USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Reading > Town of Reading Massachusetts annual report 1942 > Part 20
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27
At Camp Curtis Guild State Rifle Range, a 6" main was installed by the W. P. A. Transient Division several years ago, but had not been connected to either the Town system or the Rifle Range System. Early in July, the War Department established control of the State Range for use as a military reservation, and quartered troops there. Shortly thereafter, a break occurred in the 21/2" main with which the camp was serviced, requiring immediate repair. As this leak was underground, it did not appear on the surface of the ground at any point, as the water drained off rapidly in the loose, sandy soil where the main was laid. A split 21/2" tee, the cause of the break, was located after considerable systematic excavation, accomplished both by department employees and work details of enlisted troops. It was then decided to complete the connection of the 6" main in the camp with the Town distribution sys-
Water Department
255
tem, and abandon part of the camp's distribution system. This was done, by making a tap in the existing 6" main on Haverhill Street and connecting it with the dead end 6" main in the camp. A smaller tap was then made in the camp to supply the camp system, and several hundred feet of 21/2" main in the camp abandoned. Special connections were then made in the camp for mess hall, toilet and latrine usages. By means of this connection, two 5" fire hydrants in the camp were made available for use.
As of January 1, 1943 the Reading water distribution system com- prises 52.63 miles of water mains in sizes 6" to 12", besides other mains of smaller size.
Main Pipe Maintenance
Six distribution main breaks, all of a minor nature, occurred dur- ing 1942, three being caused by blown joints in 6" mains, one being a split 6" main, one a leak in a 6" tapping sleeve laid for possible future use, and one being a 11/4" corporation lead on a 11/4" main. No serious loss of water was sustained in any of these breaks, which were all quickly repaired, with no interruption of the water supply except in the case of the split 6" main, which required the installation of a split-type repair sleeve.
The relocation of gate boxes, checking measurements to permanent land marks, and examination of gate valves, which was started late in the Fall of 1941, was completed in the Spring of 1942. Orange identi- fication bands were painted around each gate valve box on the road surfaces for greater ease in future location of the boxes. Several gate boxes found broken were replaced with new boxes; other boxes found to be below or above grade were adjusted to grade. The gate boxes now are all readily accessible for immediate use and the gate valves are in proper working order.
Service Pipe Construction and Maintenance
Lack of newly constructed residential dwellings also greatly cur- tailed new water service connections in 1942. From the record high of water service installations of 135 in 1941, the number installed in 1942 fell to a near-record low of 25 in 1942, which figure has only once be- fore been approximated with a total of 21 services in 1934.
Of the private housing developments started in Reading in 1941, Wescroft Park required seven new services in 1942; six new dwelling houses were erected on Harrison Street; two other smaller develop- ments accounted for four and three services respectively, and the others were installed for single and separated dwellings.
One dwelling house was forced, through lack of the owners' obtain- ing a War Production Board priority rating, to remain without a water service, as both the Boston and Washington W.P.B. offices refused to.
Water Department
256
grant a priority rating, which it is mandatory for the Water Depart- ment to have for new construction, even though the necessary material is on hand. Persons contemplating new residence construction must obtain a priority rating and comply with all War Production Board regulations before the Department is allowed to undertake new water service installation. Maintenance of existing water services is still pos- sible under a priority rating issued to Public Utilities by the War Pro- duction Board.
Water services in 1942 totaled 1273.90 feet in length, with an aver- age length per individual service of 50.92 feet, at an average cost of service to owners of $18.51. As of January 1, 1943, there are 43.70 miles of service pipe in use in the water distribution system, totaling 2737 individual service taps, in sizes ranging from 3/4" to 6".
Leaks developed in the street or sidewalk sections of ten services during the year. Some of these were pipe failures, others were due to failures of corporation leads and joints. All were repaired, and/or re- placed with new material as required. One service became frozen, in- side of the cellar wall, and was thawed by the usual method. Four services, through either failure of pipe or poor pressure due to tuber- culation of the waterway in the pipe, were replaced in whole or in part. Complaints of low pressure caused the Department to rod out and flush fifteen water services, to remove the collected sediment in the pipes.
Many defective sidewalk curb stop boxes were reset or replaced as. needed, and several defective curb stops were excavated and replaced. Several of the curb boxes, located in new granolithic sidewalk construc- tion, were replaced by boxes with flush-type top sections. On all new roadway and sidewalk construction, service boxes were inspected and adjusted to grade.
A total of 44 water service pipes failed at cellar walls, and were repaired. It was also necessary to install 87 cellar shutoffs, or "Y" valves, to replace defective old-type shutoffs, the majority of these re- placements being made at the owner's request. A number of these in- stallations were made when householders, preparing their homes in compliance with Air Raid Precautions regulations, found cellar shut- offs hard to operate because of age and wear.
Meter Maintenance
A total of 366 active water meters, in sizes ranging from 58" to 2", were tested by the meter Department in 1942. Of this number, 214 were cleaned and repaired. Four obsolete meters were replaced with either new or reconditioned meters, and four obsolete meters were junked. New meters were set at 78 locations, mainly on new services to houses occupied for the first time. There are 103 meters in the meter room from services temporarily shut off from unoccupied houses.
Water Department
257
Twenty meters were frozen during the early months of 1942. During the unseasonable, record-breaking cold wave of December 18 to 21, with temperatures as low as -25ยบ Fahrenheit and an accompanying wind of near gale velocity, many water pipes and meters were frozen and broken in houses, because of lack of heat in houses due to fuel oil rationing. Thirty-two meters were frozen during this four-day period. Service trucks and crews were on 24 hour call during this period, all calls for assistance being promptly responded to. When a mild weather period followed the cold wave, several unoccupied buildings left un- heated and with water still in the pipes suffered considerable water damage from thawed pipes. Three sprinkler systems also froze and broke, causing property damage.
The annual inspection of meter boxes was made prior to cold weather, and protective frost insulation material renewed where neces- sary. Three meter boxes were eliminated by moving the meters into house cellars. At Camp Curtis Guild on Haverhill Street at Rivers Road, a new brick meter box was installed to house a 6" compound meter, which will eventually measure all the water used at the camp.
As of January 1, 1943, there are in use 3277 water meters, in sizes from 5/8" to 8".
Fire Hydrants
One new fire hydrant was installed during the year, on Salem Street at the Reading-Wakefield Town Line at the inter-town connec- tion. There are now a total of 329 fire hydrants, public and private, in use.
Four hydrants were accidentally broken as the result of automobile driving mishaps. Owners of motor vehicles involved in the accidents were identified, and billed for the damage caused. No appreciable amount of water was lost in any of these breaks. One broken hydrant, being not gated, was gated when repaired.
Several hydrants found to have minor defects were repaired after the annual inspection tour of fire hydrants was accomplished. One leaking hydrant was removed and replaced with a reconditioned hy- drant. All hydrants used by the Fire Department during the year were found to be in good working order.
Well System
The above normal rainfall of 1942 brought the underground water level up to a highly satisfactory point, and held there during the entire year, as shown by daily readings of the test wells.
In May, and again in October, each well was tested, hand-pumped and cleaned. Several wells, found to have minor defects, such as air leaks, being sand-clogged, or similar routine ailments, were immed- iately repaired. The well lines were all cleared of brush and tall grass
Water Department
258
during the summer months, and gravel filling placed in uneven sections to permit easy access of wheeled well-maintenance equipment while working on the wells.
Eight 21/2" driven wells on the outer end of Well Line "A" were lo- cated in a poor water producing strata, often becoming clogged with fine sand and being of little if any value in the well system. Therefore, these eight wells, together with all their necessary well fittings, were pulled up, dismantled and reclaimed. Also, the attending suction main, consisting of 350 feet of 10" and 275 feet of 8" cast iron pipe, was ex- cavated, the lead joints melted out and saved, and the pipe thoroughly cleaned.
By agreement with the Meadow Brook Golf Club Corporation, a fifteen acre tract of land running from Grove Street to the well field was acquired by the Town for expansion of the well system. This land not only is of value as a source of additional water supply, but also protects the well field from encroachment of possible future building developments.
On this newly acquired tract, an extension of Well Line "E" was made. Line "J", as it is designated, was constructed in its entirety from material salvaged from Well Line "A", and consists of six 21/2" driven wells averaging 29.1 feet in depth and 300.0 feet of 8" suction main. All six wells are excellent water producers, being driven in coarse, hard gravel water bearing strata, and the waters' quality is of the best. This is the only suction main located entirely in a hard gravel strata, no peat whatsoever being encountered in the pipe trench.
The driven well system now consists of 104, 21/2" diameter driven wells, of which 102 are now in use. One well on Line "B" and one on Line "F" are out of service, both being sand bound.
Filtration Plant
The filtration plant has operated efficiently and economically dur- ing the year. A total of 224,146,800 gallons of raw water direct from the driven wells, averaging 614,100 gallons per day, was aerated and filtered during the year, at a cost of $4.27 per million gallons filtered. Tables included in this report show the results obtained by filtration.
No. 1 Filter was raked twice and scraped three times and No. 2 Filter was raked twice and scraped twice during the year, to break up and to remove iron deposit films on sand filter surfaces. The ejector box was used five times during the year to wash filter sand. The spray holes in aerator nozzles on both No. 1 and No. 2 aerators were reamed and cleaned, and the coke bed in No. 2 aerator flushed down. Both No. 1 and No. 2 subsiding basins were drained, cleaned and washed out, to remove accumulated iron hydrate deposits.
Water Department
259
Late in the Fall, workmen started scraping walls of the control room in filtration plant preliminary to painting walls with a damp-re- sistant type of water paint.
Stand Pipes
No major repair or maintenance work was necessary on either Bare Hill or Auburn Street standpipe during the year. It was, however, necessary to repair the transmission line from the pressure recording gauge at Auburn Street Standpipe to Mill Street Pumping Station, which sustained a break on Main Street at Forest Street.
PUMPING STATIONS
.
Hundred Acre Pumping Station
This station was operated daily during the year, averaging 11.37 hours of operation per day, and delivered 224,146,800 gallons of raw well water to the Iron Removal Plant and filtered water to the distri- bution mains, averaging 614,100 gallons per day, at a cost of pumping figured on total pumping station expenses of $31.85 per million gallons pumped. The greatest amount pumped in any one day was on Satur- day, June 13, 1942, with a total pumpage of 997,100 gallons; in any one week, from June 8 to 14, 1942, inclusive with a total pumpage of 5,795- 400 gallons.
The pumping equipment did not require any major repair or main- tenance work during 1942. Low Lift Pump No. 1 was dismantled and thoroughly cleaned, and various minor repairs accomplished to keep the pumping equipment in first-class mechanical condition. A chlor- inator was set up in the station, in compliance with State Department of Public Health recommendations, for use in possible emergencies. Three interruptions in pumping service occurred during the year, all being caused by electric power failure. Two of these were of short duration, and the third, caused when a sudden gale of wind blew down a large elm tree on Lowell Street opposite Puritan Road carried power lines with it, resulting in a 21/2 hour pumping shut-down. The stand- pipes, however, contained a plentiful supply of water at the time of the shut-down.
This pumping station has been under continuous guard since De- cember 11, 1941, as requested at that date by the Board of Selectmen
Water Department
260
because of the war emergency. The same guard arrangements remain in effect as at the beginning of the guard period, ie : paid Departmental employees on duty eighteen hours of each twenty-four and volunteer guards on duty six hours, except week-ends, at which time volunteer guards take over the entire guard duty from noon Saturdays to Mid- night Sundays. The volunteer guards are members of an organization formerly known as the Reading Home Defense Corps, commissioned as Reading Defense Police, now known as the Reading Auxiliary Police Corps. These men, activated by a truly American sense of civic duty, have unselfishly and faithfully, at much personal inconvenience and dis- comfort, maintained their assigned tours of guard duty. State Public Health officials have inspected precautionary methods employed at Hundred Acre Pumping Station and have approved them.
Several innovations have been instituted at the station for the use of the guards. Additional flood lights have been installed and the orig- inal flood lights moved to more strategic locations to fully illuminate the territory adjacent to the pumping station, filter plant and vital equipment. A telephone has been installed in the guard room, as well as a water service and electric cooking plate. A small glass-walled sentry box was erected at the rear of the filter plant, to provide shelter for the guards during inclement weather.
A valuable Collie dog, owned and trained for sentry duty by Mr. and Mrs. Edwin C. Symmes of 266 West Street, Reading, was donated by them for duty at the pumping station, and has proved to be a very worth-while addition to the guard personnel, as the sentry dog lives at the station and is trained to be constantly alert for intruders.
The Town Forest, egress to which is by way of a roadway running through the pumping station locality, has been officially closed by the Board of Selectmen to unauthorized persons, and Strout Avenue has been closed to the public by the Board of Public Works, as a necessary measure for protection of the pumping station and water supply area.
Mill Street Pumping Station
This station was not actively operated during the year, but was prepared at any time on short notice to be put in commission, as an auxiliary water supply for emergencies. During the winter months, one boiler was kept fired to prevent freezing of equipment, and the steam pumps were turned over as a test, although no water from this station was pumped into distribution mains.
Maintenance work on the grounds and buildings was accomplished, and 30 odd tons of heavy scrap metal collected and hauled to an iron
Water Department
261
foundry. The boilers and pumping equipment were inspected and ap- proved by the State Department of Public Safety and by the Insurance Company.
General Recommendations
Construction work in the Water Department is controlled by the War Production Board. Water mains and house services can only be installed if all the conditions of the War Production Board regulations have been met. Speaking broadly, this means that any person who wishes a water main extension and/or a house service must obtain a priority rating from the War Production Board before the work can be done.
Maintenance work on mains and services is also controlled by the regulations of the War Production Board. Regulations governing maintenance work are much less stringent.
Due to the possibility of emergencies arising from possible war ac- tivities, home owners are urged to test their shut-offs regularly. In the event the shut-off does not operate easily, notify the Water Depart- ment. Do not use force on the shut-off as it will probably break and necessitate the use of vital materials which can better be used for other purposes.
As the War Production Board regulations allow it, the Department will extend its well field during 1943. This is a very necessary develop- ment. The increased use of water plus the failure of some wells, for various reasons, to function properly necessitates the regular expansion of the well field. It is also an aid to the efficient and economical opera- tion of the Pumping Station and Filter Plant.
The Department has assembled an inventory of repair parts allowed by the War Production Board which it feels will enable it to properly make repairs to the supply and distribution system in the event of an emergency due to war activities. It is manifestly impossible, from a financial standpoint, to keep an inventory of repair and replacement parts for the larger elements of the system such as the standpipes, the filter plant and the pumping station, and no attempt has been made to do so.
Water Department
262
HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT
Gentlemen :
The following is the yearly report of the Highway Department: Appropriations voted in March Town Meeting :
1. Highway Maintenance and Construction $ 47,500.00
2. Removal of Snow and Ice 9,500.00
3. Maintenance of Storm Drains 3,900.00
4. Sidewalk Construction 4,500.00
5. Development of Storm Water Drains 4,200.00
6. Care of Dumps 1,300.00
7. Appropriation for Special Labor 7,000.00
8. Construction of Harvard Street 1,034.00
9. Construction of Lewis Street 879.00
10. Construction of Bond Street Balance Forward from 1941 359.60
11. Construction of West Hill Circle Balance Forward from 1941 834.06
12. Construction of Wescroft Road
Balance Forward from 1941 2,202.74
13. Construction of Springvale Road Balance Forward from 1941 456.62
14. Development Committee Balance Forward from 1941 800.00
15. Received from State and County for Chapter 90 Maint. 2,000.00
16. Road Machinery Fund Transfer from Road Machinery Account 9,467.79
17. Credited to Road Machinery Fund from Gasoline and Miscellaneous Refunds 113.79
18. Credited to Highway Department from Gasoline and Miscellaneous Refunds 113.85
Grand Total $ 96,161.45
Expenditures and Balances of the above Appropriations : Item
1. Highway Department Appropriation for Maintenance and Construction $ 47,500.00
18. Gasoline and Misc. Refunds 113.85
Total $ 47,613.85
Highway Department
263
Expended :
Pay Roll
$ 25,148.20
Road Material 5,954.94
Chapter '90 Maint. 1,000.00
Curbing 1,708.39
Supplies and Tools 3,804.46
Road Machinery Acct. 7,979.47
Miscellaneous
1,303.16
Total Expended $ 46,898.62
Balance Unexpended $ 715.23
2. Removal of Snow and Ice $ 9,500.00
Expended :
Pay Roll
$ 5,615.93
Plowing and Hauling
632.98
Repairs and Supplies
2,812.88
Road Machinery Account
239.58
Total Expended $ 9,301.37
Balance Unexpended
$
198.63
3. Maintenance of Storm Drains $ 3,900.00
Expended :
Pay Roll
$
3,429.25
Supplies and Misc.
470.75
Total Expended $ 3,900.00
4. Sidewalk Maintenance and Construction $ 4,500.00
Expended :
Pay Roll
$
3,331.12
Supplies and Misc.
1,168.88
Total Expended $ 4,500.00
5. Development of Storm Water Drains $ 4,200.00
Expended :
Pay Roll
$
2,830.21
Pipe and Supplies
1,369.35
Total Expended $ 4,199.56
Balance Unexpended
$
.44
Highway Department
264
6. Care of Dumps $ 1,300.00
Expended : Pay Roll
$ 1,281.00 19.00
Misc.
Total Expended
$
1,300.00
7. Appropriation for Special Labor
$ 7,000.00
Expended : Pay Roll $ 6,527.18
Total Expended $ 6,527.18
Balance Unexpended
$ 472.82
8. Construction of Harvard Street $ 1,034.00
Expended :
Pay Roll $ 398.69
Supplies
284.11
Total Expended $ 682.80
Balance Unexpended
$ 351.20
9. Construction of Lewis Street $ 879.00
Expended :
Pay Roll $ 465.56
Supplies
223.67
Total Expended $ 689.23
Balance Unexpended
$ $ 189.77
10. Construction of Bond Street
Balance Forward from 1941 $ 359.60
Expended 1942 :
Pay Roll $ 150.61
Supplies
182.03
Total Expended $ 332.64
Balance Unexpended $ 26.96
11. Construction of West Hill Circle
Balance Forward from 1941 $ 834.06
No Expenditures in 1942.
Highway Department
265
12. Construction of Wescroft Road
Balance Forward from 1941 $ 2,202.74
Expended :
Pay Roll
$
209.68
Supplies
142.16
Total Expended $ 351.84
Balance Unexpended $ 1,850.90
13. Construction of Springvale Road
Balance Forward from 1941 $ 456.62
Expended :
Pay Roll
$
254.20
Supplies
40.18
Total Expended $ 294.38
Balance Unexpended $ 162.24
14. Development Committee
Balance Forward from 1941 $ 800.00
Expended :
Consulting Work
$
300.00
Total Expended $ 300.00
Balance Unexpended $ 500.00
15. Chapter 90 Maintenance
Received from State and County
$ 2,000.00
Received from Highway Department 1,000.00
$ 3,000.00
Expended :
Pay Roll
$ 1,023.28
Supplies
643.48
Road Machinery Account
623.44
Total Expended $ 2,290.20
Balance Unexpended $ 709.80
Highway Department 266
16. Road Machinery Fund
$ 9,467.79
17. Gasoline and Misc. Refunds 113.79
$ 9,581.58
Expended :
Water Dept.
$ 955.84
Sewer Dept.
516.57
Snow and Ice
427.29
Sidewalk Account
108.00
Highway Dept.
7,043.74
Street Betterments
$
98.09
Park Dept.
45.56
Special Drainage
169.76
Total Expended
$
9,364.85
Balance Unexpended
$
216.73
TOTALS
Appro. and
Items
Transfers
Expended
Balance
1-18
$ 47,613.85
$ 46,898.62
$ 715.23
2
9,500.00
9,301.37
198.63
3
3,900.00
3,900.00
.00
4
4,500.00
4,500.00
.00
5
4,200.00
4,199.56
.44
6
1,300.00
1,300.00
.00
7
7,000.00
6,527.18
472.82
8
1,034.00
682.80
351.20
9
879.00
689.23
189.77
10
359.60
332.64
26.96
11
834.06
.00
834.06
12
2,202.74
351.84
1,850.90
13
456.62
294.38
162.24
14
800.00
300.00
500.00
15
3,000.00
2,290.20
709.80
16-17
9,581.58
9,364.85
216.73
Highway Department
267
HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT
Construction of new and maintenance of old highways in 1942 was greatly curtailed because of limitations imposed on the use of road oils by the War Production Board. Some road oils were secured and ap- plied, but only a small proportion of that ordinarily used. As a result, several streets accepted under the provisions of Chapter 83 Betterment Construction are still uncompleted, although it was possible to complete certain sections of them, where completed houses abutted the highway. Highways, to best utilize the available materials, were inexpensively surface treated, some with Chapter 90 maintenance funds, others with Town funds. The more expensive types of surface treatment such as scarifying and honing were not used except where absolutely necessary.
Granolithic sidewalk construction was nearer normal in 1942 than any other Highway Department activity, as the War Production Board has not as yet placed any limitations on the use of the materials re- quired in constructing granolithic sidewalks. All granolithic sidewalks installed in 1942 were at the voluntary request of the abutting prop- erty owners, who were assessed one-half the cost of construction there- of. Several applications for sidewalks received in 1942 were not con- structed, due to lack of funds. No sidewalks were ordered constructed by the Board of Public Works during the year.
Granite curbing installation was also actively engaged in during the year, on application of abutting property owners, and for the most part in locations where granolithic sidewalks were also applied for.
Storm water drainage construction was somewhat less than usual, due to reduced appropriations.
The labor problem continues to become more critical, with several men having enlisted in the armed services while others have left to en- ter war industry. The regular maintenance work of the Highway De- partment has been carried on during the year, and special efforts have been made to patch holes in roadways immediately on their discovery to prevent further damage to road surfaces.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.