Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1913-09-12
THE WATER SUPPLY.

IuE WhIEk oUICkl.
The condition of the water and thu
amount of water In the reservoirs hal
occasioned some anxiety. Like many
1t not nearly all. towns. Woodstock
has made number OF blunders. The
fact that our blunders have not been
- costly as those of some other towns
may afford some satisfaction, but IN
proportion to resources and popula.
ton, they have been very costly.
The first blunder WAS made when
the authorities went to the Massa-
nutten instead OF the North Mountain
for water. The cost would have been
. few thousand greater to have gotten
water from the North mountain but
the quantity would have been much
greater and the quality about the
same. The cost to this time would
have been very little more than has
been expended in the effort to get q
sufficient supply.
Another costly blunder was the dig
ging out the bottom OF intake No. ]
by inexperienced hands which cost the
loss of most of the water at that
point. When the water was first turn
ed into the reservoir, the season be-
ing fully as dry as the present, the
amount varied from 10000 to $4,000
gallons per day. Since that time, q
spring stronger than any We had had
has been turned in new reservoir
has been built and the water at the
Kitey House spring was turned into 1t.
The result by recent measurement
is that, the amount of water received
from intake No. l and and the
spring that was put in Is 14,4O0 gal
! Ions per day. From the Kitey House
spring which supplies the lower reser-
voir, the aow OF water is $500 gallons
per day, making q total of 5000 gal
Ions per dav. This amount of water
is expected to supply the creamery,
Triplett's mill and the citizens Of the
town, and to protect the property OF
the town from loss by fire.
Another blunder made is the sale
of more water than we have. We are
reliably informed that the water at
this time does not cover the bottom OF
one reservoir. II such be the case the
property Of the town is not sufficiently
protected against loss by fire. The
citizens should demand that sui :.
ficient amount be kept In the reser-
voir at all times to protect the prop
erty from fire.
1t Is very poor economy to sell the
water which is intended to protect the
property of the town, if fire should
occur.
II our information is correct there
Is little water secured from intake No.
l, which furnished most of the water at
first. The water that is running away
from slate spring below intake No. l
could be conveyed into the lower
reservoir. There may be some diff
iculty in getting the water on account
of the opposition of some of the coun-
cilmen to permitting Mr.. French to
have water. But such personal
predjudices should not be permitted
to injure the town in a matter of such
vital Importance. Mr.. French is the
owner of the slate spring. This
spring runs 10000 gallons of
water per day, and should be secure d
by the town.
1t can thus be seen that the town has
pow. with probability of decrease,
a supply of $4,000 gallons per day
while 1000 gallons is permitted to
run down the mountain from the slate
spring.
Another blun6er was in using terra
Gotta pipe instead of iron to convey
the water from the springs to the res
ervoir. In spite of all the care which
can be taken, teri Gotta pipes will
leak at the joints and especially where
they are exposed to growing roots as
Is the case on the mountain.
A review Of blunders is of little i'm
portance now. They may serve to
teach US important lessons, but they
do not afford remedy in our time OF
reed. Economy in the use of water is
very important. No water should be
wasted.
An increase In the supply is next in
importance.
It has been reported that there are
springs in the Little Fort, the waters
OF which could be conveyed into the
reservoirs. This may or may not be
true. What IS needed is an expert
hydraulic engineer, who would be able
tn locate the water and to conduct it
into the reservoirs.
1.-THE supply should not prove SUIT
fcient, it will be necessary to go else.
where to reinforce it, It would be
costly, but it would be the penalty of
other blunders.
1t is necessary for the town to
have an ample supply of water. If
any one can offer better suggestions,
we will take pleasure in publishing
them.