Omaha daily bee., 1914-01-01
Howell Summarizes
Work of the Water
Board for the Year

r. Beecher Howell, general manager
of the metropolitan water district, in his
annual report summarizes the work Of
his board of directors and himself as
follows.
important years in the history of Omaha ,
water plant so far as construction and
development is concerned. The forty
eight-inch pipe line leading from Flor
the fore part of the year. AS a conse-
quencC the management has been able nc
close down the Burt street pumping sta
ton, with the result that water OF better
quality, so far as bacteria are concerned
has been furnished since the new pipe
line has been put into use. In addition
marked improvements have been mad,
Ia the water supply afforded, so far az
tGrbidity is concerned, through the re"
construction of the sedimentation baslni
at the Florence plant The capacity o.
these basins has been increased 10 pei
cent, so that there is now total capac
ity for sedimentation basins or some 80
100000 gallons, or something more thar
four days water supply. In other WORDS
al the present time water passing through
the sedimentation basins requires Tour
days for passage. AS result OF thekt
improvements In the setthhg pssnhs th'
turSidity of the water, for instance, fol
the month of November, 1872, was on al
average OF 2.5. whereas the average tnr
bidity for the month of November IN th'
These improvements include the con
struction of the new forty-eight-inch pipt
line and its completion. now attorus
Omaha an ample supply OF water 10 NEE
all emergencies. At the Florence pump
ing station there have also been installed
four new boilers of 400-horsepower each
together with automatic stokers and
new chimney and underground flue lead
ing from these boilers and afford!nG
capacity for additional boilers has beer
largely completed. The second coal stor.
age plant developed in Omaha for stor'
age of coal under water has also beer
! installed at the Florence pumping sta
tion, together wit locomative crane foI
handling coal. AS a result some 6.50
tons of coal were purchased this fall at
saving of something like 5000 in the
cost of the coal alone, as through the
storage and the availability Of the loco
motive crane IL was possible to store coal
| as il has never been possible before
therefore the coal could be purchased
| when cheap. .s
The Walnut Hin basins have been re-
paired and put in order. being thoroughly
| lined throughout at an expense OF about
S2S. .O00 In addition. sixteen miles ha 70
| been added 10 the distribution of the
water plant probably more miles of dis
| tribution than has ever been added 10 the
plant since its construction. In addition
10 sixteen miles of distribution mains
! there have also been added 2O4 hydrants
! probably twice as many hydrants a.
have ever been added to the system II
any one year. thus greatly increasinC
the possibilities of fire protection
One thousand six hundred and sixty.
| three new services have been added dur
| ing the year, an increase Of about 5 pei
/ cent In the number of live services. As
a consequence at the present there are
total Of about $500 services now In use
| In other words. about 200 new service,
have been added to the water plant since
Il has been taken over by the city or
/ July /. 1912.
( In addition to the above work com
/ pleted, there is under construction a
new reservoir at Walnut Hill that VIII
| double the present storage capacity al
that plant. The excavation on this worh
Is about 29 per cent completed
Az the Florence pumping station two
additional boilers OF 400-horsepower each
| together with stokers have been ordered
] and their foundations are now being pre.
pared; also there is under constructior
ior the Florence pumping station a 81 /.
W1Vo-Sallon low service centrifugal
pump which will be delivered within ssv.
! crai months