The Water Supply at Norwood

The Water Supply at Norwood

In the course of a supplementary report on the city of Norwood, N. J., by the Committee on Fire Prevention of the National Board of Fire Engineers, is the following concerning the water supply: Since the National Board report of 1909, the works have been put under the control of the Director of Public Service, who is appointed by the Mayor for a 2-year term and who also has charge of electricity, streets and sewers. The present director, H. J Pierson, has held office since January 1, 1914. All employees are now under civil service rules. A new set of detail maps on a scale of 50 feet to the inch showing mains, gate valves, hydrants and other features is being prepared from actual survey by the city engineer. The fire alarm gong at the pumping stations and the telephones in the residences of pumping engineer and superintendent of distribution have been removed. Four additional wells have been sunk, another is being drilled, and one has been abandoned, making 9 now in service, as against 6 in 1909. Tests of the flow from each well separately showed that under these conditions the combined capacity was 1,870 gallons per minute, apparently a considerable increase over 1909. A new 10-inch main has been laid from the wells to the station and a 12-inch is now being constructed. One of the old air-compressors has been replaced by one capable of compressing 2,400 cubic feet of free air per minute to a pressure of 120 pounds. The large aircompressor, in service in 1909, is being overhauled. In 1911, one of the 1,000,000-gallon pumps was replaced by a Laidlaw-Dunn-Gordon 3,000,000-gallon, horizontal, simple, duplex, double-acting, crank and fly-wheel pump. Two 300-h. p. Heine boilers were installed in 1915; these, with two 250-h. p. Tudor boilers, equipped in 1909 with Jones underfeed furnaces, furnish enough steam for the station at all times, leaving two boilers in reserve. Steam piping was renewed in 1914 and is well gated, but not in duplicate. All equipment is now in good condition. In November, 1913, the station was badly damaged by fire communicating from the burning washing machine factory 100 feet away. The station has been repaired and the factory replaced by a fireproof building. During this fire supply through emergency connections from the Cincinnati system was obtained for a few hours. Approved chemical extinguishers have been provided. The distribution system has not been materially strengthened except for considerable gridironing in 4 and 6-inch sizes, the total mileage having increased about three miles. One block of 12-inch pine has been laid in Montgomery road, completing the connection in this size between the pumping station and a six-inch emergency connection with the Cincinnati system. A 16-inch emergency connection on Montgomery road between a 12-inch main of the Norwood system and a 16-inch main of the Cincinnati system is to be installed this summer. Gate valves are now inspected and operated at least once each year; practically no gates have been installed. Sixty hydrants have been set since the previous report.

In the course of a supplementary report on the city of Norwood, N. J., by the Committee on Fire Prevention of the National Board of Fire Engineers, is the following concerning the water supply: Since the National Board report of 1909, the works have been put under the control of the Director of Public Service, who is appointed by the Mayor for a 2-year term and who also has charge of electricity, streets and sewers. The present director, H. J Pierson, has held office since January 1, 1914. All employees are now under civil service rules. A new set of detail maps on a scale of 50 feet to the inch showing mains, gate valves, hydrants and other features is being prepared from actual survey by the city engineer. The fire alarm gong at the pumping stations and the telephones in the residences of pumping engineer and superintendent of distribution have been removed. Four additional wells have been sunk, another is being drilled, and one has been abandoned, making 9 now in service, as against 6 in 1909. Tests of the flow from each well separately showed that under these conditions the combined capacity was 1,870 gallons per minute, apparently a considerable increase over 1909. A new 10-inch main has been laid from the wells to the station and a 12-inch is now being constructed. One of the old air-compressors has been replaced by one capable of compressing 2,400 cubic feet of free air per minute to a pressure of 120 pounds. The large aircompressor, in service in 1909, is being overhauled. In 1911, one of the 1,000,000-gallon pumps was replaced by a Laidlaw-Dunn-Gordon 3,000,000-gallon, horizontal, simple, duplex, double-acting, crank and fly-wheel pump. Two 300-h. p. Heine boilers were installed in 1915; these, with two 250-h. p. Tudor boilers, equipped in 1909 with Jones underfeed furnaces, furnish enough steam for the station at all times, leaving two boilers in reserve. Steam piping was renewed in 1914 and is well gated, but not in duplicate. All equipment is now in good condition. In November, 1913, the station was badly damaged by fire communicating from the burning washing machine factory 100 feet away. The station has been repaired and the factory replaced by a fireproof building. During this fire supply through emergency connections from the Cincinnati system was obtained for a few hours. Approved chemical extinguishers have been provided. The distribution system has not been materially strengthened except for considerable gridironing in 4 and 6-inch sizes, the total mileage having increased about three miles. One block of 12-inch pine has been laid in Montgomery road, completing the connection in this size between the pumping station and a six-inch emergency connection with the Cincinnati system. A 16-inch emergency connection on Montgomery road between a 12-inch main of the Norwood system and a 16-inch main of the Cincinnati system is to be installed this summer. Gate valves are now inspected and operated at least once each year; practically no gates have been installed. Sixty hydrants have been set since the previous report.