EXPANDING WATER SUPPLY SYSTEMS*

EXPANDING WATER SUPPLY SYSTEMS*

A thriving young city is surely destined to he in time perplexed with complaints that the water pressure in its distribution mains is insufficient, notwithstanding the quantity of water at its source may be ample. Such complaints come sooner if the city grows fast, and also if the locality is undulating, so that fine residences arc built upon suburban hills that are fifty to one hundred feet higher than the business section. Such complaint comes sooner if the source, or pumping station, is far to one side of the city, or if tram lines encourage the building up of suburban groups of residences or manufacturing centers far to one side of the city and opposite to the site of the pumping station or reservoir.

Where there are direct pressure systems of pumping for fire service the lack of water pressure at times of large draft of water is often erroneously attributed to a weakness of the pumps, while the officials know that the pumps are in good order and give, when required, full one-hundred pounds per square inch water pressure at the station when a fire is in progress. Sometimes the citizens suspect that the pipes are filled with sediments, or with algae or with tubercles so that the water cannot flow in sufficient quantity to give the desired pressure. As cities grow the pipes are extended, and the draft of water increases, hut rarely do more than few of the citizens, and perhaps rarely do more than parts of the citv councils recognise that lengths of the main and distribution pipes and increased velocities of flow have both important effects in the losses or pressure.