Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1920-09-23

with an average of 24,083, 0S3 per
month over the year, or an average
daily consumption of S02,769 gallons,
which represents an average of BOZ
gallons pumped per minute, or about
two-thirds the amount of water which
we're able to get from the wells. The
largest daily pumping was June %
when 1,045,000 gallons of water was
much of which was used for
flushing sewers. The demand on
some occasions is in excess of 1000
gallon per minute. or perhaps 90 per
cent i'm excess of the amount avail
able from the wells, but the total
used over a twenty-four hour per-
iod would be but about so per cent of
the amount that we can get from
the wells in the same period.
To use the present wells, il will
be necessary to install an elevated
tank Of at least 100000 gallons, but
would recommend 10000 gallons
capacity, mounted on a lao fl. tow
er. giving minimum pressure of go
b. and maximum pressure of ~ ID.
This waite rtank would float on the
system and supply any water re
quiTed in excess of that being
pumped and would also absorb all
water pumped in excess of the
amount being used which would be
during the night when consumption
is small, and have in storage a large
volume Of water TO carry over short
periods of shutdown, necessary for
repairs, and it might also be posi-
BILE to entirely shut down the pumps
for part of the night if the tank was
pumped full thus making some saw
ing in the fuel or current used. This
would take care of the domestic con-
sumption in very good shape but not
give us ample supply to take care of
large fires without resorting to the
river for water, and TO eliminate
this, and have nothing but we'll wat
er in the mains, it would also be
necessary to install large reservoir
of 100000 gallons capacity which
would be filled with we'll wa
ter from the overflow in the ele-
waited tank, and would be the SURPLUS
water pumped over and above the
consumption, or could be filled direct
from the pumps after the elevated
tank was filled. The water in this
reservoir would be used for fire pro-
lection, and to eliminate the neces-
sity Of resorting to the river for a
large volume of water in case Of a
large fire of long duration.
There should also be installed in
the present water works a duplex or
triple plunger pump to be used for
pumping the water from the wells.
This pump is much superior to the
centrifugal pump for lifting water
from wells, in that it is almost auto
matte in printing and getting the air
out of the pipes. whereas with a cen
trifugal pump with long lift. a
small air leak entirely puts the pump
out of commission until ii is primed
again.
The plunger pump also has a much
better characteristic in that it abb
serbs power in closer relation to the
amount of water being pumped.
whereas with the centrifugal pump
in the size we are now operating, be-
ing 1000 gallons per minute, the first
500 gallons takes "a II. p. and the
next 500 takes but ls II. p. This
shows that it is impractical TO use
the centrifugal pump on partial loads
because il takes an excessive amount
of power to keep up the speed Of the
pump, and maintain the pressure
even though a small amount of water
is being delivered.
1t is also possible to make the OPP
Grafton Of the plunger practically au-
tomato, for when using electric cur
rent for power there can be float
operated electric switch installed i'm
the elevated tank, and when the wa
ter has been used down to certain
predetermined level, the pump will
be started from the float switch, and
will continue to pump until the tank
is full, and the float switch would
stop the pump, these operations be-
ing entirely automatic, and not re-
quiring the attendance of an operat-
or, and might work out with good
results during the night.
Regarding the wells and the
amount Of water available at the
present time, there are fourteen
wells. and all, with the possible ex-
ception Of two. are drawing water
from the same strata, which puts
each well within the circle of influ-
ence Of other wells, the result being
that but part Of the wells spaced
over the entire area, would give the
same amount of water. This will
make IL possible to take one Of the
present wells that now has water
flowing up around the outside Of the
casing, remove the screen and put in
a line of 8 inch pipe, and drill down