The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1920-12-09
Municipal improvements of
- MinOt --


ed tank and reservoir. The original
system of watermains in the city was
designed on the basis Of the Mouse
river being the source of supply and
the use of the pumping station and
filtration plant constructed at the
time of the installation of the system
with the main supply main leading
from such pumping station and fill
tration plant to the elevated tank.
Upon changing the source of supply
this plan of mains did not fit in with
the new conditions. To meet the sit
uation, it was required to use as sup
ply mains the mains in the west sec
tion of the city designed to serve only
that district. Considerable friction
loss and additional cost of pumping
is necessitated on account Of pump
ing through these small mains and
the small capacity Of such mains rem
ders it impossible to deliver the sup
ply to the system at rate to equal
the capacity of both pumps. These
conditions call for the construction in
the near future of large supply main
from the location of the wells to the
business section and to the reinforced
OF the original system did not provide
for larger mains than six inch west of
Main street in the business section.
During the past year IL inch main
was constructed on Second Avenue and
Second Street Southwest, which will
provide the necessary supply for fire
protection in that section of the city
and which supply main will be later
connected to the main trunk line lead
ing from the wells to the reservoir.
The fire underwriters have their
engineers visit the city from time to
time and included in their work is
the testing of the pressure and flow
at different fire hydrants to check up
any weakness there might be as to the
distribution of the supply. They Wis
tied the city about month ago and
their tests showed that conditions in
this regard were satisfactory.
During the past year the reinforced
concrete reservoir at the location Of
the elevated tank has been completed.
The construction Of this reservoir, to-
gcther with the construction Of sup
ply main on Third street S. f. provides
for dividing the distribution system
into two zones Of pressure, all Of the
" being pumped into the new res
ervGr for distribution into the greater
part fof the city lying in the valley
and small part Of the water being
pumped from the reservoir by two
electrically driven centrifugal pumps,
float controlled, to the elevated tank
to supply the residences on the South
Hill. The construction of the reservoir
by providing for two zones Of pres
sure will effect a reduction of about
one-third the head against which it
will be required to pump and will eff
feet a corresponding saving in the
power for pumping. This new arrange
ment will considerably reduce the
pressure in the mains and plumbing
systems throughout the city, which
condition is very desirable. The res
ervoir has been in service and the two
zone system has been in operation the
greater part of the time during the
past two or three months.
Upon the first filing of the reser-
voir, considerable leakage took place
and it was thought desirable to take
measures to waterproof the structure
from the inside. 1t was found that
leakage was taking place through fine
cracks in the walls and floor, which
gradually opened up on filling of the
reservoir. 1t being impossible to COM
plete the supply mains and fill the
reservoir before cold weather, thus
making it necessary to have it remain
empty during the past winter, the
cracks were probably due to frost ac-
r%,.oo oh iv,1
age Of concrete. When the surface
had become dry, the cracks in the
walls and floor were cut out to depth