privilege at Kettle
Brook had been fully completed and
available for use.
The condition of affairs is such as
to cause grave apprehension on the
part of those who are lntrusted
with the care of the water supply
and should. therefore. receive the
Immediate attention of the City
Council. and I have thought it best
to present the facts to you at once.
From the foregoing it can be seen
that we have reason to congratulate
ourselves that the rainfall has been
so great during the past year, but
If we are to escape danger in the
future from this source it would
seem absolutely necessary that we
Immediately take steps to material
" increase our present water sup
nlv. It might be added here that
there is. so far as We can learn, no
oreat waste of water anywhere,
and almost all the water is me-
tered. The city, in this respect,
standing at the top of Massachus
sets cities
I am informed by the city engi-
neer that when the dam, now IN
course of construction at Kettle
Brook is completed, that there can
he no further addition to our stor-
age capacity on any of the systems
owned by the city, with the possible
excenfion of an increase in the
sfora ee basin at the Mann reservoir
ON Kettle Brook, which will add but
Never eat cheap candy; the health is
precious. The quality is pure at
Rebbolfs