Putnam patriot., 1928-03-01
Outline Their Procedure and Conclusions Arrived At and
 Plans Submitted


 Co those who were not present to hear ! it read. It is as follows :-
 In 1916, the Board of Water Com missioners, made up of Messrs. flaw kins. Gilpatric and Smith. deemed 1t advisable and with the sanction of the | Common Council decided s0 have complete investigation made of the sys- ' tenn with the end in view that such ' Improvements as were necessary from time to time might be along a compre- hensiye plan and would be as perma- nent as possible. After complete and thorough investigation we determined to secure the services of Henry A. Simons, an hydraulic engineer whose standing. experience, and ability was recognized throughout New England, to make a study and lay out a compre- hensive plan of our present and usti- mate needs.
 His findings and recommendations were presented to the council, at that time headed by Mayor McGar'ry. by the Board of Water Commissioners. and were accepted by the council. From that time 10 the present each and every improvement that has been proposed by the board has been along the line of that study and has been step toward the completion of these or iginal recommendations As each need arose the board appeared before the council and recommended that the im- proyement be sanctioned, and each and every recommendation was sanctioned | The Richmond Hill site was secured in ! 1920 at the suggestion of City En- gineer Perry as the proper location i for storage reservoir whenever it ] might be built The l6-inch main was selected for size and located on the west side of the Little River, and the electrically driven centrifugal pumps were selected for size and efficiency to pump against the head to be obtained from the Richmond Hill location. Each ! time that the board appeared before ' the several councils from 1917 to 1926 to ask permission and authority for the installation of each improvement i the fact that the final step to complete the needs of the plant was the roser- voir on Richmond Hili was brought out.
 That Something Be Done
 At the se-called Foundry fire the lack af pressure brought g protest to AaE fRMHAI AANA MNktthANtstA N+ AHiAJ AN remedy the condition The matter was referred Co the board and we recom- mended the installation of a 2,000, GOO gallon concrete reservoir an the Rich. mond till location. which had been bought for that purpose several years previously. The estimated cost of this reservoir with the change in mains and allowing q liberal amount for eontin- Reneies and the possible advisahility of enlarging our filtration system. caused Us to ask for an appropriation of Sl50,000 or such part thereof as might be necessary Co complete the work Actual figures on cost were ap- proximately Sl25.000 for work finally contemplated This report was re- ferred by the council to special water committee for study and the recom- mendation made that this committee confer with the board to see if less costly installation would not answer the purpose. The first suggestion was that the present tank on Oak Hill be reinforced and it's life prolonged by an outlay Of about S9,0O0 as proposed by City Engineer Perry. This suggestion did not seem practical and the special committee secured the services of Mir. Palmer, an engineer of Norwich. Conn. Mir. Palmer in due time sub mitted plan calling for two steel tanks. one on Bates Hill and one on Oak Hill of a combined capacity of 2.0O0. 900 gallons and at a cost of Sio6.000. In analyzing these figures 1t was found that the price on tanks was fob. factory. with no allowance for freight, foundations. erection. or expenses of engineering or inspection. Were the probable cost of these items added to the Si06.000 the commission ers felt that the difference between the cost of a permanent concrete res ervoir and tanks was not enough to warrant the selection of the Palmer plan
 The Board of Water Commissioners then requested Smons Co submit al. ternate plan which would as nearly as possible fill the requirements and could be built at a substantially lessened cost. This second plan sub mitted by Simons called for 2 steel tanks, one on Richmond & one on Bates Hill of a combined capacity of 2,000,000 gallons and with estimated cost completed of St0O,000 This plan was submitted by the Board to the Committee and after discussion was apparently acceptable to them The l findings and recommendations of the water committee were presented to the council and as presented called for the | adoption of the Palmer plan There upon the Board of Commissioners pre- sented their resignagions to clear the way for the appointment of three new commissioners who might agree with ! Che recommendations of the special committee. a thing that we could not bring ourselves to do. The resigna- tions were not accepted nor did we withdraw them.
 To Arbitration
 At the solicitation of the committee We agreed to submit the Palmer plan and Slmons second plan Co a board of arbitration and be bound by the find ings of that board as to which plan should he selected and constructed. i The board was selected by the commit tee and approved by the commission CTS. The board of arbitration submit ted its report Co the council and same was accepted, but the resolution as 1 passed by the council and presented to the voters at the special city meeting called for only a part of that plan to ! be constructed, which would not at all meet the requirements of the Insurance