Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1933-01-20
Seek To Stop
Bad Leaks At
Kerr St. Plant
Millions OF Gallons Escaping
Annually Due To Faulty
Construction IS Years Ago
City Council Orders Immediate
Repairs And Work Is Underway;
Mr.. Miler's Report Given In
Fall


Full
Acting upon the report of N
E. Miller, city engineer and waite
superintendent, the city council a
its last meeting ordered that tn
Kerr Street plant be repaired an
this work has already been starte
under the supervision of w. M
Franklin, a water expert of tn
state board.
In his report, Mr.. Miller pointe'
out that due to faulty construc
ton some IS years ago, water a
the rate of $1,000 gallons as
minimum and 100000 gallons a
maximum, has been escaping eacl
month caused by leaks THROUGH
rotten concrete and improper con
s~truction.
Mr.. Miller's report follows:
Pursuant to the instructions Of
Mr.. Warren G. Booker, DirectoI
of the North Carolina State Boare
of Health, the hydraulic valves Of
the filter beds have been repaired
and are working as perfectly a
could we'll be expected with a
wear of fifteen consecutive con-
tinuous years with a daily use Of
twenty-four hours.
The chlorinator and dry feed
machines have been ordered ano
are expected to be delivered any
day. We expect to install and
place in operation two of these
machines upon their arrival.
We have stopped all leaks in
filter bed number four and are
back filling all dirt removed, pre-
paratory to repairing fiber bed
number two. We Round these
two filters to have several very
bad leaks caused by very porous,
rotten concrete due to faulty con-
struction when built over ff-
teen years ago. We found con-
crete could be removed without
any tools;-simply by pulling out
concrete with our hands similar
to pulling stone from a pile af-
ter standing for years. These
leaks were mostly in the filter
trough, and were leaking at the
rate of $4,000 gallons per mon
tn. The above rate of leakage
was tested by piping into a vessel
of known capacity several times,
all of which gave the same results.
We have started excavation a
hound the reservoir, Or wells"
preparatory to placing the drain
and cinder bed requested by Mr..
Booker of the North Carolina
State Board of Health. We have
excavated a distance of about fifty
feet, to a depth of from four to
eight feet. Mr.. Richie has been
employed by the City Manager to
do all timbering and has guaran-
teed all timbers to hold for the
entire depth of the we'll, or II
feet deep. To go the entire deptl,
all round the well, will require
,ehe removal of approximately $50
cu. yds. of mud, and the replace
ing of 800 #. of pipe, and ap-
proximately $50 gu. yds. of stone,
cinders and sand, a brick manhole
consisting of about $500 brick, a
valve of some type, and other
materials, such as cement, pipe
plugs, etc.
In the ditch SO far dug, we
have found several bad holes of
very porous concrete, or honey
COMBS" some of which IRE more
than a foot across, with water
pouring cut of the we'll in stream
as large as a mans finger. The
honey-combed places in the wal
of the reservoir, OF we'll, have ex-
listed ever since the we'll was or
ig;nally built. Through thes;
holes so far exposed, water is pour
ing out at the rate of $1,000 gal.
lens per month with a one foo1
head pressure. When the we'll il
full of water, this leak increase
to approximately 21o,S00 gallon
per month. These leaks have beer
going on ever since November,
1917, the date the plant was pu'
into operation. There is no tell.
ing how many similar honey
combs we will find as we go down
ard around the we'll as directed
bv Mr.. Booker. All the water
thus wasting, not to mentor
thousands of gallons going dowr
the sewer pipe drain through 3
leaking valve under the bottom Of
the we'll, has been pumped from
the river and has been chemically
treated and purified. The allow
leaks, together with the enorm:
Gus leaks under the filter beds, il