1890- The Commissioners beg to renew the recommendation of a former Board, and strongly urge the town to lay a six-inch main pipe from the corner of Winter and Prospect Sts., to connect with the main pipe on Cottage Street.
This connection by continuous pumping will ensure the town a supply of water, in case of accident to the reservoir, or to the main pipes leading from the reservoir to the corner of Nichols and Winter Sts.; and furnish the town two nearly complete systems. Estimated cost, $1,600.00.
The reservoir being some distance from the main street, and in an exposed condition, should be protected with a suitable fence. Estimated cost, including painting two coats, $500.
The ordinary water rates, while lower than in many towns, are just and equitable, but meter rates for domestic use are below the average, and in our opinion, too low. Our first Board of Water Commissioners allowed water takers through meter’s to supply other families on the same premises through one meter, at an annual minimum charge of $10.00.
We would recommend that the Board of Water Commissioners be authorized to increase the minimum charge to those who supply more than one family on the same premises through one meter, to $15.00 per year, payable semi-annually in advance; which payment will entitle the consumer to use sixty thousand gallons of water per year, for one year, and thirty cents for each and every thousand gallons of water drawn in excess of this quantity. The works, for the first time since they were completed, have this year paid the total cost of maintenance, repairs and interest on the bonded debt ($100,000), and a balance in favor of the Department of $761.34.
To give the Water Dept a proper and just showing the town should give it credit for or pay for the hydrant service for fire protection rendered by the Works. Inquiries have been made and we find that $40.00 per year for each hydrant would be a just and equitable price, which is from 15 to 25% lower than surrounding towns pay to water companies for same service. We have (Jan. 1, 1890) 98 hydrants, at $40.00, 3,920.00 Or a profit, based on the above figures, for operating 1889, $4,681.34 These figures will show to those who labored for the introduction of a supply of pure water in our town, that their labor has been rewarded, as the works are now on a paying basis.
SUMMARY OF RECORD OF POND GAUGE.
January 1, 1889, the water was one inch above the curb at the outlet; it remained about the same until March 1.
From March 1 to July 1 the average was one inch below the curb..
The lowest point reached was July 27, six and one-fourth inches below the curb.
From August 1 to November 20 the average was two inches below the curb.
From Nov. 20 to January 1, 1890, the average was one-half inch over the curb at the outlet.
SUMMARY OF STATISTICS.
Number of services put in 1889, 68 T
Total number of services, Jan. 1, 1890, 430
Number of hydrants set, 1889, 12
Total number of hydrants Jan. 1, 1890, 98
Total number of meters in use Jan. 1, 1890, 96
Total fuel consumed for the year for pumping, heating buildings, and steaming, in pounds, 219,351
Total pumpage for the year, in gallons, 58,577,246
Number of gallons pumped per lb. of coal, 267
Cost of operating, figured on maintenance and repairs, $2,015.55
Interest at 4% figured on cost of works, January 1, 1889 ($108,979.74), $4,359.19
Cost of a million gallons raised to reservoir, figured on total maintenance and interest, $108.98