The Washington herald., 1921-04-13
PROVIDENCE. r. l., BUILDING
WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM.

Providence, X. l., Is meeting sue
cessfully the problem of providing
it's citizens with a supply of pure
water which will keep pace with the
growth In population the munich
pality expects during the next half
century, Charles A. Knutton, men,
ber of the Providence Rotary Club
said the other day when seen here
at the Raleigh.
The project, which includes an
elaborate system of reservoir. dam
and spillway at Scituate, on the
north fork of Pawtuxet River, is
being undertaken at an a2proxi-
mate cost of $20.000,o00.
Beginning in April. 1915, con-
struction proceeded with speed and
persistence until in 1917 work was
suspended upon the entrance of the
United States into the war. Since
its resumption, following the armIs-
tfce, the work has gone on more
cautiously. Indeed, there is an oc-
casional cry OF graft" and now
and then a fight over appropriations,
knutton says. For. from an initial
estimate of $12,000.000, the probable
s20.000,000. But this sort of thing is
of American public works.
STORAGE RESERVOIR CAPACITY
OF $4,000, ,OOO,0 GALLONS.
The main feature Of the new SUD-
ply system will be a large storage
reservoir in Scituate, called the
Scituate Reservoir, formed by a
dam across the Pawtuxet River at
Kent. about two miles north OF
Hope. An aqueduct will be con-
structed from the dam to run al
most due east connecting with the
presetn distributing system of the
city at Sockanosset Hill. A filter
plant will be erected adjacent to
the aqueduct near the dam.
The reservoir will collect the run
on from drainage area of 92S
square miles. will have a storage
capacity of 36.90O.0OO.O 900 gallons
an area of $500 acres an average
depth Of thirty-two feet and a flow
line Of 2S4 feet above the mean high
water of Providence harbor.
This will furnish the city with at
least S5.0O0.000 gallons daily, which
is about four times the present con-
sumption. The main dam, 5000 feer
long. with a maximum height above
the rock of $50 feet, will be con-
structed mainly of earth. with a
cubic content of more than 2,500,-
600 cubic yards.
AQUEDUCT WILL BE
SEVEN MILES LONG.
The aqueduct will be seven miles
long. 3.34 miles being tunnel. l.57
miles masonry conduit in open cut
and 2.O9 miles metal pipe lines.
1t Is hoped to make the water
system pay for itself, Knutton says.
Mayor Joseph H. Gaines. of Provi-
dence, believes that there should
be no Increase in water rates, and
that the water system as in the past
should continue self-supporting.
Some engineers think the cost
will be less than 10000, 900, since
that figure was made when materi-
ais and labor were higher than they
probably will be during the entire
construction period.
An important item in the budget
has been the settlement made with
owners Of condemned land. In jan
uary the city had settled with the
owners of 10000 acres out of a total
of 1887 acres
An expensive feature of the prof.
ect is the new filtration plant and
the large dam and spillway across
the north branch of the Pawtuxet
River at Kent. These two projects
will consume several millions OF
dollars. The assessed value of land
with buildings and improvements
already acquired is more than ST.
100000. the property being distrib-
uted in the towns OF Scituate, Fos-
ter. Cranston and Johnston.
REPRESENTS HALF
CENTURY OF EFFORT.
Knutton declares that the presen,
undertaking is the elimination of
almost a half century Of effort on
the part of forward looking and
public-spirited citizens of Provi-
dence. The first puhlic-owned wa
ter system was inaugurated March
81. 1853, when the city council Gre
ated commission to look into the
City's water supply and to recon-
mend improvements.
Four times the recommendations
of the Water Supply Board were
submitted to the vote of the people
and three times the project was
turned down by the taxpayers-in
1853, in 1856, and in 1856. 1t was
not until 1868 that the plans for
the development of the Pawtuxet
River were approved. to be realized
in the next century.
knutton is one of the best boost
ers in the Providence Rotary Club
and was a visitor at local Rotary
headquarters. He will also be the
guest OF the Richmond and Peters
burg Rotarians while in Virginia
Providence Rotarians held their
annual Riddles fund" day at
Rhodes, in Providence. just before
Knutton left, when $4,000 was
raised. F. w. q.