Volume 1

Report on water supply and sewerage.

  • Massachusetts. State Board of Health.
Date:
1890
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report on water supply and sewerage. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    32/894 (page 6)
    WATEK SUPPLIES. DESCRIPTIOXS OF WATER WORKS; CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL EXAMIXATIOXS OF PRESEXT SOURCES OF WATER SUPPLY AXI) OTHER IXLAXD WATERS. Water Supply of Abington axd Rockland. Def^cription of TUorX‘5.—Population in 1885: Abington, 3,699; Rockland, 4,785 ; total, 8,484. The main works are owned jointly by the towns of Abington and Rockland, but each town owns and controls independently its distributing system. Water was in- troduced in January, 1887. The daily average consumption in 1888 was 248,143 gallons. The source of supply is Big Sandy Pond in Pembroke : area of pond, estimated from new topographical map of Massachusetts, 111 acres; general depth, 15 feet; maximum depth, 20 feet, bottom, sandy. The drainage area is uninhabited and is covered with woods. Water is drawn from the pond at a point al)out 140 feet from shore, and the inlet is so arranged that water may be drawn from any depth not exceeding 6| feet below high water. Pumps force the water from the pond to an open iron tank 100 feet high and 25 feet in diameter. Distributing mains are of cast iron ; service pipes are of wrought iron, lined with cement. A filter-gallery was at first attempted along the shore of the pond, but “ after an excavation of the proposed dimensions had been made, it was evident from daily trial that, by reason of the fineness of the sand, the water would not filter through in sufficient quantities to supply the pumps and the plan was abandoned.” The filter-gallery was completed as proposed, and is used as a pump well.