Water Situation at Worcester

Water Situation at Worcester

That the high service water system of Worcester, Mass., could be drawn on for about 21 days’ supply of water without a reduction in the pressure that would seriously affect the hill sections of the city but that to draw for more than 21 days on the high service reservoirs would be inadvisable because of the weakened pressure that would result was the view of the water situation in that city recently expressed by Water Commissioner George W. Batchelder. He said that the low service water supply was giving no concern whatever and that chief attention and interest was being centered on the high-service system. The pumping station at the metropolitan reservoir in West Boylston was ready for use to drive water into the Worcester mains in case the situation became so acute that an auxiliary supply would be needed. That pumping from West Boylston will be a necessity unless there were heavy rains was considered certain by many. Commissioner Batchelder said he would not make use of the metropolitan water until necessary, but had the station put in readiness against a possible emergency. Commissioner Batchelder figured that there were 300,000,000 gallons of water in Lynde-brook reservoir in the highservice system. The ordinary daily draft on the high service is about 4,000,000 gallons a day, and with the water in the Kettlebrook reservoirs there would be easily 100 days’ supply on hand, providing the reservoirs were to be drained. The reservoirs have been low for some time. To drain them much lower would result disastrously to the pressure, especially in the hill sections of the city that must depend upon this class of water service and would also mean a serious handicap in fire fighting. The draft on the high pressure was relieved to some extent through the completion of the big low service line in Chandler Street. This line leads from the Holden reservoirs, where there is a comparatively good supply of water. The water has been backed up as far as Gates lane and by adopting this method the water commissioner has succeeded in relieving the draft on Parsons distributing reservoir, Leicester. The West Boylston pumping station has a capacity of more than 6,000,000 gallons a day. There are three pumps at the station and plenty of power facilities to keep them in operation at all times.

That the high service water system of Worcester, Mass., could be drawn on for about 21 days’ supply of water without a reduction in the pressure that would seriously affect the hill sections of the city but that to draw for more than 21 days on the high service reservoirs would be inadvisable because of the weakened pressure that would result was the view of the water situation in that city recently expressed by Water Commissioner George W. Batchelder. He said that the low service water supply was giving no concern whatever and that chief attention and interest was being centered on the high-service system. The pumping station at the metropolitan reservoir in West Boylston was ready for use to drive water into the Worcester mains in case the situation became so acute that an auxiliary supply would be needed. That pumping from West Boylston will be a necessity unless there were heavy rains was considered certain by many. Commissioner Batchelder said he would not make use of the metropolitan water until necessary, but had the station put in readiness against a possible emergency. Commissioner Batchelder figured that there were 300,000,000 gallons of water in Lynde-brook reservoir in the highservice system. The ordinary daily draft on the high service is about 4,000,000 gallons a day, and with the water in the Kettlebrook reservoirs there would be easily 100 days’ supply on hand, providing the reservoirs were to be drained. The reservoirs have been low for some time. To drain them much lower would result disastrously to the pressure, especially in the hill sections of the city that must depend upon this class of water service and would also mean a serious handicap in fire fighting. The draft on the high pressure was relieved to some extent through the completion of the big low service line in Chandler Street. This line leads from the Holden reservoirs, where there is a comparatively good supply of water. The water has been backed up as far as Gates lane and by adopting this method the water commissioner has succeeded in relieving the draft on Parsons distributing reservoir, Leicester. The West Boylston pumping station has a capacity of more than 6,000,000 gallons a day. There are three pumps at the station and plenty of power facilities to keep them in operation at all times.