USA > Massachusetts > Bristol County > Attleboro > Reports of town officers of the town of Attleborough 1933 > Part 16
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Considering the need for heating and operating a division shop and garage for twenty-four hours a day, three hundred and sixty-five days a year, the charges herein are truly at a positive minimum, all circumstances considered. Only by taking the fullest advanatge and study of the factors in the problem was this success obtained.
Our insurance of all kinds, compensation, contractors' liability, fire, etc., was taken care of. Even as the banker, the insurance companies carry an index to the efficiency of our operations in the rates granted to cover them. It should be recorded that the work of the division as marked by the underwriters in their rating is excellent and far ahead of several communities in the state. The general base rates in this type of insurance are advancing due to the circumstances which are putting so many green men into this kind of employment. Despite this base rate advance we continued to improve our standing.
Tax bills were paid as rendered, this amount and rates being entirely outside the control of this department.
The Incidentals account was extremely low.
The cost of operating our several machines in the water division, in spite of the fact an additional year in service was noted, held to very reasonable limits through the planned cooperation of the personnel.
Under our Main Line Maintenance account, hydrants were replaced and gates were cut in for their control at the corner of Bank and Peck Streets, and again at the corner of Fourth and County Streets, where the need for the re- placement was urgent and the control important.
On Robert Street, near Olive Street, it was necessary in order to put in a new drain crossing, to lower a 6" main.
Besides this work, our usual main line maintenance in taking care of leaks over the miles of pipe lines with the thousands of fixtures included therein was taken care of.
On the force main, between the standpipe and the South Attleboro station, brush was cut out and burned. On our main supply lines the large gates were cleaned and oiled, while at the standpipe gate-house, important valves were cleaned, greased and painted. The 8" pipe crossing over Thacher Street rail- road bridge was also cleaned and painted.
Considerable detail work was done in improving our hydrants which were subjected to severe inspection and tests.
Essential material to properly maintain the department was purchased and used to care for the multitude of details necessary to maintaining service from mains to meters.
On our flushing program the need for repairs on blow-offs was covered and cared for. Going into the cold weather several adjustments as needed were taken care of.
A considerable amount of extra work, of course, was made necessary for this division through the need for using the Wading River to increase our supply as the occasion demanded. It is reasonably expected that our people will ap- preciate the credit due the forces at our command for taking excellent care of their constantly growing water system, with the reduced funds available and the continuous failure of the Wading River well-field to produce a supply of good
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water sufficient to allow the effcient operation of even the smaller pump. The rate per well per minute is eloquent from this field, when matched against the State Department's idea as told to the writer for this type and kind of well. I believe Mr. J. J. Van Valkenburgh tacitly admits the error in his well rating when he so cleverly, and after the field was put in service by him, recommended addition- al public funds be spent for clearing the field, replacing dam, etc., (under the date of December 22, 1930 to Mayor Briggs). I have no idea Mayor Briggs had any information as to why these things were considered so important in December, or ly a few months after the field went into service, when we saw no such recom- mendation prior to the previous September, 1930, date when the engineer allowed the field to be pumped with the pumps he ordered installed.
Why did Mr. Van Valkenburgh, in face of these facts, write on December 12, 1930,-"The above completes the construction as far as the plans have con- templated to the present time, and when the bills as indicated above to F. A. Mazzur Co., B. F. Smith & Co., Munroe and Wescott and J. J. Van Valkenburgh have been approved and paid, there will be no further obligation or charges against the City of Attleboro for this work and construction"-and then on December 22, 1930, write-"Relative to improvements planned to be made on the City property at the Balcom Street Pumping Station the following recommenda- tions are made and estimates of the cost of constructing the proposed work are submitted, etc."-and lists recommendations to the extent of $43,890.00? Why the expensive improvements planned in the letter of December 22, 1930 to a project costing more than $369,878.60, from which the sum of $55,050.08 was paid to Mr. Van Valkenburgh, the engineer in charge of the work, when orly ten days before, on December 12, 1930, the same engineer had reported to the Mayor "The above completes the construction so far as the plans have contem- plated to the present time " ?? Why the great amount of talk about Wading River when tests made at the wells show unsatisfactory water? Can we forget that soon after the Wading River station is shut off people call the department and ask what has been done to make such a marvelous and immediate improvement in their water? Isn't this definite in placing the trouble and em- phasizirg the need for immediate remedies to insure our supply in quality and quantity?
MAIN LINE EXTENSION
Toward the end of the year there was worked, in conjunction with the East Street C. W. A. job, a dead end elimination in James Street slightly northerly from East Street, the specials, pipe and materials for a 6" line amounting in cost to $135.44. The pipe came from stock on hand. This water job may be con- sidered as a definite pernament improvement for the locality, not only in elimi- nating the dead end, but in improving the circulation for the gridiron.
Sixteen dollars and sixty cents ($16.60) took care of the supervisory labor required on this work, while the bulk of the labor was handled under the C. W.A., the East Street project making the work necessary. Benefits are valuable, yet unseen by most of our people.
On September 19, 1933, on the petition of Mrs. B. Belanger, the Municipal Council voted to extend a water main in Chester Street, a private way, to accom- modate a new house being constructed by the petitioner. This work was done during the middle of October and was reasonably priced, as far as unit costs go, the material charges approximating $168.90 and the City's labor charges being $48.36. Some of the work was performed by welfare labor.
On Martin Street, in response to a petition by Eugenie Lepage, a 6" water extension was authorized by the Municipal Council at a meeting held on April 10, 1933. A six-inch water main was laid for a distance approximating two hundred and thirteen linear feet, with necessary appurtenances and hydrant being set so that this line could be blown off and supply additional fire protection to the locality. The work on this water extension was carried out during the month of May, the material charges for same amounting to $299.02 and the City's labor
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charges amounting to $58.57. In addition, considerable labor from welfare help was utilized. It must be remembered that ground water made this a wet job and necessary material was in this case, due to the block development required, expensive, including not only pipe, lead, gates, etc., but hydrant branch, hydrant and appurtenances.
On North Avenue, in response to a petition from Alexina Killion, a 6" water extension was authorized to accommodate a new house being built on the easterly side of the street close to the North Attleboro bourdary line. This extension was voted by the Municipal Council at a meeting held on March 31, 1933. The excavation for this job was of a difficult nature including hard pan, clay and shale, and while the material charges amounted to $65.17, the City's labor amounted to $28.56. Welfare labor was used.
A fine improvement was developed with an appropriation of $5,800.00, voted by the Municipal Council under the date of December 11th to supply materials to carry to completion water service between the then-present southerly pipe end on Newport Avenue and the foot of the slope northerly from the rail- road close to the Rhode Island boundary line. This distance on Newport Avenue approximated 4,498 linear feet and with pipe line crossings already in, developed with fittings under the four-lane concrete highway, hydrants, gates, and other control features, ran into a sizeable piece of work which was put through as a C. W. A. project. This meant hand labor under winter conditions, necessitating expert supervision.
Nineteen hundred and eighty-four linear feet of centrifugal pipe in 16-foot lengths was supplied toward this work by the United States Government under the materials phase of the C. W. A. project and the work began on the basis of the supervision resting with the City, the labor payroll being supplied by the federal government. All material, other than that listed as federal, the City took care of besides maintaining the supervisory payroll, etc.
In conjunction with this work and included in the federal labor grant was an allowance for an 8" water extension on Ashton Road, eliminating a dead end just southerly from Lincoln Avenue, giving new supply and more adequate fire protection to the plat development in this locality.
A carload of pipe made up of 6" and 8" sizes was purchased late in the year to cover our main line maintenance and the extersiors noted, for the purpose of replacement of stock and to place us in a position to begin C. W. A. work without delay, upon the grant being completed.
Further details will be recorded in the 1934 report.
NEWPORT AVENUE WATER MAINS
Against this account, on a distribution of current charges required due to welfare labor, there was an expenditure noted in the amount of $14.21.
PUMPING STATION DIVISION
The initial figure of $17,452.86 voted in the budget for the current year for the Pumping Station account had to be amplified.
I have never been able to find out why there was no initial provision made for the overtime item for the engineers at the pumping-station. This is peculiar when we recognize the fact that their duties have expanded to the extent that, with the same force of engineers, most of the time, we now include, when necessary, running an additional station at the Wading River. There were times, at drough peak, when extra personnel had to be added at the Wading River to enlarge the number of hours of pumping per day.
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During the year 394,945,000 gallors of water were pumped at the South Attleboro Station, while at the Wadirg River 19,074,000 gallors were pumped. making a total pumpage for the year, from both stations, of 414,019,000 gallons, according to the records.
At ro time was the pumpirg rate at the Wadirg River station raised above 750,000 gallors per twerty-four hours. It mears the smaller pump or ly was used and on an irefficiert basis, for this type, at half capacity. This department has rever been satisfied, ard has so stated on several occasions before, with the results obtained from the Wadirg River station. For this plart a sober, scientific aralysis by competert authority will, I believe, record definitely the reasons for Mr. J. J. Van Valker burgh's failure to give the City that which it had a right to expect-plenty of good water. The respor sibility in design ard construction rests solely with him, as far as I am able to ascertain. Did the City pay him to buy pumps which do rot fit the supply he provided for them? The large pump canrot work at all from the present supply ard suit the state health authorities.
Years passed sirce 1924, when we needed more water in a dry season. Our South Attleboro Srow Pump, carryirg by far the heavy end of the burden of supplyirg the City with water sir ce the year 1914, failed us twice during the year 1933, so that extra morey had to be provided for repairs. Some incon- ver ience resulted to our people from the use of our Barr pump, built in 1899 and used at South Attleboro to relieve the Snow unit.
At the Wadirg River plart, lightring caused trouble at our switchboard ard started a fire which rot orly put the station out of commission electrically for a week or more, but caused us to accept a refurd of $143.79 from the insurance people which was paid to the Electric Shop, Inc., for putting the board and wiring back in shape. Our record indicates the storm as beirg on September 9, 1933. With the additional morey reeded for overtime of $115.83, two pump repair ir creases of $355.00 ard $!8.35 respectively, ard the extra amourt of $55.00 to keep our boilers rurrirg, in cor jur ction with the refurd of $143.79 mentioned, our total appropriation for the year for the Pumpirg-Station account amounted. to $18,220.83, out of which was exper ded $18,220.41.
The power cortract at the Wadirg River expired in September. This con- tract, approved by the previous city goverr mert, actirg I believe on the premise as supplied by the ergineer in charge of the work, Mr. J. J. Van Valkenburgh, that our 100 ard 200 H. P. motors would and could work, called for a minimum morthly paymert of $645.00 for 30,000 K. W. H. The total payment to the Town of Marsfeld on this cortract for the year was $6,067.00, which is $215.00 less than was billed ard which amour t is being held by the department perding further ir formation of the date of the expiration of the cortract. This date, as we read it, depends upon the date the current was turned on at the Wading River plart, which at the time was in charge of Mr. J. J. Van Valkenburgh. This departmert rever received from him a proper record covering this important date. It seems more than passirg strarge that the City's ergineer in charge of work should reglect to ir form this departmert concerring this important date, im mediately the power had been turred on. Thus opporturity could have been given us to mutually agree and understand the circumstances basically controlling the life of the contract.
Upon expiration of the contract, due notice having been given the Mayor's office in advar ce of ary poter tial date in September by this department, we were ir formed that for whatever purposes we needed power at the Wading River plar.t, following the cor tract expiration, we would pay the normal charges in force within the territory served by the Municipal Lighting plant in the Town of Mansfield. Such a power set-up, with the present hook-up, is not satis- factory. It is to be hoped that arrangements can be made which will cover for a term of years the cor ditiors we may reasonably expect at this station. Such control of arrangements is outside of the province of this department.
Numbers of our people fail to understand the necessity for water which they see in the locality of our South Attleboro station in Orr's Pond and over the
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natural filter area. It passes through the ground to the two large wells before it is available for use. Then it can be picked up by the South Attleboro pumping units and pumped through a 16-inch force main into the standpipe, which is recorded as one hundred feet high and fifty feet in diameter (rated capacity- 1,500,000 gallors). From here it passes through the distributary system and ser- vices to our people.
There seems to be difficulty in getting folks to understand that the arrange- ment used at South Attleboro for filtration is merely a hole dug out of natural ground, which was never corstructed with proper under-drains ard graded filtration material such as is used in modern plarts. The importance of the fact that this is a sir gle urit ard that all of the water has to be drained off all of it be- fore it can be cleaned is often overlooked. The average person reasonably fails to understand how this directly affects the rate of filtration and therefore the supply of filtered water available for the pumping units at this station. Our people should realize that out of this filtration area there is definitely a relatively large part of it which does not filter ard is impervious to water to such an extent that during the cleaning period puddles in this part of the bed must evaporate as they will not percolate and permit this portion of the surface to dry quickly.
With these facts in mind it should be stated that before the beds can be prepared for clearing, by runring all of the water off, it is necessary to have Orr's Pond corsiderably below the spillway elevation to get a reasonably good job of cleaning on the filter area. Otherwise, water from the pond would back up and make it impractical to get an adequate stream-cleaning through the bed. As it became a little higher it would over-spread low places on the bed.
When during the period of emergencies some few years ago, it was necessary to obtain additional filtration, and small emergency beds were corstructed, their elevation was controlled so they could be cleaned without the necessity of dropping Orr's Pond as much as was heretofore necessary. These auxiliary urits, of course, cannot handle the daily load but they have been of marvelous assistance since they were placed in building up the daily filtration while waiting for help from the Wading River project.
With the necessity then for Orr's Pond being lowered below the spillway the question arises at once as to the advisability of wasting water in storage at the pond. It must be well known that the pond water can be pumped back into the filter area and thus, after filtering through the ground, be used in our daily consumption, being pumped from the wells spoken of.
Practically since the arrival of the writer on this job a chlorinating plant has been recommended to be made available for the South Attleboro station for several sound reasons. It is my belief that when Dr. Hewitt became Health Officer he supported and assumed the burden for further recommendations for similar equipment. No provision has been made for it, as far as I know. The minute the hazard to the quantity of our water supply is removed, improvement in its quality should be brought about and arrangements made to irsure this improvement against all emergencies which might cause deterioration of the above- mentioned quality of the water.
Can anybody, realizing our daily range in sudden draught between 1,100,000 gallons and 1,800,000 gallors, doubt the responsibility resting on the shoulders of the person who would neglect just consideration of all of the facts before wasting any water from Orr's Pond, with the summer season and its uncertainties from a drought standpoint, before him? This type of decision is not made any simpler by the uncertainty connected with the transportation of water in storage at the Hoppin Hill reservoir about 11,800 feet distant from the South Attleboro station, through an open channel with losses through seepage, evaporation, and ice-pond, etc., all outside our control, to consider. In these modern times such conditions as outlined should be controlled. Financing the work requires study but action is needed without undue delay.
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SEWERS-MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION
The figure in the sewer budget for the year 1933 started out to be $2,000.00 for the maintenance ard operation of the sewer beds and $200.00 for the repair and care of our sewer system. Added to this amount, refunds in the amount of $27.47 for insurance, plus a $ .12 refund, brought the amount available to $2,227.59.
On June 27, 1933, acting on the urgent recommendation of this depart- ment, the sum of $1,000.00 was made available for this account. This permitted the first sizeable work attempted at the disposal plart since its construction, this on the basis of the labor being supplied by the Welfare Department and the truck-drivers, supervisors, rolling-stock and equipment being furnished by the Public Works Department.
No provision was made by the City Government, in spite of the size of the task beir g urdertaken, to cover the normal overhaul ard carrying charges of the truck equipment used in the very severe service necessary in carrying out the reconditioning of ten of the twenty-six sewer filter beds.
Despite the fact that our system has been in use since 1914- growing annually until at the present time there are 2,040 buildings entering this gravity system through 1,828 connections, ard despite the fact that our city government has been informed of the need for improving and extendirg the sewer beds, also despite the fact that our costs are far below other systems in the State, and in view of the goverrmer tal disregard of providing proper funds to be expended in keeping the system performing efficiently ard expar dirg to meet growing needs, this department faced the urwholesome and difficult task of operating the system through the year, always with a smiling front. This though we had full know- ledge of the facts which indicated a physical impossibility in carryirg on this work would soon be with us, due to lack of funds for the improvements needed yet sacrificed for an economy weighted by the powerful grip depression has on the tax-payer's purse.
For the information of our citizens I quote from the fourth paragraph in our letter of recommendation for additional funds under the date of June 20, 1933- "In 1915, when the beds were practically new and the number of connections was slightly in excess of one-half the presert number ard the prices on labor and materials were pre-war, the sum of $2,875.00 was appropriated for Sewer Main- tenance. In 1916, with similar ultra-favorable cor ditions, $2,800.00 was ap- propriated. In 1933, $2,200.00 has been allotted this department to accomplish a super-task which the city government has permitted to build up to its present size. Our workers at the beds have been doing excellently in handling thousands of yards of material, etc."
The reconditioning work should be amplified and extended completely over the other sixteen beds. The extersions recommended in years past for the filtra- tion area should be made without delay. Settling tanks, which have been spoken of but plans for which our ergineer, Mr. Mawney, advises are not available on our sewer records here, should be constructed. It must of necessity be noted here that in the severe type of labor, under the exacting conditions of summer heat present on sewer bed work performed by welfare help, a victory can be scored for the department. We had nothing to do with picking out the help assigned to us for this work. Age, physical condition and experience, things which should be definitely considered for labor of this kind, were ignored as the help was assigned to us from the Welfare Department. The number of hours they were supposed to work and the number of hours they did work were entirely outside of our control, while the number of men appearing at the sewer beds daily was unknown until after the time for reporting arrived.
The isolation of the sewer beds location makes it doubly difficult to operate with men who have no carfare money or transportation and who come from different localities in the City. To theorize on what can be done with the help
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from welfare lists is one thing-and when well fed and seated comfortably in convenient quarters, this theorizing in conversation requires but little physical strain, and urless backed by experience, almost no mental strain. The welfare almoner, the welfare help and the Public Works Department personnel got the job as laid out completed, despite the difficulties present in obtaining this objec- tive, and we sincerely hope arrangements can be made to carry on the improvement with federal aid, on a payroll basis, rather than with welfare pink slips for food and clothing.
We are in full possession of the facts on both sides of the welfare question and would rot pass the opportunity of requesting that you match current stories of the "professional beat" against the heroic suffering of some of the workers who reported at the sewer beds on an intensely hot day and carried on the tasks assigned to them.
Our engineer records 372,404,500 gallons of sewerage as passing through our trunk line into the disposal plant during the year 1933 and, as we have said before, a gross overload has been measured against current good practice particularly when, by corstant usage and no expenditure for reconditioning, the beds were allowed to be hampered in their filtering qualities.
The initial allotment in the work-sheet of the budget of $200.00 for repair and care of sewers is, on the face of things, quite absurd, and would not pay for the hose which is really essential to carry out in a first-class manner the normal flushing and clearing up of dead ends and blockades.
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