WATER DEPARTMENT OF TROY, N. Y.

WATER DEPARTMENT OF TROY, N. Y.

The forty-second annual report of the board of water commissioners of Troy, N. Y., for the year ending February 28 last, has been submitted to the board by Clerk George B. Fales, and will be sent to the common council when printed. The report states that there have been no changes in the of ficers of the department for the year. The rainfall for 1896 was 27.88 inches. The increased demand for water has taxed the facilities of the department to the utmost. The pumping service is quite apt to become disabled in case of any serious break in the machinery. A radical change is absolutely necessary for an abundance of pure water, and delay can no longer be allowed. 'The authorization alone of the common council is required to enable the work to be done by which an abundant supply can be had. 'The work performed last summer in cleaning out the well and tunnel at the pumping station is dwelt upon at length. The cost of this undertaking was $2 -739.37, and was performed by employes of Sooysmith & Co., of New York, under the direction of Daniel E Moran. C. E. Seven new' fire hydrants and thirty-four new valves were put in, making now in all 755 hydrants and 1,264 valves in use throughout the city. The cost of mains laid $9,010.23. During the year 210 houSe laterals were put in, twenty-one by plumbers and 181 by the department. The superintendent issued thirty permits for opening streets to introduce the water. The present bonded debt for March is $283,500, and the amount in the sinking fund, applicable to the payment of bonds as they become due, is $41,193.75 There are 281 meters in use. Mains were laid in First street, 3 948 feet; l.ocust avenue, 174 feet; Highland avenue, 222 feet; Alder avenue, 540 feet; Bedford street, twelve feet; Harrison street, sixty feet; making altogether 5,128 feet of pipe laid, not including 111 feet of fire hydrant laterals. The number of miles of pipe in this city is at present fifty-eight miles and 1,274 feet. There was an increase in the water rents over those of 1895 of $2,379.80. Meter and lateral bills, collected with the water rents, amounted to $4,008.61. The total cost of the water works to March 1, 1897, was $[,278,083.01. The rainfall is given in detail for each day of the month, and is arranged in convenient form, followed by the record for seventy years, with the monthly averages for the entire time. Then follow the tables of street mains, alphabetically arranged, and location of fire hydrants, concluding with the usual inventory. The quantity of water metered for the year was 415,961,007 gallons. The finances of the department are shown in the following: Balance on hand, March r, 1896, $9,938.60; regular water rents for 1896, $74,841; collected by the clerk, $22,483 99; total—$107,263.69. The expenditures were as follows: Paid interest on debt, $11,497.50; paid sinking fund, $18,962,50; paid for construction, $9,736.31; paid general purposes, $64,693.48; paid new supply account, $65-— total $104,954.79. Balance on hand March 1, 1897, $2,308 90. The report of Superintendent Edward Dolan was also read. It gave in minute detail the work performed in construction, cost of repairs, operation of the pumping ma chinery, etc., and concluded with the following suggestions:

“我建议在sprinkling season the placing of temporary gate valves and nozzles on such hydrants as are used for street sprinkling. This device will keep the hydrants open full head at all times. The temporary gates would be used by the fire department and sprinklers. 1 would recommend painting the well houses of the various reservoirs and purchasing sufficient land along the Piscawenkill and fencing it to prevent cattle from roaming near the water.”