USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Newton > Town of Newton annual report 1871-1872 > Part 16
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It might be best in this case to make the south basin of the reservoir 12 feet deep, and the north basin from 12 feet deep at upper end to 16 feet at lower end ; side-slopes 3 to 1, as before. We have no measures of the depth of muck in the south basin ; but if it averages 1} feet, the quantity will be about 28,000 cubic yards.
The embankments necessary for raising the pond 5 feet, including those for Homer and Walnut Streets, would amount to about 70,000 cubic yards.
If the pond is raised 5 feet, and its capacity is further in- creased by taking out 28,000 cubic yards of muck, and 70,000 cubic yards of other material, its total capacity will be about 90,000,000 gallons.
A reservoir to hold 15,000,000 gallons may be made in the valley south of railroad, a short distance east of Newton Cen- tre station. The amount of excavation necessary to do this well would be from 25,000 to 30,000 cubic yards.
This would give a total storage capacity of 105,000,000
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gallons. But the loss by evaporation, in excess of direct rain- fall on the water surface, during a long drought, might amount to say 9,000,000 gallons, leaving 96,000,000 for distribution. This quantity of water, added to the flow in the brooks during the drought of this year, would have furnished a supply of about 1,250,000 gallons per day. It appears probable that the consumption will reach this amount in 1883. The drought of this year was unusually severe; hence there is a proba- bility that the amount of storage above estimated would be sufficient to furnish a supply for some years after 1883; but there can be no certainty of this.
PUMPING AND DISTRIBUTION.
If this source is adopted, the Pumping Station should be located at the lower end of the pond, and near Walnut Street. Two pumping-engines should be provided, each capable of delivering two million gallons of water in twenty-four hours, with steam-works to correspond.
A distributing reservoir would be very useful. The con. sumption will vary from more than double the average at some hours of the day to almost nothing at some times in the night; and it will also differ considerably from day to day. If there is no distributing reservoir, the pumping must exactly follow all these incessant variations. With a distributing reservoir, the necessity of running nights and Sundays will be avoided, only one set of attendants will be needed, and the pumps can run at a uniform speed, which will diminish the danger of break-downs, and there will be less inconvenience from them when they do occur, as the working-pump can be stopped at any time without immediately starting the other, and there will be much better opportunity for repairs.
The site proposed for a reservoir on the grounds of the Theological Institution at Newton Centre, north of their stone building, is not favorable for a reservoir of large size, but a capacity of four million gallons can be obtained at a cost of about twenty-five thousand dollars, exclusive of land, of which about two acres would be needed. This capacity would
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answer well for the present, but an additional basin of larger size would be desirable in the future.
A reservoir of any size desired could be built on West Newton Hill ; but no surveys or estimates have been made for this location.
I have prepared an approximate plan for distribution from this source, with a reservoir on Institution Hill, the principal features of which are as follows : -
A fourteen-inch pipe from the Pumping Station viâ Walnut, Homer, Pleasant, Crescent, and Cypress Streets to the Reser- voir.
A fourteen-inch pipe from the Pumping Station down Wal- nut to Otis Street.
A twelve-inch pipe from end of last above, through Walnut to Washington Street.
An eight-inch pipe from Walnut Street through Washington, Church, and Centre Streets, to the fourteen-inch pipe at Cres- cent Street.
A six-inch pipe from Crescent through Centre, Boylston, and Eliot to Ellis Street.
An eight-inch pipe from Walnut, through Washington Street, to Woodland Avenue.
A six-inch pipe from Washington, through Auburn, to Emer- ald Street.
A six-inch pipe from Woodland Avenue, through Washington Street, to Needham Bridge, Newton Lower Falls.
A six-inch pipe from Washington, through Walnut, to Water- town Street.
A six-inch pipe from Church, through Washington, to Park Street.
A six-inch pipe from Washington, through Centre, to Church Street.
A six-inch pipe from Homer, through Walnut Street, to the Cemetery.
Six-inch and eight-inch pipes in some of the streets crossing Walnut Street, to be extended to West Newton and Newton Corner as the consumption increases.
Seventy-five thousand feet of four-inch pipe.
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Seventy thousand feet of smaller sizes. And two hundred and fifty hydrants. Making a total of about forty-one and one-fifth miles of pipes.
APPROXIMATE ESTIMATE OF COST OF WORKS FOR A SUPPLY BY THIS PLAN.
Bullough's Pond Reservoir.
Land and water damages and fencing, including
Pond, Mill, and Water-power,* $52,500
Earth excavation, including necessary puddling and stripping, 70,000 c. yards, at
41,500
Waste-wear, Draw-off Gate, &c., 1,500
Sewer in Walnut Street, 2,100 feet, 21,000
16-inch pipe with Gates, Screens, &c., 2,900 feet, 13,400
24-inch pipe with Gates, and special castings, 700 feet, 6,125
Contingencies, 10 per cent, 13,602
$149,627
Newton Centre Storage Reservoir.
Land and Fencing, - about 10 acres, $10,000
Earth excavation, including necessary puddling, 28,000 c. yds., 15,600
Waste-wear, Draw-off Gate, &c., 1,000
Slope Paving along R.R. 522 c. yds., at $5.00 2,610
Broken Stone along R.R. 260 e. yds., at $1.50 390
Contingencies, 10 per cent, 2,960
$32,560
Pumping Station.
Buildings, Chimney, and Pump-well, $18,000
Two Pumping Engines, set complete, 40,000
$58,000
* Including water-powers at Watertown.
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Distributing Reservoir on Institution Hill, exclusive of Land.
Excavation and Embankment, 19,000 c. yds., at 50c., $9,500
Part of above to be Puddled, 3,300 c. yds., at extra 60c., . 1,980
Concrete, 171 yds., at $8.00,
1,368
Slope Paving, 881 yds., at $5.00,
4,405
Broken Stone, 440 yds., at $1.50,
660
Road Metal on Bottom, 391 yds., at $2.00,
782
Soiling, 1100 yds., at extra 50c.,
550
Pipe Chamber, Conduit, Blow-off, &c.,
2,650
Fencing,
1,600
Contingencies, say
1,505
$25,000
Distribution.
14 inch pipe,
10,700 feet,
$4.00
$42,800
12
66
1,375 "
3.25
4,469
8
66
29,500 "
2.10
61,950
6
66
31,000 "
1.60
49,600
4
66
75,000
1.15
86,250
Smaller sizes,
70,000 "
56,000
250 Hydrants,
70.00
17,500
300 Stop-gates of various sizes,
9,000
$327,569
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Summary.
Bullough's Pond Reservoir,
$149,627
Newton Centre Storage Reservoir,
32,560
Pumping Station,
58,000
Distributing Reservoir,
25,000
Distribution,
327,569
General Expenses, 5 per cent,
29,638
$622,394
CHARLES RIVER.
Only a small fraction of the total flow of this stream would be needed for supplying Newton.
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This water has a slight vegetable taste, and some color. A sample taken from the mill-pond at South Natick, in the sum. mer of 1845, was analyzed by Prof. Silliman, Jr., and reported to be very soft, and to contain 2.53 grains of foreign matter in a gallon. In general, it stood midway between two samples taken from different parts of Lake Cochituate at about the same time, and tested in the same way.
A sample taken at Watertown was reported to contain 3.40 grains of foreign matter per gallon, and to have an unpleasant taste. Very few places are supplied with water containing so small an amount of foreign matter as this; but this is only an indication, not a complete proof, of its fitness for domestic use; because water may have injurious properties which chemistry and the microscope, at present, cannot detect. For several years past, the Waltham Bleachery has filtered Charles-River water, on a large scale, through a natural bank of sand and gravel, by which all color is removed, and it proves to be of the best quality for rinsing bleached goods.
So far as these facts go, they indicate that this is a suitable source as to quality.
Fortunately, the principal sources of contamination are several miles away, so that much of the refuse matter thrown into the stream is dissipated before it reaches Newton.
But whatever source is adopted, care should be taken to keep sewage and specially objectionable manufactories away from it as much as possible.
According to present information, the best place for taking a supply from the river is at Newton Upper Falls, near Pettee's Machine-shop. Much of the land in this vicinity consists of loose sand and gravel suitable for filtering water. If this ma- terial extends sufficiently below the bed of the river, it will be advisable to avail of it by excavating a pond a hundred feet or more from the river, and drawing the supply from it. If the situation proves favorable, a pond of ample size for the present can be made for ten thousand dollars.
WATER DAMAGES.
The sum of the falls at the different water-privileges on the river below this point is about seventy feet.
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With the best water-wheels, each million gallons of water falling seventy feet will yield about ten horse-power if used in twenty-four hours, or about twenty-one horse-power if used in eleven hours.
The right to use the water belongs to some fifteen parties. Most of them use auxiliary steam-power, and in many of these cases the taking of the supply from the river would make but little practical difference excepting the necessity of burning more coal, the amount of which could be ascertained and paid for.
But in the other cases it would not be judicious to build the small steam-works necessary for making compensation in kind ;' the mill-owners could be put in a better position with less expenditure by building storage reservoirs at favorable points on the stream. It would be rather beneficial than other- wise to the mill-owners to hold back part of the flow in fresh- ets ; still, they might claim some compensation for surrendering the unproductive part of their right to use all the flow; and this might be yielded to them by providing that the storage capacity should always be more than sufficient to supply the consumption of the town during an extreme drought, so that the remainder of the flow would be greater than the whole now is.
This would of course compensate all the owners, - those who use steam, as well as the others.
In estimating the cost of compensation in this way, the probability of claims for damages to meadows along the river should be included.
It will always be easy to ascertain the amount of water taken from the river in any given time by measuring the dis- charge of the pump per stroke, and multiplying the quantity found by the number of strokes as registered by the pump itself. If the mill-owners will accept this mode of compensa- tion with a storage capacity of say one hundred and fifty days' average consumption, I estimate the cost need not exceed fifty thousand dollars for many years to come.
The cost of Pumping Station would not differ materially in the two localities.
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A distributing reservoir of any desired size could be built on the hill between Eliot and Boylston Streets.
The top of this hill is nearly level, but the depth of earth on the ledge is generally too little for cheap construction. It is impracticable to estimate the cost very closely without ascertaining this depth. But probably it will not be far out of the way to assume that a capacity of 4,000,000 gallons can be obtained at a cost of $30,000. This is the same size esti- mated for the Bullough's-Pond plan, and will answer tolerably well for the present. When an additional basin is needed, it may be located at West Newton, or farther east, which will tend to equalize the flow, and keep up the pressure with less cost for main pipes. Possibly a thorough examination as to the depth of earth over the ledge, &c., may show that West Newton Hill is the better location for the first basin.
The force main from Pumping Station to Reservoir on Upper Falls Hill should be 16 inches in diameter.
The best method of distribution would be to make a circuit of the villages, about as follows : -
A twelve-inch pipe from the force main where it crosses Elliot Street, viâ Elliot, Boylston, and Centre Streets, to Pleas- ant Street.
A ten-inch pipe from the end of the last above, through Centre, to Church Street.
An eight-inch pipe from Centre, through Church and Washington, to Watertown Street.
A ten-inch pipe from Watertown, through Washington Street, to Woodland Avenue.
A twelve-inch pipe from Woodland Avenue, through Washington, Beacon, Chestnut, and small cross-streets, to the Reservoir.
A six-inch pipe in Centre from Church to Washington Street.
A six-inch pipe in Washington from Centre to Church Street.
A six-inch pipe in Walnut from Washington Street to the High-School House.
A six-inch pipe in Walnut from Washington to Lowell Street.
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A six-inch pipe in Lowell from Walnut to Crafts Street.
A six-inch pipe in Highland from Washington to Chestnut Street.
A six-inch pipe in Woodland Avenue from Washington to Auburn Street.
A six-inch pipe in Beacon Street from Washington Street to Needham Bridge in Newton Lower Falls.
83,000 feet of four-inch pipe in other streets.
70,000 feet of smaller pipe, and 250 hydrants.
Total length of pipe, 42.95 miles.
As the consumption increases, one or more pipes may be laid from the Reservoir to Newtonville or West Newton.
APPROXIMATE ESTIMATE OF COST OF WORKS FOR A SUPPLY BY THIS PLAN.
Distribution.
16 inch pipe
3,550 feet
at $5.25
$18,638
12
66
26,800
at
3.35
89,780
10
13,900
66
at 2.60
36,140
8
66
12,050
at 2.10
25,305
6
66
17,500
66
at 1.60
28,000
4
66
83,000
66
at 1.15
95,450
Smaller sizes 70,000
66
56,000
310 Stop-gates of different sizes
9,850
250 Hydrants
at 70.00
17,500
$376,663
Summary.
Water Damages,
$50,000
Pumping Station,
58,000
Distributing Reservoir,
30,000
Distribution,
376,663
General Expenses and Contingencies, 10 per cent,
51,466
$566,129
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COST OF PUMPING.
The source at Charles River would be about 10 feet lower than that at Bullough's Pond. It is also about two miles farther from the centre of consumption, and there would be a loss of pressure equivalent to about 10 feet head in forcing the water through this additional length of pipe. To give the same average pressure in both cases, the only difference worth con- sidering would be the necessity of making more steam for the higher lift. In this case, the cost of steam may be reck- oned at about $9.00 per ton of coal burnt in making it; and for an average consumption of 1,000,000 gallons per day, the difference would be about 75 tons per annum, amounting at $9.00 per ton to $675.00. But part of this difference would be offset by the fact that the coal could be run, on a side track, directly into the Pumping Station at Charles River, while it would be necessary to cart it to Bullough's Pond.
Assuming that the high-water line in the reservoir would be about 10 feet above the top of [the Upper-Falls Hill, the annual running expenses for pumping a supply of 1,000,000 gallons per day from the river need not exceed the following estimate : -
500 tons of coal, at $7.50 in shed, $3,750
Engineman and Fireman, 1,500
Small supplies and repairs,
750
$6,000
A larger quantity can be pumped at a less rate per gallon.
The cost of pumping 680,000 gallons per day may be estimated as follows : -
380 tons of coal,
at $7.50 $2,850
Engineman and Fireman,
1,500
Small supplies and repairs,
600
$4,950
Respectfully submitted.
EDWARD SAWYER,
NEWTON, Oct. 10, 1871.
Civil Engineer.
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Heights of various points in Newton, above mean low tide in Boston Harbor : --
Top of Institution Hill, Newton Centre,
300.6 feet.
Chestnut Hill, 288.0 "
West-Newton Hill, back of Mr. Valentine's house, "י 232.0
66 Upper-Falls Hill, about 226.0 "
66 Mount Ida, Newton Corner, 206.0 "
Beacon Street, corner of Centre, 158.6 "
Cold-spring Brook at Beacon Street, 111.0 "
Surface of Pond in Cemetery, about
106.0 "
High-water mark in Bullough's Pond,
98.0 "
Charles River, opposite Pettee's Machine Shop, low-water mark, about 89.0 "
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8353
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