HomeMy WebLinkAbout2783 Report "on the Advisability of the Town of Lexington Entering the Metropolitan System" by an unnamed committee, September 29, 1902 - R E P O R T -
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upon
THE ADVISABILITY OF THE
TOWN OF LEXINGTON
ENTERING THE METROPOLITAN SYSTEM.
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- R E P 0 R T -
upon
THE ADVISABILITY OF ENTERING
THE METROPOLITAN SYSTD&.
LEAINGTON , MASS. , SEPT. 299 1902.
In compliance with a vote passed at the Town Meeting held
on the evening of Auglist 25, 1902, we have carefully examined
into the advisability of the Town of Lexington taking its pub-
lic water supply from the Metropolitan Water System, and beg
to report as follows :
During the last few summers there has been a scarcity of
water in the source of the supply of Lexington, and it has
become necessary to seek a supply elsewhere. For this supply
there is a choice between receiving water from the system of
the Metropolitan dater ;forks , which were built by the State for
supplying a certain district in the eastern portion of the Common-
wealth, and adding another system of supply to that already pos-
sessed by the town. For the latter project a former committee
recommended that a number of driven test wells be sunk in what
is known as Roberts Meadow, Lexington, in order to see if that
location is practicable as a source of supply.
These test wells were sunk by a well-known firm who make
such work a specialty, and it is stated in a report by the above
named committee that a promising quantity of water of good qual-
ity was discovered. The work was done under the observation
- 1 -
Df an engineer of the State Board of Health, and the following
is a copy of a letter from the State Board to the chairman of
the former committee .
Oct. 3, 1901.
"The State Board of Health received from you, on September 3,
an application stating that you propose to obtain an additional
supply of water by a system of wells driven in a meadow owned
by i111. H. Roberts, in the water-shed of Beaver Brook, and request-
ffl inr; the advice of the Board as to this proposed plan of securing
an additional water supply for Lexington.
In response to your request the Board has caused the local-
ity indicated to be examined by its engineer, and a sample of
Caw Of I
the water from a test well at this place to be analyzed. The
a Cft�►�' n,�'
results of the analysis show that the water is quite hard, but
la
it is clear, nearly colorless and odorless , and otherwise, in
its present state, of good quality for the purposes of a public
e�to��iti
` water supply. Whether it would remain satisfactory when a nuan-
e8T
Ism srff tity such as would be required for the supply of Lexington should
be drawn continuously from wells at this place cannot be predict-
.y�qq-v9
ed with certainty. The meadow in which the wells are located
fffte9,
beaese contains a considerable depth of peaty soil, and is apparently
subject to flooding at times of high water in the brook; and
M mo oe'r
water drawn from similar locations has in many cases deteriorated
0rnf a
after a longer or shorter period of use, and become objectionable
on account of an excess of iron.
The wells yielded water freely when pumping with a hand pump,
rf+)r
but the tests thus far made are insufficient to show whether
baawf
Rw
enough water for the requirements of Lexington is likely to be ob-
tained from a system of wells in this region.
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With the information at present available regarding the
A A® P I 1 probable quantity and quality of water obtainable from this
V
rol efflsource, the Board does not advise the construction of works
for taking water from wells in this valley; but if you should
deem it desirable to make further tests , to determine more defin-
:qq$ NI
itelir the feasibility of obtaining an adequate supply of good
xXgq-uiwater from this region, the Board would advise that you cause a
�;,, ' , pumping test tc be made by pumping from several wells in the
\►.
r neighborhood of the present test wells for a period of at least
bba ffR two weeks, and at a rate as great as would be required from said
1 wells for the supply of the Town of Lexington.
Should you decide to make these tests , the Board will upon
sw e
, application make such analyses of samples of water as may be nec-
essary, and will give you further advice in this matter when the
c:r 3_: results of the tests are available."
Itf 811 Later, ill response to another communication from the committee,
731tJ31 the Board wrote as follows :
a v,t f" Dec . 5, 1901.
alb ed "The State Board of Health received from you, on Dec. 2, 190 1,
ttw bean application for advice relative to a proposed additional water
�$zfnoesupply for Lexington, in which you state that--
ketduv The plan is to take water from the meadow now owned by MI.
H. Roberts , situate in the southerly part of the town, northerly
vla'kb'1 fr. om Concord Avenue , southerly from Middle Street and easterly
from Waltham Street, by a system of driven wells, and to pump
` `� '116 this water directly into the stand-pipe at East Lexington, or
into our street mains .
108 67n
You further state that your present supply is sufficient for
f.t dud the needs of the town excepting for a short time in a very dry
PgUonq
season, and that the present source is to be used as a supple-
mentary supply at a time when the yield of the other sources
3
is insufficient. You have also submitted information as to a
�doolo pumping test which has been made at the Roberts meadow by pumping
''rye water from a group of five wells at a rate of about 180 ,000 gal-
lons per day during a period of a little over ten days . During
this test samples of water sent in by you to the laboratory of
I9�r the Board have been analyzed.
The Board has caused the locality to be examined by one of
its engineers , and has considered the results of the pumping
test and of the analyses of the samples of water. The informs-
O'WJ tion relative to the quantity of water yielded by the wells and '
t-f the lowering of the ground water during the pumping test indi-
cates that it will be possible to obtain from this region in or-
1CMS dinary years a quantity of water that would form a large addition
sage to your present supply; but a consideration of all the conditions
U.89 s indicates that in dry years the yield of wells at this place
might, be much less than it was in the recent test .
The results of the analyses of samples of water collected
during the test show that the water is clear, nearly colorless
and odorless , but it is - quite hard, and contains a larger quanti-
ty of organic matter than is usually found in a good ground water.
s ffS
Whether the quality would charge materially if this source should
lqua
be used continuously as a source of supply for Lexington, cannot
I .H be determined definitely from the reslzlts of this test; but, judg-
�O'Y�
Qo-ITI ing from all the conditions , there appears to be considerable dan-
,Iff f
),tfff ger that the quality of the water will deteriorate after a longer
or shorter period of use, and become objectionable for some purposes.
It is unlikely, in 'the opinion of the Board, that the source
now under consideration will be capable of yielding an adequate
`naz supply of water for Lexington at all times without using water
4 _
a
Fq from the present sources, the quality, of some of which is �
at times very unsatisfactory. Moreover, the quantity of
F� water which the present sources and the source now proposed
are likely to yield will not be sufficient for the supply of
It
the town for very many years in the future . After consider-
ation of all the circumstances, the Board is of the opinion
that the town can obtain a water of better quality from the
metropolitan district than will be furnished either by the
present or by the proposed sources, and the town could ob-
IIt tain from the district an :,dequate supply for -.n indefinite
s time in the future . The cost of a supply obtained from
,h the metropolitan district, would be less in the end, judging
from the information aailable to the Board, than the cost
ft of taking a supply from the present and proposed works , and
`.m making the necessary enlargements when a further supply shall
become necessary.
rb The Board is therefore of the opinion that it will be
rB
for the best interests of the town, all things considered,
rt to take a supply of water from the metropolitan district,
and discontinue the present works ."
fw
3d Mr. F. P. Stearns , now chief engineer of the Metropolitan
gd Water and Sewerage Board, when chief engineer of the State
xx Board of Health, in a paper on, " Sources of ;'rater Supply,"
read before the New England Water Works Association,
states:
re
"There is a common tendency to over-estimate the quantity of
)n OThis quality has since been improved .
j =
water which can be obtained from the ground in a locality where
5
nature has already provided a free flowing spring, or where flow-
ing test wells have been driven; but estimates based upon the size
of the water shed draining toward the spring or well will often
show how incorrect these estimates are -"
"A (pumping) test of this kind should be made during as dry
a period as possible; but even then the quantity pumped is not
necessarily the safe capacity of the source , and the test has its
greatest value in the opportunity it affords the engineer of de-
termining the storage capacity of the ground, and the extent of
the area from which the rainfall may be expected to filter toward
the well . With the information obtained by such a test made
in the dryer portion of an ordinartr year it is feasible to esti-
mate with a. moderate degree of accuracy the safe capacity of a
source in a dry .year. A test of this; character, lastin;--r three
months , was made at Haton ' s Meadows, 'Malden, in 1_887-88 , before
constructing the permanent works at that place ."
Mr. Stearns states further in his paper that ground waters
are likely to have the organism known as Crenothrix w?1ich grows
abundantly in such waters. It is not known that the presence
of Crenothrix affects the healthfulness of the water, but it is
very objectionable for other reasons . One of these reasons is
that it has the peculiar property of separating the dissolved
iron from water, and incorporating it in its sheath, where it
exists as iron-rust . Such :raters are unsatisfactory for use
in the laundry, because white clothes become much discolored by
the rust. He also states that Crenothrix is the greatest pest
6 -
-�,'An ground water supplie8 and is associated with imperfect fil-
c1+ -gyration. Among the principal instances of its occurrence the
"' Former water supply of Arlington is mentioned.
Your committee examined the Roberts meadow, and as a source
'y'" bf supply it did not impress us favorably. It is covered in
part with decaying leaves, is very soft and apparently peaty,
-'q end has in its immediate vicinity , a large vegetable farm with
30e4i1i the objectionable features which are likely to be found in
39` uch cases . On the side underlying the vegetable farm we were
IL'Tstnformed that them: wasp, -a few feet dozen, a ledge sloping towards
Ah.e portion where the Wells would be driven, and which, obviously,
nfiJwould drain the dissolved matter from the fertilizing material
n used upon the farm. In the meadow there is a stagn.atit and ,
11BArepulsi'Ve looking ditch .
'uoa It seems probable that if this meadow was taken for a source
nOMof public water supply, the State Board of Health would compel
!� "the purchase of this farm and the destruction of its buildings, as
well as cleansing the estate . It is also probable that they
"uoLzld compel the town to purchase the entire water shed in order
Udcf to control it and protect it from contamination.
`to For these reasons, as well as others, the expense to which
Yevthe town would be subjected if this were taken, cannot be pre-
Rd dieted .
a'r In the report of the other committee read at the last town
Fxemeeting, it 7.,as stated that a. prominent firm of well drivers
rilwould guarantee to furnish from these meadows a certain quantity
�ftt of water. Subjecting such a matter as furnishing a public water
supply to the guarantee of any contractor is of questionable
propriety.
- 7 ..
Even if this guarantee were enforced by a bond, the only virtue 1`
of such a bond would be that the town would be relieved of paying
for the work if it should fail . It does not remove the uncer-
tainty and, would leave the town in a very uncomfortable condition
if it should fail . Uncertainty in water supply is something
that the tovvm shoulz not face .
We have , nevertheless, in order at the present time not to
isubject the town to any expense on this account, obtained an esti-
mate from the same firm, for a oomplete plant of driven wells,
piping, pumping machinery, suction pipe , discharge main to the
stand-pipe nearby, and engine house, and find it to be 018,160.
We believe this to be a low sum, and one that probably would be
. . exceeded if the work was done in the best manner. It will be
r- - seen that this sum exceeds by 13 ,000 . the sum mentioned in Article
4 of the Warrant for a Town Meeting, held on August 25, 1902, for
the purpose of not only establishing a pumping plant, but also
of securing land, easements, rights of way,and water rights .
While the above are some important objections to installing
additional works in Roberts meadow, it is equally important to
examine the financial aspect of the case , and for that., reason
the following tables have been prepared and are considered to be
approximately correct, to show the annual cost to the Town of main-
taining the present pumping plant and adding another.
ANNUAL COST OF MAINTAINING AND OPERATING THE PRESENT PUMPING PLANT.
( The interest on the value is not included in the fixed
charges because it must be paid whether the plant is abandoned
or not . )
Estimated value, new, of present pumping plant, t251.000 .
8 -
Fixed charges , less interest ,
6% of 027 ,000 . = �f 1 , 500 .
�s Operating Expenses , 6,500 . $8 ,000
ANNUAL COST OF MpTNTAINING AND OPHRAT NG
rrfs� THE, ROEERTS _"''� PLANT.
Ij Minimum cost of pumping plant , $16, 000 .
Cost of land , rights of way and im-.
dt provementf v. un �nown
Fixed charges on cost of pumping i)lant ,
10` on $19, 0000
Fue1,. : C_ , 500 .
�du� Wages , one man one year , 500 . ^ ,000 .
910 Annual cast of maintaining and operating both '
stations , 10 ,.900 .
tq.tq _
r The interest on the cost of the land, and the expenses of
f s maintaining and improving the surroundings , and building ,a road ,
etc . , would materially increase this amount . -
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0 ' 'COST OF ENTERING MLTROPOLITAN SYSTEM.
oriel The following is a copy of- a letter received from the
' o Metropolitan Water and sewerage Board stating the 'terms on which
Lexington can be received into the system.
b6s "Dear Sirs : -- c r �
sX9 In accordance with your request that "this board con-
3'fl sider the matter of admttinr the Town of Lexington to the
TqA Metropolitan Water District and state the terms of admission,
t8,t- the Board have voted to admit said town�to the Metropolitan
Water District upon the payment rZr th to`r of the slim of t27 ,"50 . ,
this sum to include the value of tre 1.0-incl water pine which ex-
srfo
10 tends nearly half a mile in length from the Arlinr1torl town line
to a point opposite the old Arlington pumping Station, the value
being about $3,500 . , as estimated at the time of the admission
of Arlin;ton into the district, and with the understanding that
the minimum rates for the use of water shall riot be lowered for
water to be used for irrigation purposes .
We have also had an estimate made of the amount of assess-
ment which the town would be required to pay each year from 1903
to 19090 inclusive . The assessment for each year is based upon
an estimated sum to be paid for interest, sinking; fund require-
ments and maintenance of the wcr"-s , but there may be some deduc-
tion on account of premiums from the sales of bonds and proceeds
from the operations of the Board . It is estimated that the assess-
ments will be in accordance with the following table :&
Year. Total Assessment.
1903 $6, 100 .
1904 6 ,400 .
19C5 6 , 600 .
1906 6 ,400 .
1907 6v500 .
1908 6, 500 .
1909 60600 .
Yours truly,
(Signed ) Wm. N. Davenport,
Secretary."
ANNUAL COSTS DUE TO ENTERING AND REMAINING IN
THE METROPOLITANT WATER SYSTEM.
If the Town enters the Metropolitan System, it will be nec-
essary to lay 10 ,000 ft . of 10-inch pipe beginning at a point
where the 10-inch pipe now belonging to the metropolitan Water
Works ends . A careful estimate of the cost of this and restoring
the macadamizing of the street has been made, and this amountsto
10 -
15,000
It will be necessary to set nineteen new hydrants and take !
up seventeen old ones . The cost of setting the new hydrants
only is entered, because the old hydrants are as good as new.
The two extra new hydrants, as to cost, are ignored because the
error of an estimate will absorb this. The cost of removing
the old hydrants is added, as likewise changing the service pipes
of of from the present to the new main. These service pipes could
remain connected to the old main, and the latter Joined to the
s�rt9� new main at both ends. For our estimate we prefer to contem-
plate the most expensive method in order to avoid an underestimate
'mcz� of the cost of entering the Metropolitan System.
TABLE OF COSTS.
10 ,000 ft. of lo" pipe laid, t15,000 •
Setting 19 new hydrants -et @ $11. each 209 .
Ta'=;ing up 17 old " " 9. " 153.
Changing 100 service pipes " 7. 50 " 750 . 16 , 11?•
Cost of entering system, 27 ,250.
�43, 362.
Fixed charges on these costs,
8% of t16 , 112.
Interest, 4% on $1'�,250 . 1,000 .
Yearly charge by Metropolitan Water Works, 6, 500 .
Salary of Superintendent and Registrar, 1POOO . $90879.
Total yearly fixed charges caused by entering
the Metropolitan System, 9 ,879.
Fixed charges of old system, from above, _10 ,900 .
Annual saving by entering the Metropolitan System, �',7. ,0?1•
As a matter of fact, the cost of retaining the old system
OfrWO will be greater than $IO3,900. , as a new boiler must be -purchased
13"101 within a year at a cost of some t1200 . , and in a few years the 4 in.
m 9�, and 6 in . pipes in Massachusetts Avenue must be changed to larger
sizes at a cost of some �109000. The latter expense vv-rald be
J ' , hastened by the addition of a supply from the Roberts Meadow,
since the old pipes are so small . Thy fixed charges on this
i
qu investment would be $800100 per annum. To this there must be
rno added, as before mentioned, the charges against purchasing the
)rfT Roberts Meadow, etc . Considering all of the items, the total
�19 caving to the town, per year, by entering the Metropolitan System,
lfl is likely, therefore, to be nearly t3,000 . within a few years .
-11 The Town has borrowed in all for water purposes t235,000 .
�err It has paid 010 ,,000 . of this , leaving a net water debt of
err t225,000 .
.rq From the sale of water bonds the town has realized in
'to premiums t,13 ,410 .70 and that amount has been turned over to
the Water Commissioners for the general purposes of the depart-
ment.
The following table shows the profit and loss account for the
four years ending Dec . 31, 1901, of the Town pumping plant, and
what would have been the case if the Town had entered the 1.1etro.-
politan System in 1898.
PROFIT AND LOSS OF OPERATION.
Income from takers , t40p332.21
Income from Town: -
iT _
Hydrants , �13,751. 25
Street Watering, 3 , 380 .44 171 lr 1. 69
t57 ,463.90
,A
Expenses :
Expense- of oreration, ^'' ,0Fa .09
t� Interest , 34,460 .00 579924.09
r., Loss �60 . 19
s Showing that the income almost balanced the cost of opera-
tion and interest, but did not provide for depreciation.
- 17
I
COST OF TOWN SUPPLY.
For operating.four years, t23,064.09
depreciation , etc. , four years , 5, 300 .00 t289364.09
evrr1
A Metropolitan Supply would have cost :
For water, (See following table ) 162 045.79
A difference of t129 31e . 30
If the town had entered in 1899 this amount
^ . would be reduced by:
4 interest on t23, 500 . _ t2,820 .00
i` 4�, on �,15,000 . for piping, three years , 1,800 .00
1 -49620 .00
Less interest O 4% on t18 500 . for four
years included in cost of water, 2,960 .00 1, 660 .00
z
Showing a comparative loss to the tovm for
T9^rq the four years, of 10 , 658. 30
affj- To this may be fairly added the cost of the
filter plant and of the standpipe at
Tfa East Lexington, 8,670 . 11
Money spent in experiments and extensions for
. , additional supplies , say 11,000 .00
Total loss to Toy n of $30 ,326 .41
A$h, ;
I
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s♦
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12a -.
The annual expense incurred by the Town for the past six \C
years in providing its own water supply as compared wits the
., p p
cost from 1898 , when Metropolitan water was first distributed,
had the supply been obtained from the Metropolitan Board, is
ads ,follows :
Year. Annual Cost to Annual Cost Differ-
Town of Present of ence .in
Pumping Plant. Metropolitan Favor of
Water. Metropol-
itan Sys-
1896 ,. Operating expenses , t4.0675. 39 tem.
Depreciation and
fixed charges ,less
r interest & repairs , 1, 325.00 �61000 . 39
1897 , Operating expenses, $4,310 .7 1
Depreciation and
fixed charges , less
interest & repairs 1, 325.00 5,635 .7 1
1098, Operating expenses , 1�4, 670 .88
Depreciation and
fixed charges ,less
�i interest & repairs , 1, 3`'S•00 5,995.88 2,6" .71 3, 168 . 17
1899 , Operating expenses , �6%163.05
Depreciation and
fixed ehaiges ,less
interest & repairs , 1, 325.00 7,488.05 3, 339 . 16 4, 148 .89
1900 , Operating expenses, t"6,739 .95
Depreciation and
fixed ch2rges, leSs
interest & repairs , 1, 3u5 .00 69064.95 39944.89 9 , , �^ - "�'
1901, Operating eX'penses , $5,490 .Pi
Depreciation and
fixed charr;es, less
interest & repairs , 1,325.00 6,815.21 5,934.03 881. 18
19029 Not yet determined 6 ,370 .'S
showing considerable loss to the Town each year since the Metro pol-
I
itan system began to supply water.
*In each year t1000 . has been added for the salary of superin-
tendent and registrar, as the correspondin 7 figures for the Annual
+ Cost to the Town of Present Pumping Plant include this item, and.
A740. for interest on cost of new 10 in. main and 10 in. main_ row
in Arlin;ton.
a
13
The figures for the Metropolitan System are taken from the
following letter from the Metropolitan dater & Sewerage Board ,
.1201 which is self!explanatory. To the amounts given in the letter
1).Gd $1000 . has been added to incluc_e superintendence, as this was
included in the corresponding figures for the Town 's expen_
'11391 ditures . It should be observed that if the Town had originally
entered the system, there would have been no admission fee .
"Dear Sir: --
Replying to your inouiry regarding the terms upon
which. the Town of Lexington might have been admitted to the dis.
rQ91 trict if application had been made several years ago, and the
assessments which would have been paid up to the present time,
I beg to say that if the town had been admitted at the time of
Pf' ?P
the passage of the Act, it would, of course have come in without
the payment of ::any admission fee . While it cannot be stated
positively, there is no doubt in my mind that at any time prior
to 1898 , if application had been made by the town, the entrance fee,
if any, would have been much smaller than that fixed at the present
time . No assessment was made until the year 1898, and we find
that the amount ,-hich the Town of Lexington would have paid for
thct and subsequent years to be as follows:
18989 1,087.71
1899 16
19009, 29 204.89
r 19013, 4, 194.03
19029 4.. 630 . 10
n The large increase in the year 1901 over the preceding
year is due to a change in tNm-law made by the Legislature
of the year last named. Prior to that year the assessments
-
`'O had not been sufficient to cover the cost of construction, main-
ri tenance and meet the requirements of the sinking; fund, and
ld 'i
4
Chapter 489 of the Acts of the year 1901 was enacted , changing
q
I the law so that the annual assessment should be sufficient to �
a meet the requirements named .
r Yours truly,
-` (Signed ) 17m. N. Davenport,
Secretary."
In the figures of cost to town, allowance for depreciation
OChas been included at a low rate on a basis of t25,000 . valuation
.J. for the present pumping plant. No part of the cost of the f 1-1-
"! tcring plant nor of the East Lexington standpipe, in all $8, 670 . 11,
t'OT� has been included in the above figures . As the filtering plant
'e.e has been abandoned and the East Lexington standpipe has been
I+ of little use, the cost of these -ii ht very properly have been
�n{ added to the above figures as part of the expense of the last
)ff'4 six years .
If the town should extend its works and. establish a new
} pumping plant your committee sees no reason to doubt that the
conditions as to cost compared With a Metropolitan supply hereto-
fore shown to obtain, would still prevail .
It is proper to st^te here that when the scheme of piping
for the Metropolitan System was being worked out, the chief
engineer examined the opportunities for a local source of supply
for Lexington, and found them so inadequate that he recommended
that the pipes leading to Arlington, should- be large enough to also
supply Lexington, firmly believing; that Lexington would be orliged
- � to enter the system sooner or later. His recommendation was adopt-
ed by the Board and carried out . V,'e should, therefore , not over-
- 15 -
qa look the fact, as this circumstance shows, t? a.t the needs of
Lexington have been studied by one of the most capable and
eminent engineers in the country, at no cost to the Town.., and
that Yis conclusion was that it was to the advantage of Lexington
to enter the system.
By entering the Metropolitan System the nuestion of Lexing-
ton ' s water supply will be solved forever. Her supply will
then be in the hands tf the most capable engineers, and experts
on sanitation, and the system will be extended in advance of
(...,, : requirements as time goes on. This must cause a feeling of
,,, ., security to be experienced by every inhabitant. The only un-
,,,,dcertain feature is the cost, and we are assured that the esti-
r- mates made are liberal .
On the other hand, if the Town decides to attempt to ob-
x14 twin an additional supply from Roberts Meadow, or other local
sources, there still remains the uncertainty of cost in addition
7J n to that of obtaining an abundant and lasting supply.
The Committee has endeavored to present the two sehemes
o fairly and without prejudice, leaving it for the Town to take
such action as it deems best, not only for the immediate future,
70� but for all time . We have examined the matter from various
points of view and the res-. lt in each case has clearly pointed
701
to the desirability of entering the Metropolitan System as soon
t,,,, as possible..
1qu4 The Committee has not found it necessary to expnAd any
.-, portion of the appropriation of $7F,%
t '
., 16 _