The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1912-05-17
Prof. Williams Report To Board
Calls For Expenditure
of $3,500,000
SAYS PRESENT PLANT is
TOO SMALL FOR NEEDS
Recommendations Include New
Aqueduct and Five-Foot Main
Stretching Across City

TEN we're made to the board OF water
commissioners, Thursday afternoon
In the report of Prof Gardner S. VII
6 llams, the expert engineer employed
by the board to make an investiga
tion
To follow out Prof. Williams recon
mendations would cost approximately
S,500000 according TO james II
Pound, president OF the board, in ad
dtion TO the regular sums the board
would ordinarily spend in maintaining
: and improving the system. The re
port contains such recommendation
as a new 12.foot aqueduct out into
Lake St Clair. to provide a greater
supply OF water, and new flve-foot
wafer main from the pumping station
through the heart of the business dis
trict and extending as far west as
Tweifth-st. Mr. Pound concurs in
Prof Williams findings RE stated
tina; If the board decides TO act In ac-
cordance with them the work will ex'
tend over a period OF four or. five
4 years.
Prof Williams was called in as con.
sulting engineer more than six weeks
ago when the board began an investl-
cation OF the cause of the breakage
If water mains during the winter. II
now appears that ne received instruc-
tons TO not only investigate the
cause OF the breakage of the pipes
nut 10 make a thorough study of the
entire system. Prof. Williams has
been engaged steadily on the work
ard his report, which. for detailed
analysis of the shortcomings and
needs OF the water system, according
10 Commissioner Pound, is hum
mer"
First. Prof. Williams has found
thar the freaks in the mains were due
10 a combination OF causes" said Mr..
Pound. He presents his conclusions
IN a convincing way, and there is no
doubt in my estimation that we now
know 70 a certainty what caused the
breaks TIE nipes. he says, become
very brittle when below freezing tenn
pelature They are then broken by
too heavy or uneven pressure OF the
water flowing through them. To Illus
tratC: water is pumped through GER
tain Eipes by one set of pumps and
through other pipes by other pumps.
Where tnese pipes join there is a
severe shock. 1t is like a line OF men
Wajl.irs close together and in step;
when one man gets out of step he
throws the whole line out. Similarly
when our pumps are working IN
unison the pressure everywhere is
equal but when they are not working
together these shocks occur TINS
may effect a large area.
The remedy is obvious; we must
run our engines more uniformly and
In severe cold weather reduce the
pressure as much az possible. You
know. in winter many people let the
water run TO prevent freezing and this
means that the pressure has TO be
kept IN There will also be more at.
tention given TO the inspection and
analysis OF pipe laid in the future.
"The most important part OF prof.
Williams report however. is that
which relates 10 the present needs OF
the system From reading IL ] gather
hat the present system would be just
about suitable for city OF 400, 900
population Prof Williams takes the
stand that the water system should
provide facilities in advance of the
actual demands of the city. The city
has grown so tremendously in the last
few years that 1t is way ahead OF the
water system We are constantly
wording the system to the maximum
TO supply the ordinary demands
Of the city, when we ought to have a
big reserve power. The improve
ments recommended by Prof Will
liams would put the system on an eff
ficient basis and for everyday use,
and allow sufficient reserve supply
for emergencies. There is always the
possibility of q conflagration menac-
Ing the business portion of our city,
ana. while would not like TO scare
4 anyone. | believe that the present sys-
tenn would be inadequate TO cope with
such serious situation
"Cne of Prof Williams recommen.
dations is to build new five-foot
main from the pumping station to
Twcifth.st.. on the west side. Our
LARGEST main is now four feet In
diameter The new main would cost
between $1,000. 900 and $4,000, 900. The
downtown district not only needs this
increased supply but the east and
west sides OF the city, as well. This
would require increasing tue MdttI
supply and to do that we would have
10 build another aqueduct out into
Lake ST clair. The intake pipe OF
the aoueduct now in use is 10 feet In
diameter. II has capacity OF l5O.-
100000 gallons a day II was built
but few years ago. but the city has
grown so fast that we are now fire.
mently using IL up to the limit OF
caracity. There were three days last
week which illustrate how the demand
is increasing. one day there were
SO new service taps for houses and
factories installed the next 6S ard
the next 40.
The present aqueduct cost about
s401 900 and the new one proposed
". and cost between $500. 900 and $780,
900. II would be built about 100 feet
from the present aqueduct, as the
water has been found TO be pure
there.
There are many other recommen-
dations for necessary improvements,
all of which are important from
the standpoint of the needs of a
growing city Now. as to the cost and
means of raising money for the i'm.
'proyements-that Is another serious
problem Our annual revenue is be
tween Ss0OO and sl00e,00O. We