Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1906-05-08

The Seth annual report Of the Water |
Department. being for the year 1905,
was presented by Chief Engineer Lessen,
al the meeting of the board yesterday
afternoon, and ordered printed.
During the year the receipts from cur
rent accounts aggregate S206 l0l 90 and
the disbursements along the usual line Of
expenditures were SIP 35436 The
difference. amounting 10 S93 ,S37 So was
devoted to deiraying the cost of the new
plant In addition 20 the current re-
ceipts, S204 ,O20 was received from the
sale OF bonds authorized to be issued for
the construction of tho William i.
Porter Reservoir. and Of this amount
S71 .6SS.79 was expended on the new
work, leaving an uneNpended balance
OF this special fund Of Sl34 ,59o.4l.
The average daily consumption OF
water for the whole city was s,573,OOO
/ gallons and the total amount Of water
/ pumped during the year 3,l29 1893 900
| gallons an increase over the previous
/ l2 months Of 17S, 1873 900 gallons.
Rockford tower supplied "a $50 600
gallons. an average daily consumption
Of 81 gallons per capita for that district.
OF the total amount OF water consumed,
As $40 per cent or /, ,52S, ,432 600 gallons
was used by manufacturing industries,
railroads, and sundry other purposes and
the remaining 81 2-l0 per cent, or 6OO,-
96l 900 gallons was consumed by resi-
dences. schoolhouses, and fire purposes,
representing what may be termed do
nestle consumption.
An interesting point is developed by
an analysis Of the pumpage figures in
relation 10 the increased quantity Of
water pumped for this year; The com
bined amount pumped by the two steam
pumping engines at the City Mil was
exactly the same as for the preceding
year. and was accomplished with l62 tons
Of coal less than for the previous year.
The increase of us million gallons was
performed solely by the water-power
pump. a total Of 9l2, CPS 900 gallons
which is nearly 25 per cent better than
for any previous wear. "This excep-
tional performance" Mr. Leisen says
was due in part to the condition Of
the stream, but more largely 70 the care
fil and constant attention to the better
development Of the water power.
The total daily per capita consumption
on an estimated population Of SO 600 wa
90 7-l00 gallons, which, subdivided into
the two classes. shows for manufacturing
purposes 4S 7-10 gallons, and for domestic
uses 81 gallons per capita.
A comparison of the water consumption
for the past two years viii show thai
while the total amount per inhabtan
has increased from SO TO 80 7-1O gallons
the domestic supply has decreased from
"a to 81 gallons, the increase being en-
Q tirely in the water used for manufacturing
purposes. This would indicate a health,
n growth in the industrial establishment
e of the city, and also a desirable result II
h the decreased domestic consumption, du
b to the metering residences.
All manufacturing plants, hotels, salool
?, apart menthouses, public stables, ant
" kindred establishments using water fo
d; other than domestic purposes are oi
d; metered supply, and a large proportion o
D, dwellings, whose schedule water rat
le would be in excess Of SO per annum ar
, also on a metered supply. The tofa
h number Of meters now in service Is 9, ,429
10 During the year 1916 feet Of new main
., were laid, of which ? 700 feet we're for tn
y, low service, and 7 ,237 feet for the big
5. service. OF the above amounts, IS
3, feet replaced old mains Of smaller size
4 This makes total Of III miles Of wate
D. mains In the city, 81 per cent Of which
8, eight inches In diameter and over.
IS The total number of fire hydrants /
ie use is S67, an increase of IL over th
le previous year, and lis new gate valve
were placed on the mains.
The report says Rodney reservoir
having shown evidences Of leakage fo
more than a year, the water in II had bee
% maintained at a lower level than il
normal elevation when full, with a cor
Of sequent reduction Of its capacity.
sn order to remedy this condition Il wa
" emptied in July, thoroughly cleaned, an
rs the leaky embanlment repaired, and th
Z inner brick lining grouted with cement
n Since then it has been kept up 70 its fu
capacity, without any apparent leakage
Id The Corliss pump was repaired at
x cost Of SO, GAS. The department bega
IS. the construction of a stable and hous
" for the keeper, at a cost of S1l .444.
is located at Sixteenth and Walnt
streets.
to Chief Leisen reviews the efforts 10 pr
0y vent pollution Of the Brandywine, whiC
have been described from time 10 tim
and he says the result has been ben
fetal He also tells of the contracts /
=; for work and supplies in connection vii