WATER WORKS PRACTICE

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WATER WORKS PRACTICE

The Board of Water Commissioners of Dover, N. J., has a rule governing the repair or changes of service pipes by plumbers, stipulating that an additional shut-off cock be placed near the meter to prevent damage to the meter. Plumbers in the past have been careless and when the water was shut off the back-flow caused serious damage in case the water from the boiler should drain into the meter, warping the delicate mechanism.

Some ingenious contractors constructing a cast-iron water pipe line lor the town of Preston, Cuba, bent cast-iron

pipe to be used around curves in a canyon in the absence of special bends.

Through somebody’s oversight, no bends or sleeves were ordered with the pipe when it was bought, and as it might have taken a month or so to send up and get additional specials, the local engineer decided to bend some of the straight pipes. The pipes were bent to various radii, the shortest being 50 feet. A cradle of old rails was first constructed with the desired amount of curvature.

About one foot at each end of the pipe was left outside the fire, to prevent collapse of the pipe, and a fire of hard wood was built under and around the remainder of the pipes. Six or eight pipes were bent at a time. In one and one-half to two hours after starting the fires the pipes were hot enough to bend, and settled front their own weight to the cradle prepared to, receive them.

The control of water service to consumers at St. Louis, Mo., has been assumed by the Inspection Branch of the Water Division. This control was formerly tinder the jurisdiction of the Water Rates Division of the Collector of the Revenue, and the work in connection therewith consisted of shutting off and turning on of water service on account of delinquent accounts, vacancies, new consumers or such other causes as were incident to the collection of the water rates revenue. In order to handle the work required by the Collector of the Revenue and the Assessment Section promptly, and to render efficient service to consumers, it became necessary to decrease the usual frequency of inspection of inside plumbing fixtures by house-to-house canvass.

Usual supervision is made of all new work done by the Public Service Corporations where the nature of the work required opening trenches which were located so as to expose or interfere with taps, service pipes or water mains. Included in such work is the inspection of the services interfered with by the construction.

Examination of all services used exclusively for fire protection is included iu the work of this Branch, and all valves and hydrants are rescaled wherever the seals are found broken or where they show evidence of having been tampered with.

Careful analysis is made of all pressure or service complaints received from consumers, and every effort made to eliminate the trouble in those cases where the Division is at fault. In most instances the reasons for the complaint can be traced to defective plumbing. The consumer is so notified and suggestions as to the remedy are offered.

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WATER WORKS PRACTICE

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WATER WORKS PRACTICE

The Water Department at St. Louis, Mo., exerts every effort possible to improve the value of the water service of the various sections of the Water Division. Studies have been continuously pursued in the economy of fuel combustion: in the conservation of heat; in the cost, distribution and consumption of electrical energy; in the application and effect of chemicals used in water purification; in the efficiency of filter operation; in simplifying the transportation problem; in the methods of proportioning, mixing and placing the materials for concrete; in observing the flow of water and pressure in the distribution system; and in improving the system of inspection for the assessment of rates, the adjustment of errors and discrepancies, and for making out and delivering water bills.

Employees of all grades have been invited to submit suggestions for improvement, prizes of increased length of vacations being given to those offering the most original and most practicable. Among the large number of suggestions offered, many were found to be valuable, and were put in effect as submitted, or with some modifications.

The water department of New Britain, Conn., operates a municipal ice plant, the management of the plant being directly under the board of water commissioners. The crop of last year was sold to three local dealers. The right to harvest and sell this year’s crop was awarded to a single concern, and the amount to be paid will net a 5 per cent, return on the investment. The distribution and price of the ice is governed by the rules which have been in force since the plant was installed.

The city of New Britain, Conn., reforests its watershed area. Beginning last year ten thousand red and white pines were set out, on the east side of the Shuttle Meadow reservoir, at a total cost of a little less than $14 per thousand. The white pine has proven to be the best tree for the purpose, but, owing to the prevalence of the white pine blister rust disease in New England, it was thought best in planting to alternate them with red pine, so that should the white pine fail there would still be enough growth to properly cover the ground, the trees being spaced six feet apart. The total losses from all causes up to date is only 5 per cent.

Following a report on conditions in Norfolk, Va., by the committee on fire prevention, National Board of Fire Underwriters, the common council has passed a resolution appropriating $40,000 tor the extension of the water mains within the city limits in order to conform to the requirements of the underwriters and give the congested sections of the city more adequate fire protection. A special meeting of the board of aldermen was called to act upon the resolution. Favorably passed by the aldermen, it will go to the lower branch for final adoption and then to Mayor Mayo for his approval.

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