Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-06-26
.SHAWM0NT PUMPING
PLANT MOST MODERN
.
Electrical Equipment Adds to
Efficiency, but Yet Supply
Is insufficient
ADDITIONS ARE NEEDED

The Shawmont pumping plant. with
Its chain of filters Of upper and lower
Roxborough and its standpipe station
Is the most modern and satisfactory of
the units of the city's costly water sys-
tenn. Although inadequate for the con
etantly growing section it serves. the
unit is nearer the efficiency point than
are the more important ones serving the
central, southern and western sections.
The new system of electric generators
has resulted in a saving of coal that has
already more than covered its initial
cost and the cost of installation. 1t
also permitted a rearrangement of pipe
lines and the elimination of worn out
boilers.
The section served by the station in
cludes Germantown. Chestnut Hill.
Roxborough, Manayuuk, Falls of
Schuylkill and Mt Airy. Shortages Of
water are Of frequent occurrence in the
higher sections of Mt. Airy and the
service is inadequate for a large terri
tory in Germantown proper. Daily con-
sumption from Shawmont averages be
tween 10000, 900 and 10000. 900 gal
Ions, The latter figure is the outside
capacity of the plant.
Improvement plans to the Shawmont
station and its allied plants include
Encouragement of the Roxborough fl
ters. extensive service pipe enlargements
10 as to include a section of northern
Germantown, new Hartwell avenue
pipe line for distance of four miles
and later provision for a territory now
supplied by independent water com
panies.
Plan Private Line Purchases
Plans for the purchase of independent
water lines operating wholly within or
partly within the city territory have
long been under consideration. The
companies that would be most affected
by such a move include the Holmesburg
Water Company and the Springfield
Consolidated Water Company.
The latter concern now serves an
area that may ultimately be included
in a metropolitan district. The scheme
to take over the Holmesburg plant that
operates entirely within the city and
that covers streets adjacent to those
covered by city lines has progressed to
a point where engineers have been
named as possible arbitrators with the
owners of the company.
Eighty five breaks have occurred in
the Hartwell avenue line during the
thirty years it has been underground.
Councils have been asked repeatedly for
money to replace this unsafe line.
The cost of replacing this four miles
.f ~ Sc eft n1 M
The high cost of iron pipe will enter
largely in the final estimate OF the cost
of Germantown extensions of service
pipe. A conservative figure of the needs
is said to be S5O0.00O.
8 Two Lines Take Place Of Four
High land booster services have had tc
be resorted to in the Germantown
Chestnut Hill and Mount Airy sections
making the repumping of water neces
sary. Two years ago, as the result OF
the installation of electric generators
the whole system was rearranged, and
where formerly four lines Of pipe
pumped water back and forth under
Eva street u two lines now carry filtered
water direct to distribution points.
The Roxborough sand filters are the
oldest of their kind in service and give
excellent results. One, however, is
i've feet higher than the. level in the
reservoir, which is now used as a set
tlement basin, where raw river water
Is held ten days before being pumped
on the filter beds. This service was
formerly performed by steam driven
machinery, but the change to electricity
expedited the transfer and brought
about a saving here and other points.
One financial scheme advanced by the
Municipal Research Bureau would. il
adopted, prove of inestimable benefit tc
the Water Bureau in its effort to keer
service pipe connections up to building
operation In all the OUTLYING sections
of the city. 1t includes the provision
by Councils of a flexible item for ex
tensions to be used where most needed
by reason of building operations.
This, 1t is claimed, could be replen
ished by returning to the Water Bureau
the money now paid into the city treas
ury for frontage privileges. Eacf
owner of land before whose property
service mains are laid is required b,
law to pay 81 foot for piping. Thi
item would give the bureau a working
capital of about 500 600.