USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Swampscott > Town annual report of Swampscott 1912 > Part 8
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The surface of the swamp is at an elevation of about high tide and was probably many years ago a salt marsh and the brook now draining it is what remains of a tidal creek.
Present Condition of the Brooks. Stacey's Brook.
Stacey's Brook and its tributaries are in the most unsatisfactory condition, as is evidenced by the numerous complaints that are. lodged against them. The cause and extent of this unsatisfactory condition has not heretofore been well understood or realized by the citizens of the Town, even by those who have been the greatest sufferers because of these conditions.
The bottom of the culvert which conveys Stacey's Brook under the parkway and into the beach is built at such an elevation as not to promptly drain the water from the brook, allowing it to stand practically stagnant, except at times of heavy rain, when the brook becomes literally an open sewer, frequently overflowing its banks, and depositing the vilest of filth upon the contiguous low areas. Further, the outfall is choked with sand, and is badly out of repair.
This overflowing of the brook is not due to the tide, as is quite generally supposed, but to the action of the City of Lynn in diverting the flow of that portion of Stacey's Brook north of the Boston & Maine Railroad into the sewers of the City of Lynn, and then discharging the surplus flow of its sewers into the old chan- nel of the brook and upon the territory of the Town of Swamp- scott, so that with nearly every rain, instead of the water which would have flowed to Swampscott territory as clear brook water if the City of Lynn had not turned it into its sewers, there is dis-
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charged into the open channel of the brook and upon the territory of the Town of Swampscott, large quantities of sewage, some of it flowing to sea in the open channel of the brook, or over- flowing the banks of the brook, causing the complaints of dam- ages usually attributed to tidewater, and leaving with its sub- sidence foul deposits which are certainly offensive and possibly dangerous to the health of the community. Further, as will be more fully described later, a portion of this overflow sewage of Lynn finds its way into the sewers of the Town of Swampscott, through the outlet of the underdrains, and then flows into our sewers to our pumping station from which it must be pumped to sea at the expense of the Town.
King Brook.
King Brook, between Stacey's Brook and the Boston & Maine Railroad, would be in good condition were it not for the back water from the Lynn sewage.
North of the railroad to a point about midway between Essex avenue and Essex street the brook has been covered. The com- mittee understand that this covering of the brook has been brought about by the independent action of the several owners of the property through which the brook flows. This has resulted in a conduit of varying capacity which has been demon- strated to be too small to promptly carry the natural flow of the brook in times of heavy rains.
Above Essex street the principal trouble with the brook is that incident to the fact that it flows through the property of many owners and each has treated the brook as he has seen fit upon his particular property. The result of this lack of con- certed action has been that many proprietors have been subjected to damage through the no doubt well intended but unwise action of other proprietors.
The drainage conditions of King Brook through its whole course are not such as a town of the standing of Swampscott should encourage, and are likely at any time to become a menace from a sanitary point of view.
As has been stated, the condition over a portion of the brook is due to the acts of the City of Lynn, but over the rest of the course is due to the ill-judged independent action of the abutting proprietors.
Mudge Brook.
Mudge Brook, between the point where it empties into Stacey's Brook and Burrill street, would be in good condition if
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it were not for the large flow of sewage discharged by the City of Lynn into Stacey's Brook. This large flow at times raises the water in the brook several feet above the normal height, causing damage to property on the rise and leaving offensive deposits when the flow subsides.
These sudden and extreme rises of Mudge Brook along this part of the course have generally been attributed to the tide, but the bed of this brook is well above any possible tidal influence and the trouble is caused by the large and sudden flood of sewage discharged into Stacey's Brook by the Lynn sewers.
From Burrill street to a point east of Ellis road the brook is in anything but a satisfactory condition. Along this part of its course it flows across the premises of a large number of different owners, each of whom either gives the brook such attention as he sees fit, or often no attention at all.
Over this part of its course the brook is uncovered for some portion of the way, and covered in other portions, and at least one building has been built over it.
A part of the way it flows, when it flows at all, in a covered conduit, built, your committee is informed, by the town. The town endeavors at a considerable expense to keep this conduit in condition to carry the flow of the brook, but the fact that the town does not attempt to exercise any control over the treatment of that part of the brook situated above and below the short section of conduit, the efforts of the town to keep this section in good condition is practically time and money thrown away, because the brook above the conduit is in no condition to properly bring water to this conduit, and the condition of the brook below the conduit is such that it could not properly or effectively carry the water away from the conduit, if it came to it.
The condition of the uncovered portions of this brook on this part of its course is similar to the conditions usually found where the course of an open brook passes through thickly settled communities, except in those cases where the municipality takes charge of the brook and brings about some uniform and effectual treatment.
The brook from near, and east of, Ellis road to Banks road has been filled up and the water, which would otherwise flow in the brook, now flows at times through a sixteen-inch pipe. The pipe receives the street drainage of the highlands in the vicinity of Banks road, is badly clogged and overloaded every considerable rain, and cannot carry both the flow of the brook and the street drainage, with the result that adjacent property is flooded.
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Between Banks road and the Marblehead branch of the Boston & Maine railroad, the brook has been placed in a covered con- duit of size sufficient to carry the flow, but as the conduit dis- charges into the pipe just described, the effect is so that its size only serves to make a reservoir instead of a conduit.
East of the railroad the watershed of the brook has been practically cleared of forest growth and buildings are rapidly going up with the consequent grading of grounds, all of which tends to bring storm water to the brook very rapidly.
When the Commonwealth built the state road through this valley the large swamp in which Mudge Brook had its source was drained. This swamp equalized the flow of the brook, but now, water falling on this area or draining to it from the sur- rounding hillsides, flows to the brook almost at once, so that now the water which falls on any of the watershed of the brook east of the railroad, reaches the brook in a very short time. This rapid run-off of the rainfall will tend to increase with further building up of this portion of the town.
The water which runs to the brook so rapidly is prevented from flowing away because of the filling up of the bed of the brook west of the railroad, and the result is that the lowland immediately east of the railroad has been converted into a marsh, furnishing an ideal place for the breeding of the mosquito, an insect which all recognize as a pest, but which science has within the last few years demonstrated to be a disease carrier.
As for the brook which formerly crossed Essex street east of Burrill street, and emptied into Mudge Brook, it has largely disappeared from view, and the principal visible evidences that it once existed are the periodic complaints which are made when storm water, which should have flowed quickly away through the brook, floods property adjacent to its former location.
Hawthorne Brook.
This brook is still largely in its natural condition, and what- ever changes have been made are, generally speaking, in the nature of improvement. Where the brook does not flow through farming or grass land it flows through estates where it has been made use of as a landscape feature, and confined within a channel usually of ample capacity and at the present time well kept.
There are only two troublesome features at present connected with the brook, and both of these are primarily due to the same cause, and that is, the improvement of the upper area of the
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watershed so that the flow to the brook of storm water and sur- face drainage is very rapid, the result being that areas contiguous to the brook along its lower course are at times flooded instead of being drained. It is also a difficult and expensive matter to maintain a proper outlet across the beach so that this water may at all times flow to sea promptly. This outlet of the brook the Town has recently reconstructed, but it will be but a short time before the work must be done over again and a much more expensive structure built if the drainage of this area is to con- tinue to flow into the sea at this point under conditions which will be satisfactory to the property owners on the lower course of the brook.
Regarding the Brook which Flows Across the Southeast End of Blaney Beach.
This brook drains the large swamp between Humphrey and Orient streets, near the New Ocean House, and discharges its flow into the sea through a wooden box outfall near the south end of Blaney Beach. The bottom of this outfall being nearly at the same elevation as the general surface of the swamp which the brook is supposed to drain the drainage of the swamp is very imperfect.
On the whole, taking into account the location of this swamp, its extent and capacity to serve as a breeding ground for mosqui- toes, the drainage conditions prevailing here should be improved without delay.
Nature and Extent of the Responsibility of the Town for the Brooks and Their Condition.
So far as your Committee has been able to determine the Town has not initiated or carried on any operations with respect to the several brooks which renders the Town legally responsible to any person, firm or corporation for the present condition of the brooks.
It appears that the physical changes which have been brought about along the course of the brooks or in their beds, which have resulted in or contributed to their present unsatisfactory condi- tion, have in general been the result of acts initiated and carried out by others, and with the exception of the conditions due to the practice of the City of Lynn in discharging sewage into Stacey's Brook, these acts were of such a nature that the Town could have foreseen no moral necessity of preventing them under its general police powers for the protection of the public health or the public necessity or convenience.
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As to the practise of the City of Lynn in converting Stacey's Brook where it flows through the Town into an open sewer, damages which may have resulted to persons or property because of the unnatural and manifestly improper use of the brook as a sewer, or by the bringing to it of sudden floods of sewage, the volume of which greatly exceeds any natural flow in the brook, the City of Lynn is undoubtedly legally responsible, and the only legal responsibility of the Town in this matter, if any, would be because of negligence in failing to take action to pre- vent these manifestly improper and perhaps illegal acts of the City of Lynn.
It appears to your Committee from the investigation which it has so far been able to make, that the Town has done nothing to bring about the present unsatisfactory condition of the brooks for which it could be held legally responsible, and up to the present time, and with the possible exception of failure to take action to prevent the City of Lynn from using Stacey's Brook as a sewer, the Town appears to have left undone nothing which it could have been expected to do from a standpoint of a proper regard for its just obligations to all its citizens.
Nature and Extent of Legal and Moral Responsibility of the Town with Respect to Bringing About an Improvement in Existing Conditions.
As to the duty of the Town in the matter of effecting an improvement in the conditions, it would seem that there could be but one view of the case, and that is, that it is the duty of the Town to improve existing conditions. It is the duty of the Town because of its obligation to protect the lives, the health and prosperity of its individual citizens in all reasonable ways. Moreover, it is the duty of the Town to improve these con- ditions, because the prosperity of the Town, taken as a whole, is threatened by their continuance.
Swampscott is essentially a high class residential community, and a resort for those who can and do pay for beautiful and healthful surroundings. With the magnificent natural advantages possessed by the Town, it cannot afford to permit an open sewer to flow through its territory. The Town cannot afford to allow conditions to exist which periodically cause the flooding of her streets and the property of her citizens. The Town cannot afford to continue in existence the few unsightly and disease- breeding swampy areas which disfigure some of the otherwise most beautiful sections of the Town.
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The only resource the Town has whereby to give its citizens the up-to-date municipal conveniences which are recognized as necessities, is the taxable value of the real property within the Town, and the taxable value of the personal property which the Town is fortunate to have located within its limits.
Swampscott without a public water supply, without sewers, without good roads, without parks, without police or fire pro- tection might be just as beautiful and just as healthful, and, some might claim, just as desirable a place of residence, but as a prac- tical matter, every voter in the Town knows that the value of real estate in the Town would then be but a fraction of its present value while the value of the personal property within the Town would be small ; first, because the class of people who possess personal property would not locate in the Town, and, second, because the tax rate would be so high as to probably drive away whatever personal property is taxable here now.
Up to the present time the attitude of the Town toward its natural channels of drainage has been largely that of three hun- dred years ago. The brooks then, as now, belonged to the indivi- duals through whose property they happened to flow, and the Town as such had no interest in the conditions in which they were maintained, or in the manner in which they discharged their functions.
These were matters entirely of interest to the individual pro- prietors ; if one proprietor obstructed the flow, at times, and at other times caused excessive volumes of water to rush down upon the lands of other proprietors, he was liable to those proprietors who were damaged, but the Town as a whole took no interest in the matter.
This individual responsibility for the natural lines of drainage exists to-day in a strict legal sense, but it has come to be recog- nized that in thickly settled communities, individual responsibility is no sufficient safeguard for the health, comfort and prosperity of a community, and it has come to be recognized that the city or town must supplement individual management and control by public management and control so far as may be necessary to safe- guard the common necessity, convenience and prosperity.
Therefore, it appears to your Committee that the responsibility of the Town for a continuance of the present very unsatisfactory conditions prevailing with respect to the natural drainage chan- nels is a very real and positive responsibility, the neglect of which, while it may not render the Town liable to lawsuits for damages, nevertheless will jeopardize the health, comfort and
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prosperity of the inhabitants, and must ultimately and very seri- ously affect the prosperity of the Town as a municipality.
Future Policy of the Town.
Recognizing the moral responsibility which rests upon the Town in this matter, the Committee has labored to carry out the most arduous duty imposed upon it by the voters of the Town, namely, to report upon a policy which the Town should adopt and follow in the future with respect to the natural drainage channels.
While the Committee has not had time or the money at its disposal to complete the investigation necessary to be made before the Town can definitely determine upon a policy, never- theless the Committee believes that it has progressed far enough with its investigations to indicate in a general way what the complete investigation will conclusively demonstrate should be the policy of the Town.
In considering this problem of properly caring for the surface drainage and relieving present unsatisfactory conditions, it has been kept in mind that the most desirable solution was one which would satisfactorily care for the surface drainage at a minimum of expense at the present time, and which would prove least expensive during a term of years. In this view of the goal it is evident that the first step to be considered is to what extent the capacity of the present drainage works of the Town could be effectively utilized, if at all. The Town, having already expended large sums of money in constructing main sewers and main drains, the first consideration of economy demands that these costly works should be utilized to their full capacity and in the most efficient and economical way, before the Town should spend any money for like costly underground construction, when such expenditure might only suffice to duplicate in whole or in part the present costly works.
Present Main Drainage Works of the Town.
In 1902 and 1903 the Town began and completed a sewerage and drainage system with the purpose, as was understood at the time, of caring for the sewage and underground drainage of the drainage area of Stacey's and tributary brooks which lay within the limits of the Town. Sewage alone was supposed to be conveyed by underground pipes to a receiving basin and pump- ing station located on Humphrey street, while the ground water was supposed to be collected by an independent system of under-
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ground pipes laid along side of or under the pipes carrying the domestic waste or sewage, which second set of pipes was planned to discharge the ground water collected by them into Stacey's Brook at New Ocean street and into King Brook at the corner of Essex avenue and Columbia street.
All the sewage which flows through the pipes to the pumping station first flows into the receiving basin, the bottom of which is about fifteen feet below the bottom of the sewer, and is then pumped out and forced by the pumps over a rise of ground about twenty feet above the bottom of the receiving basin from which point it flows by gravity to the sea, through a pipe laid for a distance of about three-quarters of a mile on the bottom of the sea to an outlet in deep water near the outer end of Dread Ledge. The main lines of the sewers and drains are as follows : The main sewer is laid under Humphrey street from the pump- ing station to a point opposite the lower Swampscott car barns, near the Lynn line; it then turns and crosses the marshy tract of land to New Ocean street near the point where Stacey's Brook flows under the street. It is then laid under New Ocean street to Burrill street, under Burrill street to Columbia street, under Columbia street to Essex avenue to Essex street ; under Essex street to a point near the upper Swampscott car barns ; thence across the vacant land to Cherry street at Hillside avenue, and then under Hillside avenue to the Lynn line.
At the corner of Burrill street and Paradise road a branch leaves the main sewer and is laid under Paradise road to Norfolk avenue, where it branches, one branch continuing up Paradise road to Banks road, and the other branch being laid under Nor- folk avenue to Stetson avenue, and then under Stetson avenue to Essex street.
There are no underdrains along the line of the sewer under Humphrey street from the pumping station to New Ocean street nor along the line of the sewer under Columbia street. Along all the rest of the main line of the sewer system above described are laid underdrains, so called. These underdrains, as has been stated, are supposed to discharge their flow into Stacey's Brook at New Ocean street or into King Brook at Columbia street. In addition to these sewers and underdrains above described, the Town has constructed a drain to care for surface water that falls on the territory draining to Humphrey street between Ingalls terrace and Marshall street. This drain discharges through a wooden box culvert across Blaney beach opposite Marshall street.
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The Town has also constructed a drain from near the corner of Essex street and Stetson avenue under Stetson avenue, Nor- folk avenue, Paradise road, Burrill street and New Ocean street which discharges into Stacey's Brook where the brook crosses New Ocean street. This drain is supposed to care for the sur- face water which flows to the streets under which it is laid, and it also does take care of a considerable amount of ground water and also intercepts the water from the upper course of the brook which formerly drained territory north of the main line of the Boston & Maine Railroad to Mudge Brook.
It became apparent early in the investigation that practically only one-seventh of the capacity of the Town's admirable and costly system of main drains and sewers was being utilized, and that almost six-sevenths of the investment made by the Town in such works was non-productive. It seemed, therefore, that in any attempts that were to be made to remedy or improve the present admittedly unsatisfactory conditions as to surface drain- age, the first consideration should be as to how to take full ad- vantage of the present works and put every dollar invested by the Town in the present plant at work advantageously before considering the expenditure of more money for new works, and, second, to consider the establishment and construction of only such new works as might be required after the present works had been made to serve to their full capacity when operated in the most effectual and economical way.
As the most important and vital part of any system of drain- age of a territory which is thickly settled is the proper and eco- nomical disposal of the gathered water and its load of filth, that portion of the problem will be considered first. That this order of procedure is wise must be apparent, from the fact that it is useless to conduct the drainage of the upper areas of a watershed to the lower areas until it can be there properly disposed of.
Disposal of the Drainage.
As has been stated the most important element in the problem of improving the drainage conditions is the final disposal of the collected water in such a way that an improvement of conditions in one section shall not result in damage to other sections.
As Swampscott is situated on the sea coast it is evident if the gathered water is conducted into the sea, it is effectively disposed of, and it is the opinion of your committee that the Town should attempt no improvement of drainage conditions which stops short of providing for the final discharge into the sea; for the
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reason that if the Town drains the water from one section and thereby floods the property of others and cause damage, the action of the Town will render it liable for that damage.
It is the opinion of your committee that by utilizing the unused capacity of the present sewers and drains, all drainage, including domestic drainage, usually termed sewage, can be effectively conducted to the sea with comparatively little expen- diture for new works within the sewered sections of the Town, and all the surface, underground and domestic drainage from the whole Town can be handled for less expense under a plan which the committee is investigating than can the domestic drainage alone under any of the plans heretofore suggested.
Pumping.
Under a plan to utilize the unused capacity of the present drains, the question of pumping becomes important. As has been stated, the sewers of the Town were supposed to conduct to the Pumping Station only domestic drainage or sewage ; ground water was supposed to be conducted to the brooks by underdrains, while the surface drainage was to be taken care of by the brooks directly, or conducted to them by drains built entirely distinct from the other drainage work. The sewage, after being conducted to the pumping station, was to be and is lifted an average height of about sixteen feet and then flows by gravity to the sea, and it can be readily understood that the volume of sewage flowing to the pump is a very important element in the operation of the system from the standpoint of expense.
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