Report of the city of Somerville 1911, Part 31

Author: Somerville (Mass.)
Publication date: 1911
Publisher: Somerville, Mass.
Number of Pages: 546


USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Somerville > Report of the city of Somerville 1911 > Part 31


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Amount received from water service as-


sessments


$4,200 44


Amount received for labor and materials . 12,503 07


16,703 51


Total income of water works .


$243,257 75


This amount was used as follows :- For water works purposes :-


Water works maintenance $27,203 93


Water works extension .


10,739 45


Miscellaneous accounts


16,703 51


Interest on water loan bonds


1,980 00


Maturing water loan bonds


6,000 00


Metropolitan water works assessment .


115,094 29


$177,721 18


For other municipal purposes :-


Sewers, maintenance


$13,000 00


Fire department


50,000 00


Public Buildings department, maintenance of water buildings


806 33


Reduction of funded debt


1,730 24


.


65,536 57


$243,257 75


In addition to the appropriations from water income to other municipal purposes enumerated above, water has been furnished without charge to all the city departments that have


389


WATER DEPARTMENT.


required its use, and it is paid for out of the income from sale of water.


Department Receipts and Disbursements. WATER MAINTENANCE ACCOUNT.


DR.


CR.


Amount appropriated by board of aldermen from water income .


$25,000 00


Amount transferred from Water Works


6,000 00


Extension account Sundry accounts for labor and materials . Materials used in extension of the water works


12,472 62


Amount expended for labor and mate- rials for operation, maintenance, and renewal of the water works


$27,203 93


Amount expended for materials used in ex- tension of the water works


11,060 82


Miscellaneous accounts


12,472 62


Transferred to Water Works Extension account


3,239 45


Unexpended balance


·


556 62


$54,533 44


$54,533 44


WATER WORKS EXTENSION ACCOUNT.


DR.


CR.


Amount appropriated by board of aldermen from water income


$13,500 00


nance account


3,239 45


Receipts from water service assessments Receipts from waterpost services .


30 45


Amount expended for labor. and mate- rials used in extension of the water works


$10,739 45


Miscellaneous accounts


4,230 89


Amount transferred to Water Maintenance account


6,000 00


$20,970 34


$20,970 34


Cost of Water Works.


The total cost of the water works on December 31, 1910, as represented by the expenditures from appropria- tions for water works extension was


$933,818 89


Expended during the year 1911, on extension account 10,739 45


Total expenditures, December 31, 1911 $944,558 34


Water Debt.


Water loan bonds have been issued on funded debt account to the amount of $1,017,000 ; this has been reduced by $973,000, leaving the water debt on December 31, 1911, $44,000.


.


4,200 44


Amount transferred from Water Mainte-


11,000 82


390


ANNUAL REPORTS.


The outstanding bonds mature as follows :-


YEAR.


AMOUNT.


YEAR.


AMOUNT.


1912


$6,000


1917


$5,000


1913


6,000


1918


5,000


1914


6,000


1919


4,000


1915


5,000


1920


2,000


1916


5,000


Water Works Income from 1898 and its Distribution.


The water income and its distribution from 1898 to 1911, inclusive, is shown in the following table :-


Total water income, years 1898 to 1911, inclusive . $3,127,902 35 Distribution :-


Water Works Account.


Water Works Construction,


Renewal,


Maintenance and Operation


$754,511 09


Water Bonds


230,000 00


Interest


78,795 00


Metropolitan Water Assessments


.


1,087,625 26


$2,150,931 35


Other Municipal Accounts.


Construction


$117,035 65


Maintenance


147,450 00


Sewers


Bonds


72,000 00


Interest


.


58,792 00


( Assessments


31,000 00


$426,277 65


Fire Department, Maintenance


378,026 33


Health Department, Maintenance


7,500 00


Suppression of Moths


1,000 00


Reduction of Funded Debt


161,571 61


Public Buildings Department,


Maintenance Water


Buildings.


806 33


$3,127,902 35


Water Distribution. STREET MAINS.


As shown in the insert table accompanying this report, there has been laid during the year 6,409 feet of street mains. 179 feet of hydrant connections, 137 feet of blow-off pipes, and thirty-seven feet of waterpost services, a total of 6,762 feet. There has been removed or abandoned a total_of 2,924 feet, making a net increase of 3,838 feet in the pipe mileage of the city, which now reaches a total of approximately 95.83 miles.


The sizes and lengths of pipe laid and abandoned are as follows :--


1,789 08


Unappropriated Balances


391


WATER DEPARTMENT.


Size.


Feet Laid. Abandoned. Size.


Feet Laid. Abandoned.


2"


415


0


10


705


293


4"


90


219


12"


1,130


758


6"


2,153


405


16"


101


137


8"


1,248


230


20"


920


882


The heaviest pipe work of the season has been in connec- tion with the grade crossing elimination in Webster avenue. This work involved much study, and included the reconstruc- tion of the twenty-inch pipe line in Webster avenue and New- ton street east, and of smaller mains in Newton street west, Clark street, Concord avenue, Prospect street, Emerson street, Everett street, and Webster avenue. New mains were laid and portions of the old mains were raised to conform to the new grades established for these streets, and new service con- nections were laid to all the houses within the area affected by the changes of street grades.


The length of new main pipe laid in place of that which it was deemed inexpedient to raise on account of the cost and impairment of the service was as follows: Six-inch, 404 feet; ten-inch, 395 feet; twelve-inch, 1,130 feet; sixteen-inch, 101 feet ; twenty-inch, 920 feet; total, 2,950 feet. There were also laid sixty-six feet of hydrant branches and 137 feet of blow-off pipes.


The number of gates set in connection with this work was thirty-seven, and the number of hydrants nine; there were ten blow-offs installed. Eleven gates were removed or abandoned in their old locations, and seven hydrants were removed.


The number of house services laid on this work was forty- six, and contained 200 feet of five-eighths-inch, 1,494 feet of three-fourths-inch, 239 feet of one-inch, and sixty-three feet of two-inch pipe, a total of 1,996 feet. Five service pipes were per- manently discontinued on account of removal of the buildings.


All the pipes, gates, hydrants, and service stock were fur- nished by the water department, and were installed by our own employees without impairment of the fire or domestic service during the whole period covered by the extensive changes made in the streets.


The trench work and mason work were for the most part done by the general contractor for the grade-crossing changes. A bill has been rendered and paid covering the larger portion of the cost to the water department of this work, and the final settlement will be made when the work is fully completed.


Street mains have been laid in other parts of the city as needed to keep pace with land and building developments, principally in the following streets : Belmont square, Conwell avenue, Harold street, Hillsdale road, Kenneson road, Lowell circle, Line street, Waldo avenue, West Adams street, and Whitman street.


Mains have also been laid on account of needed service


392


ANNUAL REPORTS.


improvements in Kilby street, McGregor avenue, and Parker place. A connection was made with the Holland-street main for Buena Vista road, in anticipation of the permanent paving of Holland street.


Trench work, excavating, and backfilling for water pipes has been done by contract labor in the following streets :-


TRENCH WORK.


Street.


Feet of Trench.


Cu. Yards Rock.


Contractor.


Earth. Lin. Ft.


Rock. Cu. Yd.


Belmont Sq.


233


7


J. H. Fannon


.35


2.50


.425


Harold St. .


350


..


.25


..


99.05 87.50


.25


Line St.


426


..


.35


149.10


.35


W. Adams St.


735


41.8


66


.35


2.50


361.75


.492


Pipes and other stock required were furnished, and all the pipe laying was done by the water department.


Hydrants, Gates, etc.


Including the work in connection with the grade-crossing elimination at Webster avenue there have been thirty-six hy- drants set and nineteen removed, making a net increase of seventeen, and a total in the city service of 1,082.


One hydrant has been set in the yard of the water depart- ment; this, with the two in the highway department yard, adds three to the number classed as private hydrants, making the total number thus installed fifty-eight.


In all, there have been set during the year sixty-two gate valves and twelve have been removed, the net increase being fifty, and the number now in the distribution system 1,519.


A card system is being prepared, showing, in a form handy for reference and use, the locations of all the gates in the city.


Ten blow-offs have been installed and one waterpost set for street watering; the number of blow-offs in service is now 152, and the number of waterposts is eighty-three.


The drinking fountain has been removed from Lincoln park, as the construction of a recreation building there has made it no longer needed. On account of the removal of the reservation in Teele square and the large amount of railway traffic through the streets centring there, it was deemed ad- visable to remove the horse trough which has stood in that square for many years, and this was accomplished before the permanent paving was laid. The number of drinking foun- tains and troughs now in the city is six.


Water Services.


A considerable increase is shown in the number of new services installed, the number laid during the year being 235, a gain of sixty-three per cent. over the previous year. The com-


Total Cost of Average Cost per foot of Trench Work. Trench Work.


393


WATER DEPARTMENT.


bined length of the pipe laid in this service construction was 8,068 feet. The amount received in water service assessments during the year was $4,200.44.


The number of service connections permanently discon- tinued was twenty-seven, and the approximate length of ser- vice pipe abandoned was 600 feet.


The total length of service pipes in use in the city is ap- proximately 80.48 miles.


A two-inch fire pipe has been installed at the Central club building ; a four-inch fire and boiler service at the Clarendon- hill station of the Boston Elevated Railway Company, and an eight-inch fire and boiler service at the new power station of the North Packing and Provision Company, all at the expense of the applicants.


Water Meters.


The number of meters installed during the year on new services and on old services hitherto unmetered was 728, an increase of fifty-eight over the previous year; forty-two which had been removed for various causes were reset; fifty-four were removed on account of permanent or temporary discon- tinuance of use of water and for substitution of other meters. The net increase in number of operating meters was 716, making the total number of meters in service on December 31, 6,526, or about fifty-three per cent. of the number of service pipes in the city. The number of meters installed was 117 in excess of the actual requirements of the state law.


The kinds and sizes of all meters now installed are shown in the following table :-


OPERATING METERS DECEMBER 31, 1911.


KIND.


Total.


5/8"


1"


11%"


2"


3"


4"


6"


Nash


178


178


Empire


3


5


3


2


2


2


1


1


21


Gem


1


Hersey


3


1


1


2


7


Hersey Disc


257


23


3


1


4


1


1


Trident


·


398


44


19


6


5


1


473


Trident , Crest


2


3


1


6


Trident Comp.


Union .


16


13


8


1


5


43


Columbia .


·


581


581


Lambert


2,665


125


19


2,809


Worthington


1


1,940


Keystone .


2-


24


Totals .


6,192


227


58


13


21


7


6


2


, 6,526


Motor and ele- vator registers


7


6,533


-


2


2


4


Union Special


16


3


2


21


King


126


126


Disc .


1,939


3


Crown


5


1


288


Torrent


SIZE.


394


ANNUAL REPORTS.


The meters installed in 1911 were classed as follows :-


Applications of property owners .


265


New services


200


General installation


.


.


263


Reset


42


Total


770


Meters were removed for the following causes :-


Vacancies and temporary non-use of water 38


Services permanently discontinued 4


Replaced by other meters


12


Total 54


Under the provisions of the Metropolitan Water Act it is necessary that there be installed in this city at least 411 meters each year on services previously unmetered, and meters on all new services when they go into regular use. The number of meters set during the year in excess of the actual requirements of the state law was 117.


The following table gives a summary of the pipes and fix- tures of the water system December 31, 1911 :-


Summary of Pipes and Fixtures.


Feet of main pipe (approximately) . 505,989


Feet of service pipe (approximately)


. 424,954


Service connections (approximately) 12,357


Public fire hydrants


1,082


Private fire hydrants


58


Gates


1,519


Check valves


7


Meters


Motor registers


6,526 7


Waterposts


83


Blow-offs


152


Drinking fountains and troughs


6


.


MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION. Accounting.


The net receipts from water income for the last year were $226,554.24, the largest in the history of the department; of this amount $93,412.56 was derived from "annual" and "addi- tional" rates, and $133,141.68 from "metered" rates.


Bills on water service account to the amount of $4,200.44, and for pipe, materials, and labor furnished on the grade-cross- ing elimination work and for various and numerous other pur- poses to the amount of $12,503.07 have been rendered and been paid, in addition to the water income bills. It is esti- mated that 35,000 bills are now annually made and delivered by this department, and as each bill has to go through its indi- vidual and varied processes of record, the bookkeeping and


395


WATER DEPARTMENT.


accounting department has grown to be a very important branch of the water works.


The amount expended for labor and materials for opera- tion, maintenance, and renewal of the water works appears $2,801.77 greater than that of the previous year; this is ac- counted for by expenditures from the department appropria- tion for work done on the Webster-avenue crossing, which has not yet been paid for, but which amounts to a sufficient sum to eliminate this excess when the account is settled.


Street Mains.


The street mains have given us no trouble during the year, and the unusual statement may here be recorded that on our ninety-six miles of mains there have been no breaks or leaks discovered.


To show the varied work done by the department the following summary is given of the "maintenance" items turned in by the foremen :-


Main Gates.


One gate has been removed and replaced; ninety-four have been packed and oiled; three gate boxes have been re- placed; twelve have been reset; and twenty-two have been brought to the proper street grade.


Hydrants.


Ten hydrants have been replaced; twenty-two reset; twelve repaired ; 4,419 inspected; seventy-three hydrants · opened to blow off street mains.


Waterposts.


Turned on for use, eighty-two; turned off, eighty-two; repaired, sixty-seven.


Services.


Replaced services wholly or partly at owner's expense, sixty ; replaced at city's expense, forty-eight; repaired service leaks at owner's expense, twenty-six; repaired at city's ex- pense, 102; thawed services at owner's expense, eight; thawed at city's expense, two; cleaned services inside premises at owner's expense, 114; cleaned by wiring, thirty-two; cleaned at connection with main, 341; closed at main and abandoned, twenty-seven ; turned off for non-payment, seventy ; turned off for vacancy, seventy-five; turned on for occupancy, seventy- five; turned off and on for repairs, 209; new gates set on old services, seventeen ; cleaned out and reset service boxes, 159 ; raised service boxes to proper grade, 801; lowered boxes to proper grade, 5,048; located buried boxes, thirty-nine ; filled settled trenches, 460 ; unclassified, 641 ; total, 8.354 jobs.


396


ANNUAL REPORTS.


Meters


Meters replaced permanently, eleven; removed perma- nently, three; removed for non-payment, two; removed for testing at owner's expense, ten; removed for vacancy, twenty- six; removed for damages at owner's expense, twenty; re- moved for damages at city's expense, three; reset meters for occupancy, twenty-six; reset for convenience, fifteen; reset repaired meters, 235; repaired meters at owner's expense, thirty-one; repaired meters at city's expense, 204; minor re- pairs made to meters at premises, seventy-seven; set new tile boxes, twelve; changed from wooden to tile boxes, six; tile boxes removed, two; wooden boxes replaced, two; meters changed from inside to tile boxes, two; repaired meter box covers, twenty; set meter connections, twenty-nine; total, 781 jobs.


All meters found out of order during the year have been repaired in our department shop by our own workmen. The number covers about four per cent. of the entire meter installa- tion and the defects come under the following classifications: Broken disks, fifty; defective registers, sixteen; defective gear trains, thirty-five; freezing, forty-one; hot water, ten; dirt, sediment, and similar obstructions, thirty-seven; miscellane- ous defects in gears, spindles, screws, etc., inside the meters, seventy-three ; noisy meters, twelve; a total of 274.


Service Maintenance.


As the house service pipes increase in number and in age it is naturally to be expected that this branch of the distribu- tion system will demand a considerable share of our attention in the future for its proper maintenance and renewal. The requirements in this direction during the past year have, how- ever, greatly exceeded anything previously experienced ; the demands on our working force for the relief of services suffer- ing from "poor pressure" having at times been almost over- whelming. Practically all the cases have now been cared for, and it is hoped that our service maintenance division will be able to give prompt attention to all complaints that may here- after be entered.


It is a matter of much importance that the water services be thoroughly inspected, and renewed when desirable, in all streets that are to be permanently paved. The primary outlay for such work might be considerable, but ultimately it might prove an economic expenditure, as the cost of digging up and repairing such streets is considerable, and it would seem wise that an amount should be included in the department appro- priation to cover the cost of such work of that nature as may be anticipated at the beginning of the year. Should this not appear practicable at the time the yearly appropriations are


-


397


WATER DEPARTMENT.


fixed, then some arrangement for needed funds should be provided at the time the work is at hand.


Buildings and Grounds.


One of the crying needs of the department has been remedied during the year by the erection of a fence enclosing the yards of the water and highway departments, affording needed protection to the department property; another im- provement has been the relocation of the railroad siding, which now enters the yard enclosure, giving greater security to the consignments, better access to the freight cars, and increased facility for unloading. One-half the cost of the fence was paid from the water department appropriation, and the other half by the highway department.


A new fire hydrant has been installed in the water depart- ment yard for the better protection of the buildings.


It was found necessary to retube the boiler of the emergency pumping plant, which is used for heating the build- ings, and the expense of this work has been paid from the de- partment appropriation.


Minor repairs have been made to the buildings by the public buildings department, but there is need of a consider- able outlay to put and keep them in proper condition.


Department Efficiency.


While much credit is due to the department employees for their willingness to respond to calls for their services out of the regular working hours and for their constant devotion to. the interests of the city, there is little doubt but that the efh ciency of the department could be increased if one or two of the skilled men lived in proximity to the water works yard, so that their services with teams could be more quickly obtained in emergency cases. The difficulty of obtaining the men at long range in the night time has been manifest on several oc- casions, and some criticism has been made of a seeming delay in attending to night calls. With the skilled men, who are de- pended upon for emergency cases, living at a considerable dis- tance from headquarters, however, rapid service in the night cannot well be obtained.


To remedy this I recommend that a two-apartment dwell- ing house of pleasing architectural construction and with modern improvements be erected on the department grounds between the present buildings and Cedar street, to be occu- pied by suitable employees of the department who can be re- lied upon to respond quickly to calls made outside the regular hours of service, and who can also have oversight of the place during the period between working hours.


An extension of telephone service to the houses of several of our foremen would, no doubt, be helpful in obtaining


39S


ANNUAL REPORTS.


quicker service than at present, and I recommend that two such telephones be at once installed for use until other arrange- ments can be perfected.


Teaming Equipment.


Two of the horses employed in our teaming work have died during the year from old age and disease, and one has be- come a resident of Red Acre Farm in Stow, Mass., having become unfitted for further work on the city streets through a lameness. No new horses have been purchased, but the acquisition has been made of a gasoline motor truck, made by the International Harvester Company, which is doing effective work. We now have but four horses engaged in our depart- ment work, and it is hoped to gradually supplant these with motor equipment, as better results are obtained than with animal service.


Water Assessments and Consumption.


The annual assessments paid by this city as its propor- tionate part of the cost and operation of the metropolitan water works are given below :-


Year.


Sinking Fund.


Maintenance.


Interest.


Maturing Bonds.


Total.


1898


No division made


$14,250 19


1899


20,975 58


1900


66


66


28,689 24


1901


$12,491 73


$12,033 79


$32,291 24


56,816 76


1902


19,014 85


12,955 64


30,427 40


62,397 89


1903


15,748 56


12,763 10


48,776 77


77,288 43


1904


16,404 42


15,393 87


54,938 64


86,736 93


1905


21,358 11


13,666 71


55,535 91


90,560 73


1906


22,345 50


17,412 51


57,402 07


97,160 08


1907


25,365 30


18,880 01


62,089 30


106,334 61


1908


24,865 73


15,221 12


68,604 23


108,691 08


1909


24,812 23


21,220 56


66,540 41


112,573 20


1910


25,018 52


18,212 28


66,825 45


110,056 25


1911


25,424 55


19,573 82


69,849 26


$246 66


115,094 29


$1,087,625 26


There has been credited to the city by the commonwealth as its proportion of the amounts received from entrance fees, water supplied outside the district, and water furnished to water companies the sum of $9,056.10.


The daily consumption of water in Somerville, as recorded by the Venturi meters, operated by the metropolitan water works, is shown below by months for the year 1911 :-


Month.


Gallons.


Month.


Gallons.


January


6,220,900


July


6,176,900


February


6,391,200


August


5,870,300


March


6,080,300


September


5,608,000


April


5,920,400


October


5,510,100


May


6,165,800


November


5,317,800


June


6,858,400


December


5,428,400


399


WATER DEPARTMENT.


The total consumption for the year is 2,153,171,500 gallons, making an average daily consumption of 5,899,100 gallons.


The average daily quantity of water used in Somerville during 1911 was seventy-four gallons per inhabitant, a decrease of six gallons from the previous year's consumption; the aver- age for the entire district was 105 gallons daily per capita, a de- crease for the year of five gallons per capita.


The following table shows the daily per capita consump- tion of water in the cities and towns in the metropolitan water district for the year 1911, as registered by the metropolitan meters :-


City


Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May. June July. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Year


Boston


138 138 130 123 125 123 128 120 119 118 116 117 124


Somerville


79 81


77


75


78


77


78


74


70


69


67


68 74


Malden


40


40


39


41


46


43 49


83


81


79


76 73


67 64 66


84 45


43


50


Melrose


59


60


59


60


68


65


71


61


65


66 62


62


63


Revere


73


76


67


65


77


80


92


84


70


67


70


75


Watertown


72


63


64


66


73


68 82


127 44


94 36


36


39


38


45


45


56


Stoneham


103


100


94


71


77


85


70


69 64 81


60 75


60


56 62


71


Lexington


63


64


64


67


82


80 115


93


71


65


61


48 36


57 59


Metropolitan Dist .. 114 115 109 103 107 104 111 103 101 100


The district, in order of consumption, beginning with the lowest, stands as follows :-


Gallons.


Gallons.


City or Town.


Total per Day.


Per Capita


City or Town.


Total per Day.


Per Capita per Day.


1-Milton


317,700


39 10-Everett


2,557,800


73


2-Malden


1,971,300


43 11-Somerville


5,899,100


74


3-Medford


1,207,100


50 12-Revere


1,439,400


75


4-Winthrop


597,800


56 13-Lexington


352,900


77


5-Swampscott


427,700


59 14-Stoneham


573,300


78


6-Melrose


1,012,500


63 15-Chelsea


2,701,400


80


7-Nahant


152,000


65 16-Arlington


983,200


84


8-Watertown


889,200


67 17-Quincy


2,925,400


87


9-Belmont


415,500


71 18-Boston


85,571,500


124


82


77


74


81


74


69


92


86 45


76


87


Medford


52


51


50


51


57


54


60


51


45


77 62 85


63


61


59


67


Arlington


72


72


36


38


43


50


41


65


85


73


57


48


62


64


78


Belmont


54


58


61


89


86 128


85


Nahant


49


49


49


50


56


60


60


70


66


60


54


53 97 98 105


73


Quincy


79


79


78


77


92


94 107


95


44


44 43


43 43


Chelsea


87


90


85


79


73 80


Everett


81


83


74


71


74


70


69


84 39


Winthrop


49


49


46


50


58


61


67


84


Swampscott


55




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