Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-01-24
Augusta Water Supply.

The report has the following to say
OF the Augusta water supply:
The Maine Water Co. formerly sup
piled this city with drinking water
from the kennebec river. This river
is very badly polluted by sewage from
Madison tn Augusta and as n result
disastrous typhoid epidemics We're the
rule in this city This condition led
Ia the formation of the Augusta Water
District and to the changing of the
source OF supply in 1905 to Carleton
pond. The water flows by gravity
from Carleton pond 10 the reservoir.
while in addition auxiliary pumps
were installed in Cobbosseecontee lake
To- be used in case low water should
render Carleton Pond unavailable at
any zine. This arrangement furnishes
"A Carleton pond supply as long as il
win meet me demand. while il guar
antecS the city an abundant supply
of pure water under all conditions
But little use has eyer been made OF
the pumps at Cobbosseecontee lake as
the Carleton pond supply has met all
the demands of the system. Tho use
OF this water has rendered typhoid
fever a thing of the past in this city.
Carleton pond is situated entirely
in woodland with no houses near and
no chance OF pollution by either human
or animal sewage. The water district
owns the shore rights about the en-
tire nond. and the shores have been
carefully cleaned of all vegetable ma
teriai TO Il point well above high wa
ter mark. Some slight inconvenience
was experienced during the summer
of 1905 due to a slight growth of
Uroelena. The trouble was, however,
OF very short duration and was not
such as would render the water al
all Objectionable. In fact it was not
to be noticed in the higher sections
of the city The trouble did not recur
in 1909
Gardiner Water Supply.
The supply of the city of Gardiner
as also of the towns of Randolph anu
Farmingdale is drawn from the COD
bosseecontee stream. This stream
drains a chain of large lakes IN the
towns of Readfeld. Winthrop Man
chester and Litchfield. With the eX-
ception of Pleasant pond these are all
large bodies of water with many cot
tages about their shores. Cobbossee-
contee lake, the nearest of these large
lakes, is 20 miles distant from the IN
take. The great size of these lakes
and their lack of current renders pol
luton of the stream from them I'M
likely either now or in the future.
The stream from Cobbosseecontee
lake is bordered partly by wild land
blu. for the most part by cultivated
fields with a small group of houses
at one mill dam. About midway be-
tween the lake and the intake at
Gardiner is Pleasant Pond. AS the
stream simply flows through one end
of the lake there is not much chance
for sedimentation here if the water
were polluted higher up. About this
pond are many cottages and from thus
point to the intake the stream is Dor
dered by many cottages and farm
houses. 1t is also much used FOR mo-
tor boating during the open season
from the dam at the intake to point
well above Pleasant pond.
Above the dam. from which the wa
| ter is taken into the system are To-
lcated many houses close to the side
ltof tile stream, whose banks are here
fc6nirosei of clay. Here is also located
| the public boat landing and many pri-
yste boat houses. Unless care is taken