Norwich bulletin., 1910-08-17
Enainesr AAsn,. Report.

Charles A. Allen of worcester on the water situation in Norwich Mir Allen gave as his opinion that the expense Of adding storage capacity to the present reservoir would be far in ex- cess of the advantage gained He also declared that fnasmuch as all large consumers were metered the instaila- ton of meters for private consumers would result in very slight saving and would cost at least s70,0e0. MT Allen concluded his report by agreeing with Messrs. Chandler & Palmer of Norwich and Richards of New London that Stony brook was the most avail able site and it would be a mistake not to develop it at once.
 On Oct 2d following Alderman Sher- man introduced resolution in the court of common council authorizing Mayor F. L. Osgood to appoint three members to investigate the possible increase of the city's water supply by providing a requisite dam to retain the water from the so-called Meadow brook watershed. Aldermen Sherman and Stoddard and Councilman Gilmour were appointed on this committee.
 Artesian Wells Tried.
 On Jan. s. 1900. the water in Fair view reached a point 173 inches below a full pond. The board of water com missiOners decided that immediate ac- tion was necessary for a temporary in crease in the supply. Experimental wells were driven on the Meadow brook WdtefSne0- IneSe WellS were QT1Nen IO a depth of B feet and furnished water at the rate of 50.000 gallons each per day. -Copfous rains came very soon and the well project was given up.
 Engineer BIake's Report.
 The special committee reported on March 5. 1900. having employed Percy M. Blake, civil engineer, of Newton vile, Mass. Mir. Blake recomm ended that Fairview dam be raised three feet t~ f11l ,fr, line be laid to Leffingwel1 pond on the Stony brook watershed. the pond to be cleaned out and the present dam raised three to four feet. The cost of this plan was estimated as follows; Pipe line to Washington square, 1000; cleaning basin and construction. s3S,- 800; total, $192,500. not including rights of way It was estimated that this plan would deliver to Fairview reser- voir an average of 2,00O,O00 gallons per day.
 Pease Brook Recommended.
 No action was taken by the court of common council until Nov. ,. 1900, when Mayor Thayer, Alderman LaPierre and Councilman Jewett were appointed another special committee to present plans for an additional water supply. This committee reported May 6. 1901. that HiH Quick & Allen of Baltimore had been employed as engineers to in . vestigate the matter and their report
 
 report was in favor of Pease brook watershed in the town of Lebanon This plan was thereupon unanimously adopted by the council.
 Hill. Quick & Allen reported against the use of meters against any supply involving pumping and against fur ther development of FairView or the use of Gardner Lake and Peck Hollow for same reasons given by Messrs Chandler. Palmer and Richards, as noted hitherto.
 Hill. Quick & Allen further stated ''Yantic river, Trading Cove brook Stony brook and Pease brook are the only sources within a req a5Ona ble dis tance from the city from which an additional supply, can be developed al an expense approximatihg the amount you are authorized to expend for the purpose. Trading Cove brook could and if this scheme should be adopted the city would have to be divided into two service areas, the higher to be supplied from Fairview reservoir ex- clusively."
 In their opinion the Stony brook plan provided only enough water for the immediate future. without being ample Pease brook watershed was not a seri- ous drawback and believed that a sat isfactory arrangement could be made with the mills affected to compensate
 
 from the reservoir whenever it was needed by the mills. There is nc doubt" say HiH, Quick & Alien. "as to the feasibility of the four projects proposed Any one of them would supplement your present supply tc such an extent as to justify the neces- sary outlay and any one of them woulc with reasonable management give you pure water" They, however. conclud- ed by recommending the Pease brook plan, owing to the larger watershed and the facility of laying a pipe line The board of water commissioners reported they could not carry out the Pease brook plan within the sum au- thorized. and they passed q resolution Sept. 12. 1901, resembling and annuIlins the resolution to establish a reservoir on Pease brook
 Said resolution was transmitted anc accepted by the court of common coun- oil Sept. 18th.
 In transmitting their report the water commissioners reported that the mill owners would not entertain q proposition for water compensation az proposed by Hill. Quick X Allen. and the expense of condemnation and dam ages could not be estimated. They re. ported also that the Pease brook plar called for the submersion of four miles of highways in the town of Leba non There exists on the watershed three cemeteries and a burial place foi horses. /The reservoir would flow som. 1s1OU aCTeS WHICH must De acquired al unknown prices. At the upper site proposed for dam test pits failsd tC reach a suitable foundation for a dam Ii would require a dam 75 feet higI and a quarter of a mile long in order to give pressure the same as Fairview and only about ione-half of the water can be drawn off as it would be a toc low a level. The estimated cost would be s655.eo0, exclusive of water rights Thus far h developing the Peast brook project there had been expended about s4,oo0 for options on land ana engineers.
 Stony Brook Adopted. On Nov. 4, 1901, the board of water com missfoners again transmitted tC the court of common cc<nciI a resolu- ton approving a reservoir at Stony brook. By the deciding vote of Mayor Thayer action upon same was deferred At a council meeting Dec. 2. 1901 Mayor Thayer addressed that body anC asked to have committee appointed tC further Investigate the water question Alderman Lillibridge and Councilmer I.athrop and Church wera appointed They held several public hearings ant by a majority vote recommended the establishment of Q reservoir at Stony brook. This report was accepted by the council on Feb. 22d. and it wa: