Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1906-10-10
WILMINGTON'S
WATER SYSTEM
Some Facts About Our Expert
msnt in Municipal Owner
ship Plainly Told
OO.7 GALLONS
TO EACH PERSON


users Of water pay so much per year
at one Of the city offices there are few
indeed who know anything Of the water
system Of Wilmington or what the
plans are for the future development
and extension Of the city plant
The water works were constructed in
1872 and are practically the city's one
experiment in municipal ownership.
and fortunately they have been a very
successful experiment.
The source OF supply Of the citys
! drinking water Is the Brandywine and
the supply reaches the homes of the
people from reservoirs to which thar
water is pumped.
III Miles Of Pipe.
The present water system consists Of
about III miles OF water pipes varying
in diameter from one inch to the 30
inch pipes which feed the reservoir and
distribute the water; a pumping sta
ton, where the water is pumped from
the races at the Brandywine through
tlirty-inch mains to Cool Spring ressr-
voir.
From Cool Spring reservoir some Of
the water is pumped to the Rodney
reservoir on the top OF the hill where
a higher elevation is needed to sup
ply that locality near that reservoir,
and some to the Rockford Park water
tower, from which the Highlands is
served.
The Rockford water tower supplied
the people of that district last year
with 24,560,OOO gallons of water which
was an average daily consumption Of
Al gallons per person in that district.
Average Daily Consumption.
The city Of Wilmington consumes
g $4,000 gallons Of water daily, or 3,129v
$4,000 gallons last year
OF this great total ASS per cent was
used by manufacturing Industries rail-
roads, and the like; while 51.2 per cent
went for residences, hotels, schools and
was used at fires.
This total makes 1t appear that every
man, woman and child in the city OF
Wilmington uses 99.7 gallons of water
each day. OF course they do not,
perhaps some would be healthier il
they did, but the per capita con-
sumption is that amount
Domestic Consumption Lower.
The report Of the Board Of Water
Commissioners for last year shows
another thing that for manufacturing
purposes 4S.7 gallons per capita is used
and for domestic purposes 81 gallons
per capita. This is on increase over
previous years in the amount used for
manufacturing and a decrease in the
amount used In domestic pursuits.
Last year the water rents Of the city
brought In the sum of 1905 19192 while
\ It cost the city but S112.35436 to opcr-
ate the plant. This showed a surplus OF
SaS,S3L56 as a proof OF success in this
line OF municipal ownership. This sum
has been devoted toward defraying a
portion Of the expense of the new
plant.
The New System.
The new system. which our engineers
declare viii be unique and the best in
the country. contemplated the following:
(a) the construction of a new reservoir
TO be known as the William T. Porter
/ reservoir, located on the Weldin Farm,
capable for storing for sedimentation
4 25.OOO0 900 gallons of water; Cb) a pre-
n
city mill pumping station with a pres
Ont maximum capacity of 100000
gallons daily into which the water from
the race will pass before 1t reaches the
pumps; (c) eight slow sand filter beds
and one ten million gallon covered
filtered water basin including equip-
ment on the Weldin Farm; (d) a pump,
ing station with provision for three
pumping engines capable OF pumping
4OOOO,OOO gallons of water daily to the
new reservoir TO be run by two 300
horse power water-tube boilers: (e) a
forty-three inch diameter main from
the pumping station to the new reser-
voir; () and forty-eisht inch dla-
meter main to carry the filtered water
from the filtered beds to cool spring
reservoir.
How the Water Will Flow.
The water viii arrive in the pre-
liminary filter which has a capacity OF
) twice the daily consumption OF the
city, from The race from the Brandy.
Wine. It will then be pumped through
this 43-inch main to the Porter reser-
voir; will then go through the filter
bods into the covered basin and from
there win come to Cool Spring reser-
weir, clear clean aud sparkling
J drought the fourty-eisth main across
the new Van Buren, street bridge This
. fourty-eigth inch main will divide after
Il crosses the bridge and a branch Of it
will supply the section which is now
supplied by the Rodney street resivor
which will be done away with.
From Cool Spring reservoir the water
necessary to supply the Highlands will
be pumped to the Rockford water
tower
Two Systems Of Charging
The water is served to the citizens OF
the city IN two ways by direct service
|. pipes for which the people pay a fixed
rate per spigot, etc. and through
water meters. Almost an the large
establishments and all houses where
the fixture rates for consumption would
exceed S12 per year are on the water
meter service.
In other words SO per cent over half
the consumption OF water in this city
Is metered.
The water department figures figures
that it costs the city .O0oO2SH part Of
81 to supply one gallon Of water TO the
people OF the city or 923.41 per million
gallons.
Candidate for Coroner.
David X Jackson. OF this city. has
iernouaced himself az candidate for