WATER WORKS SYSTEM OF DALLAS

WATER WORKS SYSTEM OF DALLAS

From private ownership to municipal control, from economical provisions for its maintenance to the expenditure of hundreds of thousands of dollars on that account, the water system of Dallas has shown that growth and improvement which might be expected from the record the city of Dallas, Texas, has made in other l_____es. In such a case, the history of the manner of bringing this about comes last; what interests the public most is the concrete result of the years of effort. Therefore, it ought to be told just what water facilities Dallas has. In the first place, there is a system of pumping stations and reservoirs to the north of the city. One station was erected lately and its capacity alone is more than sufficient for present needs. The other was erected years ago. but its machinery has been repaired, and it, too, is capable of doing all the pumping. The reservoirs draw their supply from the river and the Bachman watershed. The two at Turtle Creek station have a capacity of 125,000,000 gallons, the Record Crossing reservoir about 150,000,000 and the one at Bachman 800,000,000 to 1,000,000,000. In addition to all this by the first of next year the municipality of Dallas will have completed and ready for Use on White Rock creek, east of here, a reservoir larger than that owned or controlled by any other municipality in the Southwest. This reservoir will draw from an entirely new watershed and is expected to store 500,000,000 gallons, sufficient, it is hoped, for the needs of the city for many years to come. Besides all this, important steps have been taken looking to the development of the undergound supply. Some believe that this is by far the most important of the work done or in prospect.

To go back to the historical phase of the subject, it should be said that until 1882 the waterworks system ot Dallas was owned by a private corporation, of which Hon. W. C. Connor had control. First the supply was drawn from the Trinity river by means of a small pumping plant near the present site of the Dallas gas works. Later a change was made to Browder Springs, in what is now the City Park. From that place a distributing system radiated and the largest mains used were eight inches in size. The demand of the public for a better water service led the city to purchase the plant. The price is said to have been about $50,000. When the city assumed control it installed a Worthington engine at Browder Springs. This engine is now in use at the Turtle Creek station. This comprised the entire system in 1885, and for a number of years following. In 1890 the citizens, tiring of a common absence of water at times of fire and upon other occasions, caused the city to build the station at Turtle creek. Here the first and second Worthington engines were installed, the two having cost about $8,000. Their capacity was about 4,250,000 gallons a day. In 1891 the first of the Holly engines, having a capacity of 5,000,000 or 6,000,000 gallons a day, was secured. The cost was over $20,000. This engine was allowed to “run away” in 1891, causing its partial demolition, and this led to the purchase in 1893 of a second engine of the same make, with a capacity of about 8,000,000 gallons daily, as a reserve engine. In November, 1891, J. M. Bassett, a civil and mechanical engineer, was employed, first to ascertain the cause of the destruction of the first big Holly engine and later to be chief engineer of the Dallas water department, a position he still holds. In 1893 the plant and engines represented an investment of over $60,000. Following this came the Turtle Creek reservoirs. Then increased demand for water resulted in the construction of a station at Record Crossing, costing about $75,000, and the purchase of another Holly engine with a capacity of 12,000,000 gallons. It was 1896 before this plant was ready for use.