Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1902-02-20
GlTY'S WATER SERVICE.
Reservoirs and Tower Hold Less Than a
Weeks supply.

Reservoirs and Tower Hold Less Than
Weeks supply.
III Wilmington continues to grow in
the future as it has in the stand
there are reasons for believing that its
growth will be even more pronounced
from year to year-it is only question
of a short time when new reservoir
will be an absolute necessity. A high
service reservoir is badly needed now
/ and until there is II new one the Water
Department will he unable to give
certain sections of the city high ser
vice which really require it.
The total capacity of the two reser-
roirs and two water towers is 1900
600 gallons, divided as follows: Cool
Spring reservoir, 10000, 600; Rodney
street, l,500, 600: Rockford tower, 800,
GOO; Concord avenue tower, %, COO.
The total capacity of the reservoirs and
towers is not quite six days supply.
AS a matter of fact, the Water Depart
ment considers it only about four and u
half days supply. us it is desired to
keep depth Of five or six feet in Cool
Spring reservoir all the time. The aver
age daily consumption is about T.,
2U0, 900, under ordinary conditions: in
summer it is more, exceeding 5000, 600
gallons per day. Fortunately, fires have
not made any heavy draft on the supply
| and no fire has lowered the water in
Cool Spring reservoir more than five or
six inches. Should there be u great
contlagration, though, the entire supply
might be exhausted before the blaze
could be extinguished.
The demand upon Rodney street
reservoir exceeds its capacity. 1t holds
about 100000 gallons and each day
about |, 600, 600 gallons are drawn from
it, which makes constant pumping
plant be entirely disabled for "a hours
the high service would be cut out alto
gether. All water is pumped from the
Brandywine direct to Cool Spring
reservoir and from Cool Spring to
Rodney street and to both towers. The
city pumping plant is in constant
operation, except when the water is eX-
tremely muddy, when the machinery is
stopped for short time if the supply
on hand is sufficient to warrant stop
page. 1t has been the experience of
the department that at times there
has been only enough water flowing
down the Brandywine TO turn the water
wheel at the City Mill pumping station,
being an impoSsibility to use the steam
pumps sometimes for "a hours. II is
customary to run the wheel all the
time, but the steam pumps are usually
stopped on Sunday and occasionally ut
other times. At the City Mill there
are two steam pumps, one with II
capacity of 10000, 600 gallons per day
and the other 7,000.00O gallons and
the water wheel pumps about $500, 600
gallons per day. When all of the pump
ing machinery is in operation over 10,
GOO, 600 gallons per day are being
pumped, which soon fills the reservoirs.
At Cool Spring pumping station there
are two 3, 600, GOO gallon pumps, one of
which is operated about 10 hours per
day to keep the other reservoirs and
towers supplied.
The demand for water on the high
service is growing more rapidly than
on the low service, but the latter de-
mand has been exceptionally large the
past few years, which is due to the
fact that there are new industries and
the old ones are running full and using
more water. About Il per cent of the
water runs through meters. A new
reservoir on the elevation of the Rodney
street reservoir would give an oppor-
tunity to put all the properties on the
high service which should be so con-
nected, and also make provision for new
houses, as the high sections of the
city are being built upon more rapidly
than the lower part of town. Tho
owners of many west side properties
have been complaining about an in
sufliciency of water There are times
when water cannot be drawn from
spigots in the upper stories, because
they are above IL low level in Cool
Spring reservoir. A few days ago Il
complaint of this kind was received
from the owners of houses at Fifth and
Van Buren streets, and the department
finds that II high service there is
necessary and will have the houses so
connected Houses at Eighth and
Wollaston had similar difficulty and
they were placed on the high service
after being connected with the Cool
Spring service, which did not give the
head of water required Another com
plant has come from Twenty second
ard Washington streets and the de
partment is arranging to connect the
properties with the Concord avenue
towor service. At times those houses
are unable to get water. Such com
plants are being received continually
from different sections of the city, but;
the department cannot connect all of
the properties with the high service
and is doing SO only where such u
| change is absolutely necessary. We're
the high service supply greater the re-
quests could and would be granted.
But as Rodney street reservoir is more
than emptied every day the depart
ment is in such position that it will
ieopardize the whole service if the
draft on the reservoir becomes too
great,
Should Il new reservoir be built. it
is the purpose of the department to sell
Rodney street reservoir and it is be-
lieved it would yield nearly, if not
quite, the price of the new tract, as it
is desirable location for dwellings,
being one of the highest points in this
part of the country.