NEW BRUNSWICK WATERWORKS

Specially written for FIRE AND WATER ENGINEERING

The waterworks plant of New Brunswick, N. J., was purchased by the city from a private company on April 30, 1873, and the source of supply is Lawrence brook and several streams and brooks formed by springs running through a large farming country covering a tract forming a watershed of about forty-four square miles. The water is dammed at several places along its course, and is used for waterpower. The last dam is at the city’s pumping station, from which is pumped the water, about N.ooo feet, through two twenty-inch iron mains into the reservoirs, which are at an elevation above the water supply of about 180 feet. The two reservoirs have a capacity of 8,000,000 gallons each, affording thereby a storage capacity of 16,000,000 gallons. The delivery system into the city mains is by gravity from the reservoirs, the average pressure being about thirty-five pounds it runs from seventeen pounds to sixty pounds. We have about fortyfour miles of street mains, the largest of which is a twentv-four-inch cast iron pipe. Some of the old cement mains are in use. but they are living replaced as rapidly as possible with cast iron pipe. In the pumping station three pumps are installed. The largest is a 6,000,000-gal loti Barr pump, installed in 1900. It gives very good results. There is also a 4,000.000-gallon Worthington pump which is held in reserve. Besides these, there are two steam pumps and a turbine waterwheel from which is derived about one-half of the pumping. This is used when there is water enough to admit of it. and it reduces the pumping expense in proportion, 1’he average daily consumption of the city for the past year lias been 2,500.000 gallons. The distributing system during the past year has been increased about 7,000 feet of twenty-inch iron main, which has replaced the old twelve-inch cement pipe. The efforts of the new board of water commissioners, which was elected in April. 191)5. have been to give the city a sufficient supply’of water for all its needs. This has been accomplished by the installation of larger mains from the reservoir and through the city. Their efforts will now he directed to the betterment of the water supplied. The commissioners are considering several up-to-date filtering plants ami expect in the near future to recommend a plan of filtration that will give the city such a pure and wholesome water as shall bo a credit to their efforts. The water lioard consistof six members: Wm. Schtessipger (president); John Elmendorf (vicepresident): T Henry Rastall (secretary); Frank Watson: Leslie P. Johnson and Morris C. Ross. J. H. Whitfield is superintendent and treasurer, and the whole system is under his immediate supervision. He is a thorough mechanic, progressive in his ideas and conscientious in the performance of his duties and lie has the hacking and support of an intelligent and active board of water commissioners. In the city are set 251 fire hydrants, 648 gates, 325 meters (Crown. Empire, Thomson and Worthington). Forty-four miles of pipe are laid. The accompanying illustration shows a new main extending from the reservoir into the city. The straight line, with the gate at the end, comes direct from the distributing chamber, which is a twenty-inch main. The other connection is a twenty-four-inch main reduced to twenty-inch connecting with the main line through a “breeches/’ three-way branch. A view of the pumping station is also given.