Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-02-10
Brunswick. At the present time

~ SAA~ vsNtCl NOAAlRrbkiy, has Gil aAlPtC
permanent and natural source of sup
ply in one of Names great lakes, Lake
Nequasset. This supply is ample and
unfailing. 1t Is lake in the town of
Woolwich having an area of about one
square mile, or $40 acres. About its
rim and along it's borders the testimony
shows there is no possible source of
pollution. Senator Hyde and others
who are familiar with it testifying that
not a single dwelling is upon it's shores
and no opportunity for pollution from
drainage or otherwise. This great nat
ural supply is not only ample but it is
pure. Whoever heard of a great lake
in Maine, thus situated and surround
ed, whose water was not pure and
wholesome for public health? Indeed
before this source of supply was adopt
ed by great expense by the Water
Company they had the full and unqual-
flied scientific assurance from Profess
sor Robinson of Bowdoin College, aft
er what he said was a thorough ex-
animation, that the water was of fine
quality and in every way satisfactory
as a public supply. On the strength of
this Endorsement the company in 1894
and 1895, spent about S225,000.00 in
connecting both Brunswick and Bath
with this great natural supply so that
these petitioners from Brunswick
might thenceforth have beyond all
doubt and for all time a pure and I'M
failing public water supply.
1t is almost needless to add that
before going all this great distance and
to this great expense the then owners
of the Water Company tested and ex-
hausted all local and nearer sources of
supply. The Androscoggin river was
first tried and while ample in quantity
was found wholly unfit in quality and
was abandoned. A brook near by was
next attempted but found wholly mad
equate in quantity drying wholly in
the summer months. Skilled engineers
were then employed who spent several
months in a minute examination Of all
local supplies about Brunswick and the
Brunswick Plain, including the Mare
Brook now suggested, and the posi-
bilities of driven wells. AS a result of
this minute and skilled examination
it was found that the whole territory
of Brunswick contained no safe and
adequate source of supply even for that
town alone, and it was found that only
through the connection of Brunswick
with Bath and the formation of a
unified system would an adequate sup
ply be furnished Brunswick. At that
time Thompson's brook, about One-half
way between Brunswick and Bath was
recommended by competent engineers
as being adequate to supply 10000
people. and that brook was consequent
| ly adopted. But not withstanding the
assurance of science that supply also
proved wholly inadequate and the COM
pany then spent many thousands of
| dollars in seeking a supply through
driven wells, many hundreds in num-
| Der, but experience proved that as
| time wore on they exhausted them
selves and the company then adopted
| in 1894, the one great visable and per-
manent supply which nature had man.
| ifestly provided for these two COM
munities namely, Lake Nequasset, re-
tanning still the Thompson brook sup
ply and pumping station as an aux
Hilary power for the entire system, to
| be used in the contingency of accident
| to the long pipe lines under the Ken
nebee river between Bath and Lake
NeQuasset. Thus at last and for the
| first time the system became complete
and Brunswick had for all time a sup
ply pure, ample and unfailing.
| What now is proposed by this bill SC
| far as Brunswick is concerned? II
| proposes at a blow to cut itself off for
ever from both these sources of sup
1 ply, Thompson Brook and Lake Ne
| quasset, to take only that portion of the
| system which consists of the pipe lines
of Brunswick alone, stopping short or
| the Brunswick side of Thompson Brook
power station, taking no source of sup
| ply whatever except the unfit and re-
| jected supply of the Androscoggir
River, thus voluntarily putting itself
| back as it was in 1891 or two, without
| any visible supply which is adequate
| in fact with all visible sources of sup
ply proved inadequate. From the
standpoint of Brunswick alone is this
an act of municipal prudence or of tbs
grossest imprudence? Linked as it is
today to a great natural source of sup
ply. Lake Nequasset, as we have
shown in quality and ample, as admit
| ted, in quantity, what demonstrated
supply would it resort to in the future
The only possible sources of supply
\ suggested are Mare Brook, eked out by
unknown quantities to be furnished by
driven wells Mare Brook alone, the
only visible source suggested is admit.
tedly inadequate alone. The whole
problem, therefore, as to the adequacy
of supply rests upon such problematit
additions as may or may not come from
wells hereafter to be driven in the
Brunswick plains.
From the standpoint of Brunswick
alone then the petitioners propose tt
cut themselves off from a proved sup
ply and intrust the entire community
henceforth to an unknown quantity, o
which the best that can be said is tina
it can possibly prove sufficient, but IN
the light of experience both in this ant
other systems it is not only possible
but probable that it will prove INSULT
cient. To abandon all known and visi
BILE supplies and to throw the com
munity upon the mercy of unknown
and invisible supplies, is this municip
al wisdom or municipal folly? Yet this
is what this bill proposes.
From the standpoint of Brunswick
then, we submit as we did at the out