New Britain herald., 1929-08-06
ROSSBERG FIGHTS
 HARTFORD SCHEME
 FOR WATER RIGHTS
(Continued From First Page)

1 kindly to surrendering all their rights in their own system without some voice in it's management. ]f both the cities in this proposed scheme could come to some equitable agreement by which both Hartford | and New Britain and even Meriden, Middletown. Southington and Bristol would have power in the same, it would certainly be more agreeable to New Britain than to have the same under complete control or authority of Hartford.
 | Apparently the fairest way a combined control of this kind would be a community proposition, in other words, towns to have equal repre- sentation.
 1 Have a joint board of water con- missioners say of six members or more having all this section of the state properly represented and ap- pointed by their respjective appoint ing powers.
 The same could elect their chairman, secretary, engineer, clerk, superintendents, assistants, etc. Economies by Cooperation
 If Hartford. New Britain and the other communities mentioned can get together and this metropolitan scheme relating 10 water supply is adopted, undoubtedly great econo- mics could be effected. for large reservoirs are under almost all con- ditions more efficient than small. for water impounded in large quantities naturally cost much less per unit. At hearing at the capitol last March before the cities and boroushs committee of the state legislature when Hartford asked for the right | 10 develop the east branch of the Pennington river one question asked | of MT. Saville. their chief engineer, was: What would be the cost of the proposed development?
 "Mr. Saville replied the total cost of this improvement complete would be about sS000o0O for impending the g, 1000, 0O0, 0,000,0o0 gallons. When this statement is compared with the report of Engineer Allan Hazen to the New Britain board of water commissioners of February 14 ! 1920, in which he states the cost of increasing the water supply of New Britaip 4,6o0,000.OoO would be s4,- 796,500 (though sS30.500 of this was to be used for flters) ii will be seen at once that advantage is with large concentrated supplies. By the state of Connecticut granting the water rights on the east branch of the Pennington river for domestic pur- poses to the city of Hartford it must be clearly understood that not only are they given the water rights to very large water shed Cover 60 square miles) and site for a twen- ty-three billion gallon reservoir in addition 10 their nine billion Nepaug reservoir and two billion store in West Hartford reservoirs, but they are given the key to a much larger system namely the West or main branch of the Pennington river. For two or three miles above Riverton on the main branch of the Farming ton river Tn the eastern part of the town of Colebrook (above the en- trance Of Winsted sewage) Is a place locally known as the Hogs Back. Here are condition where com- paratively inexpensive dam with the spillway elevation 900 or more rect and tunnel could be construct ed less than four miles from the pro- posed east branch reservoir and by such dam and tunnel the proposed east branch reservoir could be al ways kept full But not only are tho people of the city of New Britain ana Its suburbs namely Berlin. Ken slngton. East Berlin, Plainville. Elm and Maple Hill vitally interested in this proposed scheme but as I said before, Southington. Meriden. Mid dletown and Bristol ought to be and their attention should be called to the same while this proposition is being considered.
 Spillway Elevations
 Tn ms connection it might be of interest 10 mention that while the spltlWay of the Shuttle eMadow res- erNolr dam is at elevation 374 that iN'' Niii' VI ltStll ls5kP, Mfrl- dens Merimere and Middletown's s Hlgby reservoir are approximately at the same elevation as that if they were Tn connection with the Farm Iington river supplies, their local res- erVoirs could always be kept filled to the hrim. The Southington reservoirs are at somewhat higher elevation as also Bristols.
 For when we come to analyze the conditions Of the water supply ot New Britain and compare them with Hartford's it is at once aparent that they are glarnsly disprooportionate in Hartford's favor. If this right is given 10 Hartford they will have over 100 square miles of water shed or collecting area compared to ours of only 11.14 a. m. They will have nine times the water shed that New Brit ain has. We, much more than Hart ford, must be looking for supply a much larger collection area and if we can not come 10 an agreement with Hartford so as to have equal