The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1918-09-12
WATER PRESSURE
MAKES HIGH TEST

Fred A. Rasch, utilities engineer
of the Public Service Commission of
Oregon, was in Heppner Friday and
8aturday, and accompanied by Fire
Chief Curran and other officials of
the city and of Heppner Light &
! Water Co., made test of the pres
sure of the city water plant.
Five separate tests were made.
In each instance the static pressure
was taken at the hydrant; this being
the main pressure, proper, and
then section of fifty feet of hose
was attached and the pressure taken
through 1-inch nozzle.
At the corner of Main and August
streets, near the power house, the
static pressure was so pounds to the
inch; hydrant pressure 65; nozzle
pressure, go. This is on the S-inch
main leading to the corner of Main
and May streets. The hydrant at
this point was also opened with a
l-inch nozzle attached while the
pressure was taken at the point
above, and there was but little, il
any, variation in the pressure noted.
With two streams the pressure was
81 at hydrant and Sc at nozzle.
The second test was made on the
6-inch main at the corner of Main
and Willow streets. Here the static
pressure was Sc; one stream run
ning-hydrant 80; nozzle, 70; two
streams running, 73 and 66
The next test was on 4-inch main
near the schoolhouse. Here the
static pressure was 80 pounds; one
stream, 63 pounds at hydrant and
5S pounds at nozzle; two streams,
Al and 3S.
Corner of Jones and Church street,
hydrant on 3-inch main near res
idence of Frank Gillian, the static
pressure was 81 pounds. One stream
running, hydrant pressure was 46
and nozzle pressure 40; two streams
running, 33 and 2S. 1t is noted here
that the force is practically nil on a
small main with two streams run
ming, as the pressure per inch is cut
very rapidly.
The fifth test was made at Main
and Linden streets on 4-inch main
near the Phil Cohn warehouse.
Here the static pressure was found
to be 9S; l stream running, 1916;
two streams running, 62-56.
Mr.. Rash was sent to Heppner by
the Public Service Commission to
make this test, and this is the
final chapter in the testimony taken
by the Commission upon the petition
of Heppner Light & Water Co. for a
raise of rates. 1t would seem that
the test was taken in very COM
plete and fair manner Mr. Rash
has had many years of experience in
this line of work. He drew up a
complete map of the water system,
giving the location of all mains and
their dimensions, as we'll as noting
where each fire hydrant is located.
There are some 43 fire hydrants in
the city and they are seemingly we'll
located.
Mr. Rash has just recently re-
turned from an extensive visit in
the East where he visited different
cities and made a close study of
sheir water systems. The great
system of the City of st. Louis was
one in which he was particularly
interested, and in his survey of this
he gathered great deal of valuable
information. This great system was
installed few years ago and it is
probably one of the most extensive
plants of any city in the country.
The capacity of the works is about
100, 100000 gallons per day. The
water supply is taken from the
Mississippi river and is filtered and
purified by perfected process, and
the mud alone that is taken out each
year would fill our Main street from
curb to curb 80 feet high and %
blocks long, according to Mr.. Rasch.
1t costs the city $3.50 day for lime
to soften the water, and about $500
per day for other chemicals used in
its publication. St. Louis has to
drink the sewerage contaminated
water of the Mississippi, but it is
absolutely purified by the process
through which it passes in these
great water works.
This is given by the way, to show
, some of the study Mr.. Rasch has
made to prepare himself for the
position he holds. He took four
different samples of water from the
mains here and will have tests made
to ascertain its purity.