, 1935-09-08
CITY'S WATER,
POWER PLANT
IS we'd
$4,000 Program Puts
Municipal Units In
Position To Serve
For Many Years

Water soon will flow through the
intakes and electricity will travel
along the wires in the rebuilt and
Improved water and power systems
winch are to serve this city.
A $4,000 program which viii
give Brownsville q water system
adequate 10 supply the city's needs
for years and an electrical general.
ing and distributing system meet.
ing al the city's demands for the
near future are rapidly nearing
completion.
The program was financed through
o loan and grant by the Public
Works Administration secured oy
Q bond issue voted by the people OF
Brownsville.
Part OF the work is repair work.
on. much OF II Is expansion and new
construction to take care OF the
needs OF the city for the immediate
future.
at present a new pumping plant
h being built at the Rio Grande,
with three intake pipes and three
pumps. These will be i2-inch. is.
inch and 20-inch, respectively. any
one Of which viii be large enough
% supply the normal needs OF the
city
The pumps are electrically oper-
stec and the entire plant and three
pumps occupy only a fraction OF
the space Of the one oil engine
formerly used.
From the pumps to a large new
wann~xs0f~ kafN- kasf1k raaT thn urafar
filtration plant extends a concrete
lined canal, which replaces the 10
inch intake pipe formerly used.
The canal Is built on a fairly high
bark thrown UP for the purpose.
Although the old settling basin
viii be used, the new one will handle
rnost OF the water for the city's
use. water going from this basin
through the filtration plant. chlor.
inatlon plant and other plants OF
the Brownsville system. which Is
one OF the most modern and ef-
ficient IN the State.
Considerable repair work Is being
done at the power and water plants,
SINE OF this being repair OF dam
age done bv the hurricane OF 1888.
A new roof has been put on the
power plant. along with smoke
stacks and other repairs and I'm
provementS.
A pump house has been built u
the EiKhteenth Street resaca. with
an electrically operated pump there.
Water can be pumped out OF the
rrnsaca through a large concrete
pipe to the river. During times when
the city desires TO let water into
the resaca the process can be re-
serSed. and water run back from
the river.
The city resaca Is TO be used as q
drainage system. as well as In a
Identification and park program.
Storm sewers will empty into the
resaca and the pump az the Eight
eenth street dam will take the
water out. SO that during periods OF
a~hnorTnally heavy rains II viii be
possible TO keen the city drained
wien the new utility Is IN use.
Al this work Is being done under
contracts awarded bv the CITY and
the PWA, with Dodds g. Wedegart.
ner OF San Benito, the Vallev Gun
mite Company Of San Benito and
= A&AAMG&4 aAAA 0A
Germs doing the work.
Meantime the city Is carrying out
ar extensive program OF rebuilding
tts electrical distribution system un-
der the direction OF D. .. Gates,
city electrician. employing labor on
force an force account. Materials
we're purchased at the time con-
tracts were let on the other work.
A loop high line is being built
a.cUnd the city. ore line starts aL
the plant and goes northeast, cir
eng Los Ebaros Estates. Another
line goes southeast through the In
GUstrial district and on through the
business district. The line will prob
ahly be extended on 70 the Browns
vile port.
Sixty-foot poles are being used
20 carry the ii.000-volt wires.
al. the old posts. many OF which
were damaged by the hurricane are
being replaced.
The system Is being r~e-arranged
fn many respects for safety ana
ect nomv. BrownSvilie's streets iiEht-
ing system Is being rebuilt while
this work Is being done, a large
TART OF the citv having been IN
darkness since the hurricane.
With the loop system completed
the city will be able TO furnish SER
vi.e to practically all parts OF the
CITY in spite OF any breakdown
a'cng the line. At present a break
rea the plant viii throw the city
without power.
When this work Is completed.
brownsville viii have a water plant
CAPABLE OF supplying a population
o. 10000. according 10 Henry Eirod,
engineer on the work. It's power
and light needs will have been met
ard its DRAINAGE problems solved
20 n large extent.
The CITY has under consideration
nov plans fo- a new sanitary sew
e-sge system. including disposal
pant. which N NAV take up With
Che PwA IN the lear future.
The Grand Couiee Dam In Wash