Experts' Report on Toronto Water Supply
The Board of Expert Engineers employed by the city of Toronto, Canada, about eighteen months ago to prepare a plan to increase the city's water supply has turned in its report. The board was composed of J. G. Sing, Toronto, chairman ; Isham Randolph, Chicago; T. Aird Murray, Toronto; Willis Chipman, Toronto. “In preparing our report.” said Willis Chipman, C.E, secretary of the Board of Water Commissioners, “we have compared Toronto with other cities on the Great Lakes. This we considered was more reasonable than comparing her with English cities." He then went on to point out various matters contained in the report. As showing how chlorine had increased in Toronto water in 30 years, it w'as stated that in 1881 Toronto’s’ drinking water contained 3.0 of chlorine; in 1911 it was 9.0. Other lake cities show these figures: Detroit, 4.7; Cleveland, 9.1; Erie, Pa., G.8; Buffalo, 10; Hamilton, 10. As a means of preventing waste of water, the board is very strong for meters. That the present plant would supply a third more population than at present were the water metered is their contention, which they back up with the case of Cleveland, O. In 1901 Cleveland had 55,130 water services, only 6.42 per cent, of which were metered, and the consumption of water daily per capita was 169.40 gallons. In 1910 Cleveland had 80,686 water services, 97.67 per cent, of which were metered, and the consumption had dropped to 101.80 per capita, a reduction of 40 per cent. To meter the entire city of Toronto would cost approximately $1,140,000, as follows: 60,000 meters set in basement at $11, $840,000; 10,000 meters set in vaults or chambers at $30, $31)0,000. The interest and sinking fund on the capital expenditure may be estimated at $6,000, the maintenance charges at $20,000, and the depreciation at 6 per cent., or $66,000. This gives a total annual expenditure of $146,000 for metering, offset by an estimated saving of $200,000 per year. In the matter of water mains, Toronto suffers by comparison with other large lake cities, as this table shows:
显示了多伦多在其他湖城市的泵送能力后面的方式，显示了一张桌子，显示1911年多伦多的抽水机每天总容量为1.25亿美国加仑。布法罗的容量订购但尚未安装的机器，是底特律的3.45亿美国加仑。2.67亿加仑；密尔沃基，1,100万；克利夫兰（Cleveland），1,1500万，芝加哥（芝加哥），7.95亿。目前的一百万人口计算。当多伦多的人口达到这一数字时，有必要再次扩大植物。1890年，多伦多每100,000人的伤寒的死亡率为93.1，1911年为21.3，在1910年，44.1。In 1911, Erie, Pa., had a death rate from typhoid of 198.7, caused by an epidemic The experts believe that onefourth of the Ashbridge’s bay tract owned by the city, or 150 acres, should be utilized for sewerage disposal works It has been the experience of large cities in the U. S. that it is unwise to concentrate all pumping plants at onopoint. Chicago has eight major pumping plants and three minor ones. About one-third of the water pumped at the John street station is repumped to the intermediate and higher levels of the city at the high level pumping station at Poplar Plains road. It is not generally known that practically all of the area north of College street and west of the Don is supplied by the high level station. The average consumption of water in Toronto in 1911 was 41 million gallons per 24 hours, with a maximum of 60 millions in July. At the end of 1910 Toronto had a distribution system of 400 miles of water mains, with 1,595 fire hydrants and 3,857 gate valves Of the 76,601 water services, 3,042 were metered, or less than 1 per cent. In 1877, with a population of 72.000, Toronto had 9.05 miles of mains to each 100,000 of its inhabitants; in 1892 it had 4.50 miles of mains to each 100,000, and in 1912 only 4.45, thus showing that the extension of the large mains has not kept pace with the growth of the city. On July 4, 1911, Toronto consumed 60,000,000 gallons of water, exceeding the full capacity of the steam pumping machinery' by 20 per cent. Judging by the growth of large cities in the U. S., Toronto will have a population of a million in 24 years. When Toronto has her million of population, one-third of them will be supplied by the present water system, and the ther two-thirds, by the proposed system at Scarboro Bluffs. As compared with other large cities on the Great Lakes. Toronto is economical in her use of water. Before meters were installed at Cleveland the average consumption of water was 168 millions per head. For the last 37 years Toronto has only intermittently obtained a satisfactory water supply. The estimated cost for obtaining a water supply from Lake Simcoe equal to that of the Scarhoro Bluff’s scheme would he 15 millions. From data formerly obtained, and from further information secured by the board, there is no doubt in their minds that the question of obtaining a water supply for the city of Toronto from the ridge lakes, artesian wells, and from the water sheds of the River Don and the River Humber cannot be seriously considered. The report contains 153 pages, about 20 maps and other plans, and will cost the city the neat sum of about $25,000. One feature of the experts’ report, the duplication of the present, intake, is already under contract, at an estimated cost of $333,000. This, if added to the estimates for the future, would bring the total cost of improvements up to $8,080,000. Discussing the question of lake currents, of great importance in determining the various factors bearing upon intake location, the experts find: (1) That the transporting currents depend entirely upon the winds; (2)that the predominating transporting currents are from the eastward; (3) that sewage discharged opposite the Woodbine may be carried to the waterworks within 12 hours.
