Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1905-12-08
The Majority Report.

In the introduction to the report of the
majority of the committee the employ
ment of F. E. Davis of Northampton as
engineer was referred to- also the situa-
ton of the village with respect to its
water supply from the Chestnut Hill
reservoir, and the contract for water for
fire purposes.
Incorporated In the report was the fol-
lowing:
1t Is evident that the engineer finds the
present system is not adequate to furnish
a sufficient supply of water to the village
Of Brattleboro for both fire and domestic
purposes. The mains are too small and
we think not all laid at a sufficient deptl
to prevent freezing, as shown by past
experience. The pressure for fire pur-
poses Is not sufficient, owing In part to the
small size Of the pipes. The system re-
quires the expenditure OF a large sum
of money to put 1t in good condition
Even then, with possible improvements
realized, sufficient pressure cannot be OBJ
tained without abandoning the present
reservoir. 1t is OF vital Importance for
the protection of property that we have
system capable Of furnishing a suitable
working pressure when using at least six
streams of water. The pressure with
thirteen feet OF water in the reservoir is
now Sc pounds at the town hall, when
using in the vicinity of one cubic foot per
pounds at the town hall when using five
cubic feet per second. The present system
cannot furnish sufficient supply in the
emergency of a large fire to do the work
which the safety OF the property of our
citizens demands. AS a matter OF fact,
at the present time the reservoir is only
partly filled and the village has been
left many times without adequate fire
protection.
The engineers report shows that the
village is supplied with forty hydrants,
with an average of about 1900 feet of
service mains to each hydrant. The rule
OF the National Board of Underwriters
requires at least one hydrant to every 500
feet of service mains. This would give
the village Of Brattleboro 1856 hydrants
where 1t now has 40. An increase in the
number of hydrants to this number is
absolutely necessary for safe fire pro-
lection.
The quality of water for domestic pur-
poses for the northern part of the town
is fair. The quality of water supplied
the southern part OF the town, from AID
rich farm, is unfit for domestic purposes,
and the use OF 1t cannot be too strongly
condemned.
The engineers report on the II possi-
BILE available sources of supply was re-
viewed, but as a complete summary of II
appeared in The Phoenix two weeks ago
1t is not necessary to refer to that section
further. Tabulated statements showed
statistics of water supply systems in
many of the smaller cities of the country
both under municipal and private owner
ship.
The recommendations of the committee
were as follows:
Your committee recommends that the
village own its water system. We be-
lieve that If it can supply water for
domestic purposes without competition.
the village can pay for its system in time,
without imposing any tax whatever upon
the tax payer. With competition, II 1t
can supply its own water for fire purposes.
and good share of the water for domes-
tic purposes, fair return can be shown
upon reasonable cost When the system
Is paid for, as we believe it can be, from
the profits of operation, the village will
then have a valuable asset.
The experience of Greenfield, Massa-
chusetts, with a 5000 900 system, is in
structive. With municipal ownership, an
excellent supply Of pure water has been
furnished and the system has paid for
itself from the earnings. In addition for
the last five or six years II has paid all
of the expenses of the fire department
so that it has not been necessary to raise
any money by taxation for any of the
fire department uses. This has been done
service for which we are now paying S14
and shows profit to the municipality of
about $1,000 per year A water system
is public utility which ought to be con-
trolled by the public and operated for
the benefit Of all Of the people of the
municipality. The experience OF all cities
and villages owning water plants is uni
formly satisfactory. At the present
time, nearly all of the villages of the
size of Brattleboro own and operate
their own plants, and are uni
formly operating them at profit, with
lower rates than charged here.i The
tsbulation attached to this report is in
strL. Nve.
That You may understand about how
the system would work out from a finan-
cial standpoint, without competition, we
will give you the following figures;
Basis of cost, $3.50. 900 90
Income estimated, SIC, 100000
Interest, IS, 75000
Expenses, 25OO.OO II, $4,000
Net yearly income. s4,75OOO
AS basis, we have taken here an In
come OF about $1,000 more than we would
estimate the income Of the present Crowell
system. but very much H.. 49,. -.