Evening journal., 1904-11-08

project
The Weldin Farm, as a filter site. is
under the great disadvantage of rcqur-
ing an unnecessary amount of pumpage
with a resultant increase I'm the cost Of
maintenance and unless you arc willing
70 abandon Cool Spring reservoir and
throw the whole city supply on the high
service attainable from Weldin Farm.
l cannot consistently recommend il; and
even should the latter course be pursued
1t would, in all probability. result i'm inn
mense damage TO the plumbing fixtures
throughout the lower part of the city. and
possibly to many mains and service pipes,
owing to the greatly increased pressure.
The desirable conditions to be fulfilled
i'm any nltration scheme is to locate the
filter beds near the level of the source Of
supply, and then convey the filtered water
to the point Of storage. and the PROPOSE
tion which / now desire to submit as an
alternative for the Rockland plan en-
bodies these features; but before outlin-
ing it ] desire to state that have an in
tcrest in the land which would be neces-
sary for the filter site, though believe it
is not necessary for me to say that this
fact has not influenced in the slightest
degree the advocacy of this plan.
In considering the whole question since
it has become apparent that we may be
forced to abandon the Rockland scheme.
and imbued with the belief that the We'll
din Farm was undesirable, sought to Sc
cure tract OF low land sufficient in area
for tho purposes required and within close
enough proximity to the City Mil to make
InI HIs.
fills these requirements is a tract I'm the
Ninth ward, between Vandevcr avenue
and Twenty second street and Locust and
Head streets, which would cost about
ten dollars per foot or two thousand dol
lars per acre This tract contains about
fifteen acres and would be available for
the construction of a filtration plant hav-
ing an ultimate capacity of probably forty
million gallons per day, and is very fav-
orably situated for economical construc-
tion and operation.
Briefly the operation of the proposed
plant would be as follows:
The water would be taken from the
race mad passed through the preliminary
filters located at the City Mill. whence it
would flow by gravity to the sand filters
at Twenty-second and Locust streets.
After being filtered it would return by
gravity to a filtered water reservoir at
Sixteenth and Walnut streets, and would
be pumped from there TO Cool Spring Res
crvoir, the same as at present.
The plan in prospect contemplates the
construction of the necessary preliminary
filters and about five acres Of slow sand
filters, and a filtered reservoir of about
eight million gallons capacity. Also the
installation OF turbines of sufficient ca
pacity to utilize to its fullest extent at
all seasons of the year, the available
water power at City Mil It would also
be desirable to install another ten mil
lion gallon pumping engine to eventually
replace the present Worthington pump.
though It Is not at all essential that this
be done Immediately. The construction Of
new ten million gallon reservoir at
Eighth and Rodney streets would also be
included in this plan. and its cost has
been considered in the rough estimate
submitted herewith.
The figures given will show that. as
compared with either the Rockland or
Weldin Farm projects this plan can be
carried out at a saving I'm first cost of
over $2OO,OOO and an annual saving in the
cost of maintenance OF over $4,000. These
estimates are made partly on the basis
Of recent bids and partly in comparison.
with the estimates Of Messrs. Gray and
Hazen. and IL must be understood that
they are but a rough approximation, but
should you feel that the project is worthy
of further consideration. would suggest
that you authorize me to make the neces-
sary surveys and work out the details in
more definite shape.
Respectfully submitted,
Theodore A. Leiscn.
Chief Engineer.
ESTIMATE.