The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1909-08-24
REPORT ON OGDEN
CITY WATER
(Contlnued from Page Ftyel


sure. and as a result the staye pine
is in excellent condition, after nearly
twenty years of continuous service.
/ had the pipe uncovered at points
about a quarter of a mile apart and in
only two cases did / find any signs Of
decay. One case was on the Wheeler
Creek branch. where the pipe has
never been filled. and where the sur
face has been uncovered Here part
OF one stave was rotten half it's thick
ness. The other case was on the main
line at 4 grade point where the end
of stave had become so soft that
one could stick the blade OF a jack
knife nearly through It. l estimate
that this wooden stave pipe, with
some renewals at the high points. VIII
last for another twenty years.
The riyeted pipe was likewise found
10 be In an excellent state of preserya-
tion. Great care was taken when IL
was laid TO have it thoroughly coated
with asphaltum, and this coating
seems TO have suffered little deterlora-
uon, l remember a batch OF pipe was
coated during a rain storm and the
rain drops blistered the coating so
that 1t had TO be redipped ! uncov-
cred some OF this triple-dipped pipe
and removed a portion of the heavy
coating with a chiscl exposing the
bright metal underneath. The pres
ent condition OF this pipe also lends
me TO believe that It will last for
twenty years more With the excep-
tlon OF renewing two wooden bridges
and some intakes. very little money
hng To-
since 1t was built. 1t Is safe to assert
that it has not cost more than $3.50
a year to maintain during the past
nineteen years.
The principal damage which 1t has
sustained was inflicted by the PIo.
neer Electric Power company when
1t constructed its siX-foot pipe line
some fourteen years ago w. H.
Rowe was then manager of the Ogden
water works, and he permitted the
contractors Of the power company and
the power company Itself TO trample
upon the rights Of the interests which
he represented Not being an enGi-
neer. he probably did not realize how
great was the damage done. In ex-
cavatlng for the larger pipe, gravel
and large boulders were rolled in the
trench OF the water works pipe, filling
1t In places TO depths of ten. fifteen
and even TO twenty feet This debris
has never been removed except in a
few places, where the excessive load
has crushed the pipe. How long It
will continue TO sustain this load is a
question which should not be put to
final test. In various other ways dam
age was inflicted by the power com
pany. so that II would now require the
expenditure Of at least $4,000 to re-
pair the damage.
Distributing Reservoir.
The distributing reservoir. which
was so cheaply built some eighteen
years ago, has served its purpose bet
ter than was anticipated and although
never cemented. there has been no
Seepage. The construction of a new
reservoir OF larger capacity by the
side of the old one was q move In the
right direction, and when It Is COM
pleted. thoroughly tested and filed.
the old reservoir should be paved with
n four-inch lining of concrete | also
think IL would be advisable to pave
the bottom of the new reservoir WITH
clay and gravel to a depth of nine
inches.
Condition Of the Distributing System
ogden is built on n steep slope. the
upper portion is over 400 feet higher
than the lower. AT the time the pres
ent works were built | divided this
slope into three belts or zones. by In
sertlng pressure regulating valves at
Jefferson and Tyler avenues. These
have been in use ever since The
task of equalizing the pressure on so
steep a slope Is not easy, and I doubt
If any reasonably cheap device would
serve the needs of the city so well
] would therefore recommend the fur
ther use Of pressure regulators TO
eQualize the pressure for ordinary use
and to increase it during fires.
In discussing the efficiency and dur
ability of kalamein pipe as compared
with cast iron pipe. | may state that
when the present works were first
planned, | advocated the use of cast
iron Al that time kalameln pipe was
comparatively new and | contended
that we did not know enough about
Its lasting qualities to warrant the
company in running the risk ! was
about confirmed in this view when,
some seven years afterwards, a num-
Der of kalamein pipe were removed
from the system on account OF rust
holes. and quite large number OF
saddles were used TO cover up cor
roded spots in other pipes which were
not removed. Ny connection with
the plant ceased shortly after this eX-
perience and l have had no opportu-
nifty up 10 the present to determine
the actual condition of the PIPE. MI
c. II. Kircher. who has managed the
works during most of the time since
construction. and who has had by
far the best opportunity to form a cor
rect opinion. has always contended
that the portions OF the pipe which
rusted were caused by alkali. salt and
other materials in the soil. AS fur
ther proof OF this view. he assorted
that the pipe which failed and had
TO be discarded on account of rust
holes was laid for the most part in
the vicinity of Jackson and Twenty
first streets. where the formation is
adobe and more or less charged with
mineral salts.
By permission Of the mayor. I have
been granted the use of workmeu. and
Tor two days they have uncovered the
kalameln pipe in all Sizes and in all
parts OF the city. Each portion OF ex-