Subterranean Reservoir System.

Subterranean Reservoir System.

Water-works are no longer a luxury, but a necessity to even the smallest hamlet. Previous to the year 1800 there were only sixteen water-works in the United States. In 1880 there ing the rights of a system by which cities and towns could be guaranteed an abundant supply of pure water. There are now hundreds of cities and towns in the United States pumping the warm, impure, and even filthy waters of streams and rivers which are underlaid with sparkling rivulets and lakes of purest, coldest and most delicious waters. The city of Brooklyn is evidence of this fact. Thirty-five million gallons are daily pumped from a system of driven wells. The subterranean reservoir system described herewith shows how to obtain and preserve pure cold water for household purposes. No. i indicates a flowing artesian well which has been drilled on the highest elevation near the city or town about to be supplied. The water from the well, instead of coming to the surface, as usual, is turned into the subterranean reservoir 2, which is far enough below the surface to preserve the water cool and fresh. The water for immediate consumption is drawn from this reservoir through a pipe which is laid deep enough to be below the influence of surface temperature. The surplus water from the reservoir runs off through a pipe 4 to the large storage reservoir 5. This pipe connects with the upper portion of the other reservoir so as not to affect its storage capacity, and also is provided with a trap 6 to prevent the passage of air into the reservoir. A vent pipe 7 prevents the water from being siphoned out of the trap. No. 8 is a valve chamber in communication with the cold water main 3, and No. 9 is a branch pipe leading from the storage reservoir into the chamber.

The discharge pipe of the storage reservoir is automatically controlled by a balanced valve xi, which may put the main in communication with the storage reservoir when the water from the subterranean reservoir is insufficient to supply the demands upon the main.