The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1922-03-20
WATERSHORTAGE
SITUATION UNDER
INVESTIGATION.
Commissioners Prepare State
ment for Voters Information
MORE PIPE LINE NEEDED
Community Owns Water Enough
But Unable to Supply 1t
to Consumers

wishes to have an adequate water
supply some action must be taken By
the voters 10 provide a way whereby
the present supply can be increased.
The Board OF Water Commissioners
has known for years that the time
was soon TO come when the Village
would demand more water than tsie
present system can deliver. With
this in mind, an, article was put into
the Warning Of the village meeting
in 1918 to bring the matter to the at.
tentlon OF the voters, but they, not
realizing the seriousness OF the situa.
ton, voted TO dismiss the article
without any discussion OF il. This
important question Will again be
brought before the voters at the com.
ing Village meeting and in order that
the situation may be thoroughly and
intelligently understood. the Board
OF Water Commissioners has pre-.
pared the following statement con.
corning the Water System.
During the past two years tic
whole water system has been inspect
ed by civil engineer, and great
part of II has been surveyed and
charted. These charts or maps are
in the office OF the Board OF Water
Commissioners. and the clerk OF the
Board will exhibit and explain them
to anyone who 80 desires.
Description Of the Water System
The Bennington Water System is
composed OF two separate and dis
Itinct systems.
The smaller one which gets its
water from the Holt Springs and
their reservoirs located just above the
Desert supplies the Holt farm,
Bradford Mill. IL houses on the
South end of Branch st.. and 20
houses on Beech street South o. the
North Adams trolley crossing.
Objections to the Holt Spring System
The objections or drawbacks to
this system are:
/. The so-called Holt farm, which
is now owned by John Rooney, has
first right TO the use OF the water
all water used IN residence and
barns must be furnished without
charge
2. The Bradford residence en- MAn
street, the Bradford MIL Eve houses
on Bradford Place, and three on
Gregg street have second rights 10
the use of the water without charge.
8. The residence on Frank Thomp-
son Estate has the free use OF the
water Tor household purposes,
4. The socalled Godfrey housg
has the free use OF all the water
that viii flow through IL inch pipe,
or approximately ] IL million gal.
Ions per annum.
The aforementioned places have
respectively tire first, second, third
and fourth rights 10 the water. AT
ter them come the Village rights,
The Village IS obliged to keep the
reservoirs and all pipes in repair.
and In good working order
The cost OF maintaining the Holt
System for the nine years that 1t has
been under the control OF the village
has been approximately $1,000; the
water rents for that time have been
$4,000. thus the annual net In.
come from the Holt Spring System
is so low that the System furnishes
no fire protection.
Main system
The larger or the main system
comprises the rest OF the village
water supply.
The NAN reservoir, situated on
the Burgess Road about mile east
Of the Village, holds approximately
Iii IA million gals. The Village, un.
der ordinary conditions, uses slightly
less than 100000 gallons of water
each "a hours, so that a full reser-
hvoir insures barely days supply,
Any unusual demand for water such
as large fire would in few hours
drain the reservoir unless the sup
iply pipes are in perfect order, and,
even with all supply pipes working
perfectly, there would no doubt be a
shortage OF water for several days.
1 There are two supply pipes that
'eliver water to the main reservoir
one a six inch pipe which conducts
water from the so.called Ryder
Spring and seven small springs on
Harmon Hill. The end or main sup.
ply pipe extends from the reservoir
4 l-3 miles along the side of the
mountain to what Is known as the
south End. where the waters OF
Lake Hancock are taken up From
the intake at the South End for d dis.
lance OF 1900 f. the size OF the pipe
is 8 inches, the remaining distance
$4,000 It. the pipe Is G ipohes. This
main pipe line for almost all its
length lies directly on the surface or
lonlv O few inches beneath the surface
OF the ground In one place it runs on
concrete piers above lie ground for
Ia distance of t25 rect. ra'
Opening into the main pipe are
several feed pipes which. carry water
from various springs In ascending
Ithe line from ne Reservoir, the first
at these feed pipes encountered Is
that from the Bradford Spring; the
end from Cold Spring; The 3rd from
Bus.lnell Spring; the 4th from Hath
away lower Spring; and the 9Th from
Hathaway upper Spring,
Ryder Spring Faults.
The pipe from Ryder Spring, If
flowing full, should be delivering to
the reservoir 1,00S.000 gallons every
"a hours. This condition does not ex.
list. for when the Spring is flowing It's
maximum the pipe is barely one.half
lfu,l, and at certain seasons of the
year the spring is almost dry, There
Is no way to increase the supply OF
water from this source, SO that the
Village can never expect more than
100000 gallons daily from the Ryder
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