Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-08-31
NEW PLANT ADVOCATED
BY WATER CHIEF

Continued from Page One
clude from the calculation OF the city's in
debtedness outstanding Water Bureau
bonds, providing that the bureau shows
that 1t is self-sustalninS.
The amendment was passed by the Leg.
islature last year" Chief Davis said. "If It
Is passed by the next Legislature 1t will be
submitted to the vote of the people in the
fall OF next year. II the voters ratify II
at that time, 1t will put US entirely on our
feet. We then should have ample funds
for the work
"Waterworlts are out OF sight, or under
ground. and they are given little thought by
the population in general until something
goes wrong and the supply is cut off. Then,
assure you, they think hard and plenty.
Nevertheless, az any thinking citizen will
readily see, they are of the utmost i'm
portance, Certainly, to a great extent. they
are the life Of the city, since they feed It.
90 to speak"
The Philadelphia water supply has been
lucky in the absence OF serious accidents
Chief Davis explained. He pointed TO the
fact that one serious break might endanger
the whole supply. or the greater part of
IL; and might cause untold discomfort and
expose certain sections of the city not GOV.
cred by the high-pressure system to very
grave fire risk
"A monster 10000 900 .OOo-gallon reserve
reservoir has just been built In New York."
here. Not so large, necessarily but one
which would give us a reserve.
There is. virtually no reserve or storage
reservoir In Philadelphia. Other cities have
them Boston and Cleveland have reserve
reservoirs. One is needed here II the water
problem is to be solved and handled efi-
ciently.
The plan has nothing to do with the
waste problem. That we hope TO handle
with meters. 1t will, however. play an
important part in helping the low-pressure
conditions in some sections of the city 1t
viii give better supply In all sections Of
the city. The idea is to supply water from
two large sources. so to speak These
will work together and do the double serv-
fee of supplying the city and atfording a re-
serve OF water. something that we lack
now"
Present water supply conditions in this
city were termed hazardous by Chief Davis.
~of the total supply. IS per cent comes
through single chain OF works starting
~ Torresdale. They go from there 70
Lardner's Point and then through a set OF
mains TO the city. Any serious accident
would AFFECT the whole chain. From Lard
ner's Point the one chain of pipes Is all
under one street until they reach a more
central section OF the city. AS there ara
cross or gate chambers in these pipes. one
serious accident would put great part OF
the system out OF commission.
-eflous aHcldehta can happen At any
time It always is wise to be prepared for
them. Under present conditions one aeci.
dent to one OF the 11-foot pipes at the
Torresdale pumping station would block the
whole system. True the work Is well done
there and the material Is good but ma.
terial Is material and is not fnfanible. II
can break. and as far as / can see va
have had all the breaks OF good luck.
Two years ago on Decoration Day thera
was an accident and the CELLARS were Hooded
b. a break In one OF tbs mains Luckily
there was no serious fire that day outside
the high pressure region A flooding OF the
cellars Is very serious. As il upsets ali the
machinery.
I'VE had a small accident In one OF ths
discharge pipes this summer The pipe did
not break. but It cracked In fact, Il is
cracked stiI and Is being hsld together By
clamps II the pipe broke ths eellars
might have hooded. or that is one Of the
many things that might have happened.
7 could give any number o. reasons
Ehy We need the second reservoir but /
think that the point Is perfectly clear. and
4 can be readily seen that the need u
most imperative"