HAMILTON, O., WATER WORKS.

HAMILTON, O., WATER WORKS.

THE water supply of Hamilton, O., is derived from driven wells, the system being pumping to reservoir and direct. The capacity of the reservoir is 6,750,000 gallons, and the water is pumped into it by Gordon pumping engines of a daily capacity of 3,000,000 gallons. There are 35 3-4 miles of distributing pipes, Addyston, 4 to 20 inches in diameter; 300 valves, and 250 meters. The domestic and fire pressure is 90 pounds. The works, which are owned by the city, cost $360,000 to construct, and up to date have cost nearly $385,000. In July, 1887, twenty-six 6-inch artesian wells, with a guaranteed supply of 3,000,000 gallons every twenty-four hours, were connected by an intake pipe to take the place of an unsatisfactory open basin, which up to that time had formed the city’s supply. Two additional wells were put down four years afterwards, and last summer’s excessive drought made it absolutely necessary to deepen the wells and reach some better bearing strata. Whilst this was being done, it was found that 300 feet of the intake pipe would have to be lowered, so that water from the north wells should flow into the pipe, rendering it necessary to exhaust the old supply basin and to keep the water out during the progress of the work. This involved considerable trouble and expense. The 12, 16, and 20-inch intake pipe at six wells was lowered from 4 1-2 to 8 inches; at two others, 14 inches; at two others, 23 inches; and at two others, 28 inches. The connections between the intake pipe and the last eight wells were broken and both the connections at the wells and the pipes were lowered to a depth which gives a present fall of about seven inches from wells No. 19 and No. 20 to wells No. 5 and No. 6. All the 6-inch wells were lowered and thoroughly cleaned out at the same time. In making a test of the water supply since the wells were lowered, the water in the reservoir was lowered to a depth of 4 feet 6 inches, after which began a test of sixtyhours—in reality of only fifty four hours, owing to the accidental breaking of the stuffing-box in one of the engines. This test was satisfactory, as will be seen from the following table of results, together with the average daily consumption given, number of service taps, and number of miles of mains. It may be added that the capacity of each engine is 125,000 gallons every twenty-four hours In order to test the water supply of the wells, the engineer ran the engines away above that capacity for fiftv-four hours. But he does not advise that this standard be kept up for any length of time, as the machinery will not stand it.

TEST OF WATER SUPPLY FROM WELLS AT SUPPLY BASIN.