USA > New Hampshire > Hillsborough County > Milford > Annual reports of the Town officers of Milford, New Hampshire, 1920-1921 > Part 10
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8 00
J. Dube, labor
12 50
J. H. Tolles, lumber and labor
IIO 75
Manchester Traction Co.
2 88
60
Henry Lewis, labor 5 00
G. W. Moore, material, etc. II 30
Osgood Construction Co. 27 00
George E. Trudel & Co.
34 65
B. & M. R. R., freight 21 92
Kendall & Wilkins 10 00
Rensellaer Valve Co.
65 05
Power Equipment Co.
1647 00
R. F. Campbell, exp. 9 05
$1965 10
SERVICE
J. Dube, labor 43 04
REPAIRS AT STATION
J. Dube, labor II6 36
GENERAL REPAIRS
J. Dube, labor 960 82
Mr. Trassier, labor
3 50
Chas. Gault, labor
I 50
C. E. Foster, teaming
II 00
$976 82
FUEL AND SUPPLIES
Mrs. C. B. Came, coal
380 62
Haseltine & Caldwell
2186 62
Fred Bergami
41 37
- F. N. Hutchinson
3 60
Kendall & Wilkins
30
Hersey Mfg. Co.
73 59
Milford S. and Weaving Co.
7 60
H. Mueller Co.
239 67
George W. Moore
4 09
Barber P. & H. Co.
2 67
Wm. Jacques
6 80
French & Heald Co.
5 25
E. F. AAlbee
15 49
-
61
Rensselaer Valve Co.
54 50
French & Heald Co.
2 25
Wm. C. Richardson
5 15
$3029 57
SALARIES
R. F. Campbell, supt. 1500 00
M. O'Neil, engineer
968 00
H. Henderson, engineer 254 25
H. A. Wilkins, commissioner
100 00
Geo. A. McIntire, commissioner 25 00
F. E. Kendall, commissioner
25 00
Geo. A. Worcester, registrar and tras. 200 00
$3072 25
MISCELLANEOUS
New Eng. Tel. & Tel. Co.
70 55
Bergami Hdw. and Electric Co.
6 10
E. M. Parker, express
I 57
J. Dube, labor
129 28
F. Livingston
4 50
F. E. Fields
5 00
Express
18 26
George F. Jewett
3 56
Milford Cabinet
4 50
W. Jacques
8 15
M. Burke, labor
18 00
E. F. Albee
19 80
Elm Street Garage
2 80
J. W. Prince
I 25
A. L. Keyes
9 00
Barber P. & H. Co.
5 25
J. P. Melzer
31 85
Tramp, labor
I 00
Geo. W. Moore
8 73
McLane Mfg. Co.
20
$349 35
52
Sinking fund Interest on Bonds
I200 00
3000 00
$4549 35
STATISTICS
No. of services Feb. 1, 1920 652
No. added during the year I
Total No. Services 653
No. services metered 382
No. services not in use 23
No. of hydrants 86
Average gallons pumped per day 949.951
Largest No. gals. pumped in one day, Mar. 15 305,370
Least No. gals. pumped in one day, Feb. 15 990
Largest No. 1bs. coal used in one day, June 8 1673
Least No. 1bs. coal used in one day, Feb. 15 58
No. tons coal for pumping only 2111/2
No. tons coal including banking
244
No. tons ash 321/2
No. gals. pumped per lb. coal 125 1-3
Average lbs. coal per day for pumping only 1186
63
PUMPING RECORD
Pumping time Coal Banking Ashes
Hrs. Min.
Lbs. 38159
4650
6007
4354099
February
191
35513
4350
5608
4206920
.March
215
45
39665
4650
6380
5013567
April
192
45
34380
4500
6393
4241514
Mạy
204
15
33625
4650
4678
4509430
June
206
45
34382
4500
4947
4676466
July
212
5
35622
4650
5382
4929909
August
221
39807
4650
5405
5300369
September
198
36066
4500
4981
4661635
October
201
45
37605
4650
5255
4673594
November
172
15
33115
4500
4870
4016088
December
175
15
35210
4650
4966
4148774
Lbs.
Lbs.
Gallons Pumped
January
195
50 433149 54900 64872 54732365 2389
-
64
REPORT TO THE BOARD OF WATER COMMIS- SIONERS OF MILFORD, N. H. ON THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE WATER SUPPLY, BY F. A. BAR- BOUR, ENGINEER.
Mr. H. A. Wilkins,
January 28, 1921.
Chairman, Board of Water Commissioners,
Milford, New Hampshire.
I beg to herewith submit the result of our study of your water problem, including the experimental inves- tigation of methods of improving your present supply, and to present plans and estimates of cost of a plant which will, it is believed, provide you with an entirely acceptable water.
Summary of Conclusions
Briefly, our conclusion is that the unsatisfactory quality of the present supply is due to the development in the distribution system of the fungus Crenothrix- an organism, which requires for its life and rapid growth the presence in the water of organic matter and iron in solution in the lower condition of oxidation.
The present supply, while drawn from the ground, is in considerable part an imperfectly filtered surface water, low in dissolved oxygen, high in carbonic acid and containing iron and manganese in quantities de- pendent on the amount and distribution of the rainfall. In other words, all the conditions necessary for the rapid growth of Crenothrix are present, and this fun- gus, which has the capacity of absorbing iron from solution in the water and of incorporating this metal in its sheath causes an accumulation in the distribution system of a rust like sediment, which is particularly
65
noticeable in dead ends or where the circulation is not rapid.
The remedy lies in treatment of the water so as to eliminate the conditions responsible for the growth of Crenothrix or, in other words, in the installation of a plant which will substantially remove the iron and man- ganese and at the same time complete the organic and bacterial purification, imperfectly accomplished in the passage of the water through the ground to the wells.
Based on the experimental work of the past year, the treatment recommended includes aeration by spray nozzles, trickling through coke prefilter and final filtra- tion through sand.
The estimated first cost of a plant of 300,000 gallons per day capacity is $15,700.00; the increased cost of operation chargeable to this plant should not exceed $400.00 per year.
Present Water Supply
The supply is drawn from three brick lined wells, varying in diameter from 25 to 43 feet, located in the valley of Great Brook, which at this point has a water- shed of 10 square miles. The greater part of this sup- ply is obtained from wells Nos. I and 3 which are lo- cated close to the brook. Well No. 2 is of little or no value as a source of supply, a fact clearly indicated by observations made on Dec. 2nd and 3rd, 1920, when with the other wells shut off, the pumping of 186,000 gallons from this well caused the lowering of the ground water level 16.6 feet or the equivalent of 168,- 500 gallons. In other words in the 21 I-4 hours, dur- ing which the water was below outside ground water level, only 16,500 gallons entered the well, or at the rate of 13 gallons per minute. Observations of the recovery of water after cessation of pumping showed a rise of 3.96 ft. in 26 hours or, with water level 14 to 16 feet below the outside ground water level, the inflow
66
was only 24.5 gallons per minute at a time when the brook was at flood level. It is therefore evident that , approximately 90 per cent of the supply has been ob- tained from wells No. I and No. 3 and that well No. 2 is of little value as a source of water.
It is impossible from available information to make any definite estimate of the amount of water that can be obtained from the present well system in an extreme dry year; but from the records of pumping and of the elevation of water in the wells during the past summer it is known that an average daily draft of 155,000 gal- lons does not appreciably lower the ground water in a year of average rainfall and that therefore the avail- able supply of ground water in such a year is substan- tially in excess of this amount.
The area of the watershed above the location of the present wells is 10 square miles and the minimum flow of the Brook may be reasonably estimated at not less than 300,000 gallons per day. As it will be entirely feasible, if a purification plant be constructed, to take water directly from the stream, in case the wells at any time prove incapable of meeting the demand, it follows that from the site of the present wells an average daily supply of 300,000 gallons may be safely assumed to be available. As this is double the present average con- sumption and there is no evidence of a rapid future growth of the town, it may be concluded that the cap- acity of the site of the present supply is sufficient to justify the installation of a purification plant.
Consumption of Water.
The following table shows average daily consump- tion of water in each month from 1915 to 1920.
67
Gallons per Day
Month
1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920
Jan.
127,050 121,000 123,540 148,700 172,180 140,450
Feb
135,030 132,660 145,490 160,380 181,450 150,240
Mar
131,660 161,320 147,130 126,890 188,720 161,730
Apr
129,870 147,120 141,290 124,730 155,000 141,380
May 128,110 132,380 133,380 140,980 183,520 145,470
June 129,350 141,900 131,470 138,020 174,660 155,880
July
118,390 158,340 150,790 131,790 183,650 159,020
Aug
115,700 161,980 142,710 132,840 173,100 170,330
Sept I30,700 156,420 110,260 136,980 128,110 157,060
Oct
112,510 159,280 113,590
128,053 126,160 150,600
Nov
116,280 134,900 107,730
133,150 123,280 134,530
Dec.
116,940 III,990 127,340 160,430 121,430
Av'g 124,185 143,337 131,204 138 458 159,790 151,583 (334 days)
Gallons per capita
32.2
37.4 34.0
35.8 40.9 39.3
Maximum day
174,720 200,720 238,850 387,660 395,330 305,370
In 1919, the year of largest use of water to date, the daily consumption during the maximum month (189,; 000 gallons) was 20 per cent in excess of the yearly average (159,800 gallons) and the consumption on the maximum day was 150 per cent in excess of the yearly average. In 1900, with 488 service connections, 77,500 gallons per day were used; in 1919, with 644 services, the consumption had practically doubled. From 1915 to 1920, with a 2 per cent increase in the number of services, the per capita use of water has increased 25 per cent and now approximates 40 gallons per day.
The following record of population is taken from the U. S. Census.
1890 - 3014
1910 - 3939
1900 - 3739 1920 - 3783
68
These figures do not suggest a rapid future growth in population and, as there appears to be no reason for anticipating any marked increase in the per capita use of water, it may be safely concluded that for some years to come the probable water consumption will not ex- ceed a yearly average of 200,000 gallons per day no1 250,000 gallons per day in the maximum month.
Schedule of Pumping and Storage
The water is now pumped from the wells directly into the distribution system, the excess over consump- tion flowing to a standpipe 25 feet in diameter and 70 feet high. The present station equipment includes a Davidson steam pump of 390 gallons per minute capaci- ty and a De Laval motor driven centrifugal of 500 gal- lons per minute capacity. The schedule of pump op- eration is arranged so that not more than 20-25 feet of water will be drawn from the standpipe between the time of shutting down the pumps in the afternoon and the time of starting again on the following morning, in order that there shall always be a reasonable amount of water in storage above the elevation necessary to furnish adequate fire pressure.
This limitation of the effective capacity of the standpipe to the upper third of its height at once sug- gests the desirability of a large filtered water reservoir in the construction of a purification plant, as a reserve from which water can be pumped in time of fire for several hours, with the filter plant out of commission.
Investigation of Quality of Supply and Methods of Im- provement
In September 1915 an investigation of the Milford supply was made by Mr. Charles D. Howard of the New Hampshire State Board of Health. The results show- ed iron to be present in the following parts per 100,000, well No. 1., .09, well No. 2, .06 and well No. 3, .05 or sufficient to easily account for the unsatisfactory char-
69
acter of the water delivered to the consumers.
It was therefore anticipated in undertaking our study of possible methods of improving the supply that iron would be found in amounts corresponding to those disclosed by this investigation of the State au- thorities. Such however has not been the case and we have been forced to conclude that the amount of iron found in 1915 was exceptional and due to the abnormal distribution of the rainfall in that year when, after very low precipitation during the Spring months, more than 16 inches fell in July and August and quickly leaching through the surface muck in the valley of the Brook took up from the underlying sands a greater quantity of iron than is usually found in this ground water.
Instead of .05 to .og parts of iron per 100,000 as found in 1915, our analyses have shown, in the eight composite samples taken at the pumping station at va- rious times from Nov. 1919 to Oct. 1920 an average iron content of .0139 parts per 100,000 with a minimum of .0100 and a maximum of .0200 per 100,000. Manganese has also been found to be present in average amount of .0265 parts and varying in different samples from a trace to .01760 parts per 100,00. The carbon dioxide has varied from 2.30 to 4.90 parts per 100,000; the dis- solved oxygen from 15 to 53 per cent saturation, color from 14 to 35 (platinum-cobalt) and colon bacilii were found in one sample of the two subjected to bacterial analysis.
The preceding summary of the analyses of samples collected at the pumping station shows the supply to be a water imperfectly filtered by natural filtration through the ground, relatively high in organic matter and car- bon dioxide, low in dissolved oxygen and with suffic- ient iron to complete the conditions best adapted to the development of the fungus Crenothrix, which is always present and sometimes inamounts exceeding 50 stand- ard units per cubic centimeter.
70
This organism with its faculty for removing iron from solution in the water and incorporating the iron in its cellular structure, causes by its growth and decay in the distribution pipes, an accumulation of rust like sediment which is particularly in evidence in dead ends and where the circulation is sluggish, the result being a more or less dirty and offensive supply in various parts of the system, even though the water as drawn from the wells, may be low in iron, as was the case dur- ing the past year.
To determine the treatment of water necessary to remedy present conditions, a small experimental plant has been operated during the past year. This plant has included an aerator, a coke prefilter and a sand fil- ter, so arranged as to make possible the application of the raw water directly to the sand filter, or after pre- treatment through the coke. Meters were provided to determine the rates of filtration per acre and sufficiently frequent analyses were made to indicate, the resulting purification obtained by the various combinations at- tempted.
The results may be summarized as follows: from May 20 to June 29th the well water after aeration was applied, at a rate of 5,000,00 gallons per acre per day, directly to the sand filter without pretreatment. On the latter date after filtering the equivalent of 150,000,000 gallons per acre, the run was stopped by the accumulat- ed deposit on the surface of the sand. After scraping the sand, the test was continued with the water applied direct to the sand at a rate of 9,300,000 gallons per acre per day, for thirteen days, when the filter again became clogged after passing the equivalent of 102,000,000 gal- lons per acre. The iron in the raw water varied from .010 to .020 parts per 100,000 and the manganese from .004 to .0076 parts per 100,000. The filter removed 50 per cent of the iron and none of the manganese and it was concluded that, because of the necessary frequent
71
cleaning of the sand and the relatively small reduction in the metallic contents of the water, simple aeration and sand filtration would not prove a feasible method of treatment, which conclusion is in accordance with that reached by Mr. Howard in 1915.
From July 14th to Aug. 20th the water was passed at rates varying from 39 to 51 million gallons per acre per day through 8 feet of coke prefilter, operated as a trickler, and thence through the sand at rates of from 8,300,000 to II,100,000 gallons per acre daily, the equiv- alent of 291,000,000 gallons per acre passing through the sand in the period named. On Aug. 2nd the raw water contained .OII parts iron and .004 parts man- ganese per 100,000, the sand effluent .IOI and .0026 man- ganese per 100,000. At the end of this time the raw water contained .OII parts iron and .004 parts mangan- ese and the sand effluent .002 parts iron and .0006 man- ganese per 100,000, indicating a removal of 88 per cent of the iron and 85 per cent of the manganese.
From Se. . 9th to Oct. 7th the water was passed through the coke, backflooded full depth, at a rate of 47,500,000 gallons per acre daily and thence through the sand at a rate of 10,000,000 gallons per acre per day. When the equivalent of 256,000,000 gallons per acre had passed through the sand it became necessary to scrape the filter, after which the test was continued from Oct. 7th to Nov. 17th at rates of 52,500,000 gal- lons per acre per day through the coke and 10,600,000 gallons per acre per day through the sand, the equiva- lent of 437,000,000 gallons being passed through the sand up to Nov. 17th when the plant was shut down because of cold weather. The results of this last test with coke backflooded, while giving a longer run be- tween cleanings of the sand filter, did not show such a good removal or iron and manganese as the previous tests with the coke operated as a trickler, the iron con-
.
72
tent being reduced from .012 to .008 parts per 100,000 and the manganese hardly changed.
In the period, during which the experimental plant has been operated, the iron in the well water lias been low and the resulting improvement by treatment there- fore relatively less than would have been the case, if the metallic contents had been as high as in 1915 or as may easily occur again under different rainfall con- ditions. The results have however, made clear that, as at Lowell, Mass., pretreatment through coke or some similar material is necessary, or, in other words that simple aeration and filtration is not feasible. Also the experiments have shown that, contrary to the experi- ence at Lowell and, presumably because of the higher carbon dioxide, which at times is double that found in the Lowell supply, the coke prefilter for the best re- sults must be run as a trickler . and not backflooded. Also, so far as can be determined from the water avail- able for test during the past season, the experiments have shown that rates of 50 million and I0 million gal- lons per acre per day through the coke and sand re- spectively are entirely feasible. In general the treat- ment must be such as will not only be capable of re- ducing the iron, manganese and organic matter to the point which will eliminate the conditions necessary for the development of Crenothrix, but which will also ef- fect such bacterial improvement as to make the supply at all times safe. All of this can be accomplished by the proposed method of aeration, passage through coke and filtration through sand.
Description of Proposed Plant.
The plant recommended, and which is illustrated by three sheets of plans herewith furnished, includes two motor driven pumping units, with connections to pres- ent suction pipes from wells, an 8 inch force main from station to a control chamber, a circular concrete pre-
73
filter containing 8 feet of coke, two covered sand filters and a filtered water reservoir.
It is proposed that the plant shall have a capacity of 300,000 gallons a day, based on 24 hours' operation at standard rates of 50,000 gallons per day through the coke prefilter and 10,000,000 gallons per day per acre through the sand filters. This capacity, which is 50 per cent in excess of the probable average consumption during the maximum month of the near future, is based on the assumption that the filter will run daily at the standard rate for such number of hours as will meet the required consumption, except in emergency when the rates can be increased or the excess drawn from surplus storage in the filtered water reservoir.
An effort has been made in the design to simplify operation, to reduce attendance to a minimum, and to provide large filtered water storage in order that the operation of the high lift pumps may be as independent of the operation of the filters as possible. It is anti- cipated that the plant having been started in the morn- ing will be allowed to run until the water in the filtered water reservoir rises to a point where the movement of a float will open a switch in the electric circuit to the low lift pump motors, thus rendering attendance at the time of shutting down unnecessary.
It is proposed to install in the present station two motor driven centrifugal pumping units, one of 300,000 gallons per day and the other of 200,000 gallons per day capacity, and to connect these pumps to the pres- ent suction pipes from the wells. Preferably all pump- ing apparatus, including the high lift pumps, should be placed at a lower elevation than is possible with the floor of the station at its present elevation, but this would involve an extra expense of $950.00, and while desirable, it is not necessary and so has not been inclu- ded in the proposed improvement.
Arrangements are provided whereby the discharge
74
of the low lift pumps can be passed through the spray nozzles and onto the coke filter, or directly to the sand filter, and it will be possible in emergency to pump the well water directly into the mains by the high lift pumps as at present,
The layout and method of constructing the pro- posed coke and sand filters are well shown by the plans and need not be described in detail.
The proposed method of providing for storage of filtered water, however, requires some discussion. The necessary amount of such storage depends on the re- lation between the capacity of the filtration plant and the rate at which the water is drawn fram storage by the high lift pumps. With a filtration plant of 300,000 gallons per day capacity and an estimated average daily consumption of 200,000 gallons during the maximum month in the not distant future, it is evident that if the pumping is to be done within the period of 8 hours or one shift, the pumps will require for their supply 100,000 gallons more than the filter plant will furnish in the same period. In other words, 100,000 gallons is the minimum allowable capacity of the filtered water reservoir, unless a larger filtration plant is constructed or the high lift pump-run is spread over more than an S hour period. It is also apparent that the amount of filtered water storage is an important factor in fire ser- vice as a reserve from which the high lift pumps may draw at maximum capacity during fires.
By studies of relative cost it has been found cheaper to increase the capacity of the filtered water reservoir than to enlarge the filter plant and we have concluded that a 300,000 gallon per day plant and a storage of not less than 100,000 gallons is the most economical combi- nation.
The cost of a new filtered water reservoir of 100,000 gallons capacity will approximate $7,000. On the other hand, by placing a concrete bottom in Well No. 2 and
75
relining the walls with concrete, as shown on plans herewith furnished, a storage reservoir of 150,000 to 180,000 gallons capacity, dependent on the height to which it is filled, can be obtained at an estimated cost of $2,200. As already stated, this well adds but little to the available supply and at the present time is only of value as storage for water supplied from Well No. I. Such storage of raw water will not be necessary with the lower rate of draft and longer run of the pumps supplying the filtration plant and it is therefore pro- posed to use Well No. 2 as a filtered water reservoir, thus substantially reducing the expenditure necessary for the improvement of the supply and at the same time making Well No. 2 of some real service. .
Estimate of Cost of Proposed Improvements.
The estimated cost of the low lift pumping appar- atus, prefilter, sand filters and relining of Well No. 2 is as follows:
Earth excavation and refill, 675 cu. yds. @ $1.50 $1013
Seeding, loaming, etc
100
Concrete masonry, 265 cu. yds.@$22.50
5896
Plastering clear well, 200 sq. yds. @ $1.50
300
Coke filling, 27 tons @ $13.50
365
Filter sand 160 cu. yds. @ $3.00
480
Filter gravel, 40 cu. yds. @ $3.50
140
Coke distributing and collecting system
525
Gates, piping etc., in filters
I350
Outside piping
650
Floats, guages, etc.
575
Low lift pumping equipment
1700
$13,094
Add 2 percent for cost of supervision,
inspection, etc
$2.619
$15,713
76
The preceeding estimate is based on an assumed wage of 55 cents per hour for common labor and on prices of materials which it is believed will hold in the coming spring. We recommend that detailed plans and specifications be at once prepared so that you may re- ceive bids from contractors at an early date and before the revival of business again reduces the supply of available labor.
Yours Respectfully, F. A. BARBOUR.
77
COMMENTS ON MILFORD WATER SUPPLY BY STATE CHEMIST C. D. HOWARD.
Dr. Charles Duncan, Secretary,
State Board of Health,
Concord.
Dear Sir :
This department has had submitted for approval plans as prepared by Mr. Frank A. Barbour, Boston, and submitted by him under date of January 28, 1921, in connection with a proposed deferrization and general purification plant for the Milford Water Works.
This water supply, which is taken from some wells closely adjacent to a brook and which consists in large part of imperfectly filtered surface water, has periodical- ly given considerable trouble occasioned by a growth of crenothrix as a result of the presence of appreciable a- mounts of dissolved iron and organic matter carried in- to the distributing mains.
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