USA > Massachusetts > Bristol County > Attleboro > Reports of town officers of the town of Attleborough 1908-09 > Part 22
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201
ANNUAL REPORT
than three inches occurred and the need of this emer- gency supply was passed for the present season.
No better illustration of the ability of the Seven Mile River to supply the town, provided sufficient water can be stored to tide over the extreme dry season, can be found than in the effect of this single rain fall in re- plenishing the ground water and filling up Orr's Pond.
We have described in detail the experience of the past summer in order to illustrate the neccessity of providing works for additional supply without delay. In anticipa- tion of such improvement we have had our engineer make surveys and studies looking toward the further development of the present source. Incidentally he has in a general way, considered the possibilities of other supplies and his findings are submitted in a report hereto appended. We have no hesitation in recording our em- phatic belief that the present source is of such proved high quality and, by the provision of storage reservoirs, at a reasonable cost, can be made capable of supplying such an amount of water that its abandonment is not worthy of consideration. With a large amount of money spent for land and water rights, a well developed system for the interception of the ground water, low lift pumps and a percolating area for the utilization of Orr's Pond, a pumping station, equipped with ample boiler capacity and two pumps, duplicate force mains and a standpipe fortunately located between the source and the town and the greater part of this equipment new and of effective value only in connection with the present supply and therefore to be practically thrown away if the pres- ent source were abandoned, the obvious future course to be followed would seem to be the further development of the preent source by the provision of storage reser- voirs to hold the surplus flow in the wet months and make up deficiencies in the dry months. How this can be done and at what cost is shown in the appended re-
202
ANNUAL REPORT
port of the engineer. With his conclusions we agree and we accordingly recommend that the reservor on the branch brook be constructed, at an estimated cost of eighty-three thousand dollars ($83,000.00) and, in order that this work may be undertaken as soon as the ap- proval of the State Board of Health is obtained, that an appropriation therefor be made by the town.
During the year the Deane pump has been overhauled and new valves placed in the Barr pump. The efficiency of the pumping apparatus has been reduced by the low water in the wells with the consequent necessity of run- ning below the nominal rate. The standpipe continues in satisfactory condition without any outlay for its maintenance.
We again desire to call your attention to the fire serv- ice rendered by the water system and to the injustice of compelling the consumers to pay for this service irres- spective of the value of the property owned and pro- tected. Very evidently the amount of water used does not reasonably express the benefit received in fire protection, for at present a large plant with many thousands of dol- lars is safeguarded through hydrants and sprinkler piping, with an infinitesimal use of water, for perhaps less money than a boarding house with a few thousand dollars. This is unfair and the only equitable assess- ment for such benefits is on the basis of a hydrant rental paid by the town to the Water Department. This direct tax would apportion a part of the water levy upon the property owners in direct proportion to the value of the property safeguarded from fire, and this would effect a reduction in the water rates.
Following will be found the comparative table and a statement of the estimated income and expenditures :
ANNUAL REPORT
Comparative Table.
Year
Miles of Pipe
in Use
Main Pipe Extended
Income
Appropriation
Amount Put in
Sinking Fund
Interest Account
Bonded Debt
1898 30.28 mi. 2,466 ft. $16,394.18 $7, 100.00 $4, 650.00 $12, 060.00 $278,000.00
1899 20.63 mi.
1,845 ft.
19,968.89
7,100.00
4,650.00
12,582.50
293,000.00
1900 31.63 mi.
5,287 ft.
21,424.41|
6,100.00
5,000.00
13,183.44
305,000.00
1901 33.18 mi.
8,229 ft.
27,325.34
5,000.00
5,000.00
13,192.50 217,000.00
1902 39.00 mi. 30,729 ft.
27,539.14
5,000.00
5,200.00
14,120.00
327,000.00
1903 43.60 mi. 24,299 ft.
29,876.22
4,000.00
5,200.00
13,845.00
357,000.00
1904 44.80 mi. 6,428 ft.
31,524.30
3,000.00
5,500.00
13,645.00
337,000.CO
1905 49.30 mi. 24,002 ft.
33,342.34
2,000.00
6,000.00
15,036.61
487,000.CO
1906 51.20 mi. 10,199 ft.
42,668.71
1,000.00
6,500.00
18,295.00
487,000.00
1907 52.10 mi. 5,209 ft.
39,360.68
1,000.00
7,000.00
18,695.78
487,000.00
1908 54.10 mi. 10,562 ft.
45,893.67
3,000.00 10,000.00
19,530.06
537,000.00
1909 56.46 mi. 12,442 ft.
42,055.27
6,200.00 10,000.00
20,595.00
552,000.00
ESTIMATED RECEIPTS AND EXPENDITURES FOR THE COMING YEAR.
Receipts.
From water rates $43,000.00
Appropriated by town
6,000.00
$49,000.00
Expenses.
Pumping expenses $ 4,400.00
Repairs, incidentals, salaries, etc. 13,145.00
Interest account
21,455.00
Sinking Fund
10,000.00
Respectfully submitted, $49,000.00
DAVID E. MAKEPEACE, WM. M. STONE. KARL H. HYDE.
Water Commissioners.
204
ANNUAL REPORT
REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT
To the Honorable Board of Water Commissioners :
Gentlemen-Complying with the town ordinances, I hereby respectfully submit to you the Superintendent's seventeenth annual report for the year 1909.
Distribution System.
There have been 21 extensions of main pipe laid during the year, amounting to 12,442 feet or 2.36 miles, making a total of 56.46 of m'ain water pipe. While the number of extensions have been less this year than last, the total number of feet has been larger.
In making these extensions, seven were laid under guarantee, and in all other cases the income derived would exceed the 5 per cent., thereby giving the depart- ment a profit.
The most important extensions were as follows :
Highland avenue, South Attleboro, a distance of 4,172 feet of six-inch pipe; Tiffany street, 2,107 feet of six-inch pipe; Lamb street, the extension to the new Frank Mossberg Co. shop, 804 feet of eight-inch pipe; and Thirteenth street, 656 feet of six-inch pipe.
There were guarantees given for extensions on Rob- inson avenue and Adamsdale Road which cannot be laid until next year. There is no doubt that during the coming year there will be many requests for extensions, as there are a number of new plats laid out, especially in the south part of the town, which is rapidly growing. While it is impossible to estimate the number of exten- sions to be called for, it is reasonable to suppose, based on the demand for the last few years, that there will be as many in the coming year. .
It would be a great help to the department if those intending to ask for extensions would make application
205
ANNUAL REPORT
as early as possible, that the work might be completed before cold weather.
Services.
Total number of services in use 2,234, including 136 new services this year.
Three old services have been replaced with cement- lined pipe.
Amount of service pipe laid as follows :
1,826 feet from main to service box.
6,593 feet from service box to cellar.
601 feet sold to plumbers and others for inside use. Total service pipe laid, 8,419 feet or 1.6 miles.
Amount paid construction account for services laid $980.98
Value of materials used in services and credited
to maintenance account. 867.98
Hydrants. $113.00
Twenty new hydrants have been added, making a total of 420 public hydrants.
Three old hydrants were replaced with new ones One private hydrant was added, making the total num- ber of private hydrants eighteen.
All hydrants have been inspected and flushed and all dead ends are flushed during the summer months and a record of the same kept. A number of old hydrants will have to be replaced with new ones the coming year.
Leaks.
Total number of leaks, 50. Of these 23 are on serv- ices, 10 on hydrants, 7 on gates and Io on mains. With 56.46 miles of main pipe, 420 hydrants and 2,236 services it shows the system to be in excellent condition.
206
ANNUAL REPORT
Gate Valves.
Total number of new gates, 33; new gate boxes in- stalled, 47. A large number of service and gate boxes have been brought to grade from different causes, more especially from frost and wearing down of sidewalks where there is no curbing. It would be of great advan- tage to the department if the public would notify the superintendent of any service or gate boxes which are projecting above grade and are dangerous to travel.
Meters.
Meters owned by town .2,050
Meters owned by private parties 196
Total number of meters in use 2,246
New meters set. 145
Meters repaired at work shop. 443
Meters sent to factory 27
Meters cleaned 38
Meters changed
Meters frozen
470
14
Total cost of repairs on meters, $1,072.38.
Private Fire Connection.
Two sprinkling connections have been added to the system, making a total of 35 now in use.
Pumping Station.
Both the Barr and Deane pumps have been thoroughly overhauled and put in first class condition. The Barr pump is the more economical to operate: therefore, the Deane is kept as an emergency pump. While using the Deane pump. during the repairs on the Barr, we found it to be in a very poor condition from the fact that no general repairs have been made on it since it was in- stalled nearly seventeen years ago.
207
ANNUAL REPORT
The interior of the station has been painted and well cared for during the year.
The grounds around the station have been graded, drained and put in a very presentable condition. There has been considerable expense involved in doing this work on account of the change of street line and grade, making it necessary to put in three catch basins and drains to carry the water from the station to the river. The general appearance about the station has been greatly improved.
GEORGE H. SNELL, Superintendent.
EXTENSION OF MAIN PIPE. Table, Showing Kind, Size and Length of Pipe Laid on the Several Streets.
Cast Iron Pipe
Cement Lined Pipe
Streets
8 in. 6 in.
2 in.
1} in. 1} in.
Carpenter.
189
Dorchester
298
Dunhanı.
50
Gardner
29
Holden
320
Howard Avenue.
64
Highland Avenue ..
4172
121
Jefferson.
84
Lamb.
804
14
Martin .
210
Purchase
61
Prairie.
381
Pine Road.
1407
Palmı ..
309
School .
35
Solomon.
394
Sycamore.
485
Thirteenth.
656
129
Tiffany.
2107
Totals
804
7479
3604
382
173
12,442 ft.
John
123
Pembroke
208
Synopsis of Pumping Records for the Year Ending December 31, 1909.
1909
Total Pumping
Time per Month
Average Pumping.
Total Coal Used
AverageCoal Used
Total Gallons of
Water Pumped
AverageGallonsof
Water Pumped
per Day
Hrs.
Min.
Hrs.
Min.
Pounds
Pounds
Gallons
Gallons
January. ..
228
35
7
22
91,988
2,967
24,089,800
777,090
February.
199
30
08
88,210
3,150
19,928, 248
711,723
March ·
194
35
6
17
74,345
2,398
22,366,800
721,510
April .. .
202
00
6
44
78,938
2,631
22,066,856
735,562
May ..
228
20
7
22
90,853
2,931
24,751,988
798,451
June
240
35
8
01
87,380
2,913
27,333,440
911,115
270
02
8
43
96,845
3,124
28,274,232
912,072
July. ..
236
25
38
79,422
2,562
26,192,200
844,910
August .
251
00
8
22
83,925
2,797
27,586,320
901,954
September .
314
50
10
08
106,190
3,426
32,668, 240
1,053,814
October. ..
298
00
9
36
92,328
3,074
23,210,904
773,697
December . ..
224
10
7
15
94,215
2,394
23,143, 440
746,561
Totals for year. ..
2,888
42
1,044,639*
301,612, 468
Daily average for year . .
7
55
2,862
826,336
.
.
.
*Does not include coal used for low lift pump, amounting to 62,200 lbs. Average duty for year, including banking (coal used for low lift pump deducted) .... 63, 430,000 ft. 1bs. Average duty for year (on basis of coal used during actual run). ... . . .... 71,020,000 ft. 1bs.
ANNUAL REPORT
MONTH
Time per Day
per Month
per Day
per Month
7
November
Water Analysis-Attleborough. Commonwealth of Massachusetts, State Board of Health-(Parts in 100,000.)
1909
DATE OF
APPEARANCE
AMMONIA
NITROGEN AS
-
76485
Feb. 3
Feb. 4
None
None
.01
4.50
.0002
·0036
.52
·0120
.0000
2.2
.0110
77363
Apr. 7
Apr. 8
None
None
·08
4.00
.0004
.0044
.47
·0080
.0000
1.7
.0080
78339
June 10
June 10
Slight
v. Slight
.11
5.10
.0002
.0048
.45
·0100
·0000
-
2.0
·0100
79540
Aug. 4
Aug. 5
None
v. Slight
.02
4.90
·0004
·0026
.41
·0180
.0001
2.0
·0040
81125
Oct. 6
Oct. 11
None
None
.01
5.00
.0006
.0036
.41
.0070
.0000
-
1.8
.0130
Average .
04
4.70
·0003
.0038
.45
·0110
.0000
-
1.9
·0092
-
-
ANNUAL REPORT
Iron
No.
Collection
Examination
Turbidity
Sediment
Color
Residue on
Evaporation
Free
Albu- mi- noid
Chloride
Ni- trates
Ni- trites
Oxygen
Consumed
Hardness
209
. 210
ANNUAL REPORT
REPORT OF F. A. BARBOUR
To the Water Commissioners of the Town of Attleboro Attleboro, Mass. :
Gentlemen-In accordance with your instructions I beg to submit the results of an investigation made to de- termine the best means of increasing the capacity of your present water supply.
The past two years have made records in the run-off of many watersheds hitherto unprecedented, in point of dryness, in the history of stream flow measurements. Estimated capacities of supplies, based on minimum records obtained through a long series of preceding years, must consequently be revised, and improvements, rec- ognized as necessary at some future date, have become matters of present requirement.
In the 1907 report the inadequacy of the supply, as then developed, and the necessity of providing additional storage from which water might be drawn during periods of minimum run-off, was indicated. In this report the use of the water in Orr's Pond and the construction of a percolating area adjacent to the wells for the purifica- tion of this water, was recommended. This work was begun in 1907 and finished in the spring of the following year and, to the additional supply thus made available, is to be credited the fact that the town was furnished with water, sufficient for its needs and in every way satisfactory in quality, during the abnormal minimum period of 1908 and 1909. In the latter year forty million (40,000,000) gallons of water were drawn from Orr's Pond at a cost of about one hundred and thirty dollars ($130.00) for fuel and a total cost, including interest and depreciation, of less than five hundred dollars ($500.00). In other words, in this extreme year forty million (40,000,000) gallons of stored water were made available
211
ANNUAL REPORT
at a yearly expense which, at four (4) per cent., is equivalent to a first expenditure of about twelve thou- sand dollars ($12,000.00), or less than one-half (1/2) of what the same amount of storage could be developed by the construction of new reservoirs higher up on the watershed.
In the report made to your Board in 1907 reference was also made to the possibility of providing additional storage by the construction of a reservoir in the valley of the Seven Mile River, a short distance above the pumping station, and by other reservoirs farther up- stream. Before considering, in detail, the effect of this development of surface reservoirs on the capacity of the present source it may be well to inquire whether this is the only possible method by which the present supply can be increased. Underground storage made available by additional wells is the only alternative, but it does not appear that, at any place on the watershed, there is a possibility of storing and withdrawing at the desired time, the amount of water necessary to balance the sea- sonal variation in run-off. For a supply of one million, seven hundred thousand (1,700,000) gallons per day and an assumed possible lowering of the water table of ten feet, the area of the underground storage reservoir re- quired would be six million (6,000,000) square feet or, obviously, more than can be obtained by any system of wells in the vicinity of Orr's Pond. Additional infiltra- tion is not a factor as the water of this pond has already been made a part of the system by the construction of the percolating area. For the daily draft, estimated as obtainable from the Seven Mile River by the construc- tion of surface reservoirs, sub-surface storage equivalent to the lowering of the ground water ten (10) feet over an area of more than a square mile would be required- a condition hardly possible of realization and one which could only be proved by prolonged investigation and
212
ANNUAL REPORT
pump tests in periods of minimum run-off. It may be reasonably concluded that the provision of storage by surface reservoirs is the most logical method of increas- ing the present supply.
The watershed of the Seven Mile River above Orr's Pond has an area of eight and five-hundredths (8.05) square miles. The average run-off, based on records of the Sudbury River extending over thirty-five years, is about eight million (8,000,000) gallons per day ; the run- off of the dryest six months of the average year about three million, five hundred thousand (3,500,000) gallons per day ; the run-off of the dryest month in an average year about one million, five hundred thousand (1,500,000) gallons per day, or sufficient, as will be seen later, for the anticipated needs of Attleboro until 1925. A rain fall of one (I) inch on this watershed, with twenty-five (25) per cent. collected, will furnish a supply of one mil- lion, one hundred and fifty thousand (1,150,000) gallons per day for thirty days and in actual experience the rain fall of three and two-tenths (3.2) inches in November at once brought back to normal the supply which previously was at its most depleted condition following the extreme dryness of the several preceding months. In short the watershed is large enough to supply a population four to five times that now found in Attleboro-if reservors to hold some of the surplus water in the spring months and which may be drawn on during the period of mini- mum run-off-are provided. It will be shown later that storage sufficient to guarantee a daily draft of more than four million (4,000,000) gallons can be developed at a reasonable cost, or an amount which, when compared with the future requirements of the town, as estimated in the following table, at once indicates that the supply obtainable from the Seven Mile River is ample to justify the further development of this source.
213
ANNUAL REPORT
TABLE NO. I.
Table Showing Estimated Future Population of Attle- boro, Per Capita Consumption and Total Gallons Required.
YEAR
Estimated Population
Gallons Per Capita
Total Daily Consumption
1915
22,000
45
990,000
1920
26,500
46
1,219,000
1925
31,500
47
1,480,000
1930
37,000
48
1,776,000
1935
43,000
49
2,107,000
1940
50,000
50
2,500,000
In using this estimated future consumption as a basis for the determination of the storage necessary to pro- vide the town with the required amount of water during the period of minimum run-off, the variation in the monthly consumption must be taken into account. During the time, when the supply must be obtained, in great part, from stored water, the consumption is above the average and an analysis of the records since 1889 shows this excess, during the six months beginning July first, to be seven (7) per cent. above the normal for the year. In the statements to be subsequently made in this report as to the time that a given storage is capable of supplying the demand, this increased summer con- sumption has been given due consideration.
In estimating the capacity of sources of supply of which measurements extending over a period sufficiently long to develop minimum conditions are not available, it is necessary to base conclusions on recorded gaugings of other watersheds and, since the rain fall, topography
214
ANNUAL REPORT
and character of the soil-the determining conditions in periodic run-off-vary in different areas it is obviously necessary, as a basis of estimation, to choose the records of that watershed which apparently most nearly agree with such measurements as have been made of the watershed immediately in question. In Massachusetts, measurements of the Sudbury River have been taken since 1875, of the Cochituate since 1862 and of the Nashua since 1897. The results vary largely: those on the Sudbury being the smallest and an estimate based on these records being, therefore, the most conservative. On the Seven Mile River measurements of the run-off for a long series of years are not available, but since 1907 the daily draft has so nearly approached the capacity of the supply, under present conditions, as to provide a reasonably accurate expression of the run-off in the critical months of minimum flow and, allowing for the draft from underground storage and for the amount drawn from Orr's Pond, it is found that in 1908-09 the run-off from the Seven Mile River closely checks that recorded from the Sudbury River in the corresponding months. It is also of interest to note that in point of rain fall the Sudbury and Attleboro records since 1896 to the present time differ but one and one-tenth (I.I) per cent .- either on the basis of annual total or on the pre- cipitation in the dryest six months of the year. It is ap- parently therefore safe to conclude, without further analysis of the relative effect of the several conditions determining seasonal stream flow, that the Sudbury records will indicate with reasonable accuracy, the amount of water per square mile of contributing area which can be obtained from the Seven Mile River by the intercepting works already constructed.
In determining the possible daily supply which may be obtained from any source by a certain storage devel. opment the probable minimum run-offs for different
215
ANNUAL REPORT
periods-as indicated by the past record of stream flow in the watershed adopted as a criterion of local conditions -is the factor of greatest importance. It would seem that in a record extending over many years the probable minimum would have been developed but it remained for the last two years to demonstrate that run-offs much lower than had been recorded in the previous thirty- three years were possible. To indicate how far the 1908 and 1909 measurements on the Sudbury River are below any previously made the following table is presented.
TABLE NO. 2.
Table Showing Minimum Flows for Different Periods Per Square Mile of Land as Recorded on Sudbury River, Previous to 1908 and as Recorded Up to January, 1910.
Gallons per square mile of land surface, as shown
Period
By records previous to 1908
By records including 1908-09
Dryest month
53,000
25,000
Two dryest consecutive months .. 95,000
33,000
Three dryest consecutive months. . 104,000 67,000
Four dryest consecutive months. . 121,000 63,000
Five dryest consecutive months . . 138,000
59,000
Six dryest consecutive months. . . 154,000
79,000
Seven dryest consecutive months. 166,000
I20,000
Eight dryest consecutive' months. 189,000
155,000
Nine dryest consecutive months. . 232,000
232,000
As a matter of further general interest and be- cause of its convenience in estimating the storage nec- essary to develop certain daily drafts, the following table is inserted.
TABLE NO. 3.
Daily Volume in Gallons per Square Mile of Land Surface
Available storage required in gallons per square mile of land surface to prevent a deficiency in season of greatest drought when the daily consumption is as indicated in the first column, with the following percentages of water surfaces
0 Per Cent.
3 Per Cent.
6 Per Cent.
10 Per Cent.
25 Per Cent.
Stearn's* Table
As Required by Present Records
Stearn's Table
As Required by Present Records
Stearn's Table
AS Required by Present Records
Stearn's T'ables
As Required by Present Records
Stearn's Table
As Required by Present Records
100,000.
556,000
6,300,000
3,000,000
10,000,000
8,800,000
13,700,000
150,000.
3,400,000
13,900.000
7,100,000
17,600,000
13,400,000
21,300,000
200,000
9,400,000
22,100,000
11,700,000
25,300,000
18,000,000
29,000,000
250,000.
19,000,000
31,200,000
22,200,000
33,700,000
25,400,000
37,000,000
.
300,000
29,800,000
40,400,000
33,000,000
42,800,000
36,100,000
47,700,000
400.000.
52,000,000
60,300,000
54,400,000
64,500,000
57,500,000
69,200,000
500,000.
76,500,000
84,500 000
77,300,000
89,000,000
80,300,000
93,400,000
600,000 ...
102,000,000
109,000,000
104,600,000
113,500,000
107,100,000
117,900,000
112,800,000
112,800,000
700,000
144,000,000
144,000,000
153,000,000
153,000,000
161,600,000
161,600,000
170,700,000)
170,700,000
215,900,000
215,900,00 0
800,000.
202 300,000
202,300 000
210,900,000
210,900,000
219,500,000
219,500,000
228,600,000
228,600,000
2.3,800,000
273,800,000
900,000
346,200,000
346,200,000
349,200,000
349,200,000
352,200,000
352,200,000
353,900,000
353,900,000
381,600,000
381,600,000
1,000,000.
514,600,000
514,600,000
516,700,000
516,700,000
519,700,000
519,700,000
523,600,000
523,600,000
532.200,000
532,200,000
* NOTE-Figures prepared by F. P. Stearn Chief Engineer State Board of Health, in 1890, on records available at that time.
216
ANNUAL REPORT
217
ANNUAL REPORT
Obviously, from the preceding table a marked revision of the daily drafts obtainable from a watershed by the development of a certain amount of storage, estimated on the records available up to 1908, has been made neces- sary by the experience of the past two years.
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