The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1910-11-18
WATER WORKS ASSURED
AT Last Contracts Have Been
Signed for the Installation
of a Complete Plant.
It WILL Be A GRAVITY SYSTEM
Provision Made for An Abundant
Supply of Water for Domestic
Purposes and Fire Protection.

After much backing and filling, con-
sidering and reconsidering, the formu.
lation of plans and the reformulation
thereof, the town council has at last
got down to concrete business basis
and let the contracts for municipal
system of water works. The supplying
of this long felt want is mot a matter Of
future promise but of immediate real
ization, as the agreements calls tor the
immediate :. beginning of work. 1t is
going to cost money, double the amount
the authorities first contemplated in.
vesting, but when once in operation
will be worth all the cost, and Oroville
will be able to boast of one of the best
water systems in the state.
At the meeting Monday night the
council took the step from which there
can be no turning back, and notwith-
standing the debt it will foist upon the
town the citizens of the place must feel
that it is a wise decision and an ac-
ceptable burden considering the abso-
Lutte necessity existing for an abundant
supply of water for domestic purposes
and fire protection. With represen-
tatives present of firms that had SUBJ
mitted bids in response to the adyer-
tised calls for proposals contracts were
signed up with the Fairbanks-Morse
company for triple action 4O-horse
power pump, and the VIM. Oliver Steel
and Bridge company, of Spokane, for
the mains, fire hydrants, laying of pipe
and construction Of concrete reser-
voir. The price agreed upon repre-
sents some ST., 900, the bidders accept
ing warrants on the water fund for the
amount above the $4,000 for which
bonds were issued. Besides the. cost of
material, construction and installation,
the town takes over the old private
water system at cost of $3775, making
the total investment in the neighbor-
hood of $4,000. The pipe to be laid
will be of cast iron, the most durable
and satisfactory used for that purpose,
and all the material to be of the very
best quality.
The plan adopted is the construction
of a reservoir of 100000 gallons capa-
city on the high bench west of town.
Water will be pumped from we'll to
the reservoir, giving the town grav
ity system with an 80 pound pressure,
the elevation of the reservoir being
sufficient to carry water to all premises
now occupied, or houses that may be
constructed in the future. The pump
is so arranged that water can be
pumped directly into the mains, thus
providing for any Emergency, such as
a shortage of water in the reservoir at
the time of fire, or any accident to
the reservoir itself. The main 8-inch
pipe will extend from the reservoir to
the Peerless hotel corner, extending
south on Main street to the corner on
which Sigrist ohall stands. For the
present no provision has been made for
latterals on cross streets, but they will
be added in the future. Fire hydrants
will be distributed at short intervals
along the route, thus covering the en-.
tire business section. A reducer will
be attached at the connecting point
with the wood pipe system operated by
private corporation, and which the
town purchases, thus removing compe.
tition. Under the contract the work is
to be completed and turned over to the
city by April l, 1911.
BY this action the much vexed ques-
tion of supplying an important civic
utility has been finally settled. 1t is a
move in the right direction, and should
have been made long ago, but it is
better settled now than after another
postponement or year. In providing
for water system the council has TAX
en- into consideration the future as
we'll as the present. The contract calls
for plant that will accommodate a
city many times larger than the Oro-
vile of today, but the place is bound
to grow up to and beyond the capacity
of that plant. Material has been Sc
lected that will endure for years, thus
eliminating the drain of constant ex-
pense for repairs. The water supply
will be the purest that is provided any
community in the state. With the
provision that permits of direct pl es-