Putnam patriot., 1916-10-20
WATER WORKSPLANT
Commissioners Authorized by Council to Have Examination by Hydraulic
 Engineer
Streets to Be Laid Out. Matter of Curb.
 ing Discussed

ing Discussed
 At an adjourned meeting of the com- mon council, Wednesday evening, Mayor McGarry presided and all mem. bers of the council were present except Alderman-at-large Lapalme, who was ill.
 An agreement from Alexander Gil. man to ley out Ravine street to the satisfaction of the highway committee with the understanding that the city take the street over was read snd flied. c. Dwight Sharpe appeared for pr. w. H. Sharpe, one of the abutters on Ravine street. He stated that pr. Sharpe was willing to give & deed of his land proposed to be taken with 6 condition that it is not touched until after the life of the grantor.
 The highway committee was autho- rized to accept such deed.
 The committee reported on the lay. out of streets and parts of streets and vote in accordance thereof was pas. sed. {The vote and proposed layout will be found advertised on another page.)
 Alderman Davis of the highway committee stated that there was trouble with the water backing up at the west end of the sPomfret street bridge over the Quinebaug river. He said that H. H. Davenport of the state highway department had agreed to furnish the necessary material if the city would do the work. The matter was referred with power to act.
 Alderman Davis of the highway committee reported that the commit tee had examined all of the curbing in the city and found 1t satisfactory ex- cept on Wilkinson street where it was soft.
 Engineer George w. Perry explain ed that in his opinion the curbing would come out all right if allowed time to set. No action WAS taken.
 G. Allen Hawkins, G. Harold Gill patIic and Herbert ). Smith appeared
 
 before the council relative to the water works plant.
 Chairman Hawkins stated that the commissioners believed the facts and conditions of the water works plant should be investigated by some man having expert knowledge on the sub- ject and report submitted.
 The commissioners submitted the following facts: First, our storage ca. pacity at present is 237, ,000 gallons. Our daily consumption of water aver ages approximately $50 900 gallons with a maximum of over a million gallons.
 Second, .the wsterworks when pur- chased by the city and as they are to- day have maximum pumping capac' ity of about a million gallons daily under favorable conditions, that is with the steam pump working "A hours. The power pump is practically useless from June 18th to about Dec. 1st under average weather conditions h a wet season conditions are some- what better owing to larger water supply.
 Our filters when built by the Put nam Water Company were supposed to be capable of Altering a maximum of 500,O0O gallons ,daily when in first class condition.
 Needs: Additional pumping facili- ties.
 Larger storage capacity.
 Additional Alteration units to properly filter the daily supply.
 Larger mains to convey water from pumps of greater size and capaci. ty to larger storage basin.
 The above facts are so plain that it does not require an expert to discover them. The commissioners feel there is vital necessity of having the matter looked into thoroughly by competent hydraulic engineer and study made of the situation and his findings and recommendations together with esti- mates of costs of proposed improve ments laid before the council for &C., lion. This it is felt should be done as means of safeguarding the health and property interests of our citizens. The commissioners asked to be au- thorized to hire such an engineer to make such an investigation and the re- quest wss so voted.