Middletown Times Herald from Middletown, New York • Page 5

M1DDLETOWN TIMES HERALD. MIDDLETOWN. N. SATURDAY, OCTOKEH 25, 1930. A STATEMENT TO WATER CONSUMERS OF MIDDLETOWN From now until November 2, when there will be a special rate on money required for the pumping equipment would be $640 j.i_ i i ii i i i TII 1 SSf -iffA election on the subject, there will be discussion of the water supply requirements and of the improvements proposed to meet them.

This statement is made in order that the eligible voters may have a clear understanding of th problems and of the methods proposed for solving them, as well as the reasons for the principal recommendations. In order to have a clear unde rstanding of the problem it is first necessary to know that the City receives its water supply from two separate system of suoply. These are known as the Monhagen system and the Highland system. The Highland system supplies most of the higher ituated areas of the City. Serving Then a certain amount would be required every year for 30 years to pay off the debt.

The pipe i would require $1,850 a year, the pumps $270. For cleaning, repa irs, maintenance, the pipe line would require about $260 and the pumps about $115. The electric power which would be required by the pumps was carefully estimated and was found to be $2,375 a year To instal the pipe line would cost $6,520 a year against 11400 for the pumps, or a saung of $3,120 a year. But that is not all If the city lays anothei pipe line it will have to pay taxes on it, just as we are paying taxes on the pipes, land, dams, at present At the present time we pay $13,000 a year in taxes of the water At this rate the taxes the Monhagen system are two lakes, Monhagen Lake and Sha- on the new pipe line would cost $5,000 a year, and that expense The flood waters of Shawangunk Kill are convey- would go on year after year It is certain that the pipe line ould e.d by gravity from Kinch Dam to Shawangunk Lake By means of not be taxed for any less than the law allow s. pipes the water in Shawangunk lake is carried to Monhagen lake, Then it was considered whether it would be.

better to pump thence to the filter plant After fi Itration the Monhagen watei is from Shawangunk Lake It was found cheaper to pump from carried to consumers by-means ofsupplv pipes. On the other hand TM H'p-hland Lake depends entirely upon its water shed for its supply of water. The Highland water is carried by two pipes to pressure filters in the filtration plant, and from thence to consumers in the city. A study of the use of water from these two separate systems, anering the past nine years, has been made by Fuller McClintock, a firm of water engineers of national reputation. Their study discloses that the daily average use of water from Monhagen lake has decreased during the past ni ne years In 1920 the av erage use was 2,800,000 gallons a day In 1929 2,250,000 average was drawn from Monhagen.

This decrease was due in part to transferring certain Monhagen mains to the Highland svsem in order to pro' vide requjred pressures During the same neriod the use of water from Highland Lake increased from 610,000 gallons a day in 1920 to 820,000 a day in 1929. However, the most alarming discovery is that during the seven of the past nine years the yield of Highland Reservoir has been less by an average of 52,000,000 gallons a year than the amount of water withdrawn from it. -This excess of withdrawal the volume entering the lake has resulted in the gradual lowering of the watei in Highland Lake and rendered useless a large oeicentage of the capacity of the reservoir." Highland Lake is situated at an elevation higher than either Monhagen Lake or Shawangunk Lake Hence the Monhap-en system water cannot be run by gravity into Highland Lake. To uin water into Highland Lake by gravity it would be necessary to construct a new pipe line from Kinch Dam at a cost which has been estimated by engineers at $103,600 Because the watei which reaches Kinch Dam eventually leaches Monhagen Lake by gravity at the present time, a careful study was made to determine whe ther it would to pump the surplus water from Monhagen Lake into Highland Lake than to build the $103.600 oipe line and appurtenances During the study it was discovcied that it would not be necessary to build any pipe Jine to pump water from Monhagen Lake into Highland Lake. It was found that water could be pumped through one of the existing supply mains to Highland Lake at a i i expenditure There "are only certain times of the year when a surplus of water i be available in Monhagen Lake.

At present this surplusfuns to waste so it is proposed to it by pum oing it into Highland Lake where it is badly needed Therefore if a pipe line were built from Kinch Dam to Highland Lake at a cost of $103600 it would be used only a part of the time, notwithstanding the large cash investment in it. Liaving discovered that it is possible to pump the water to Highland" Lake without building a new pine line, it vi as found that the equipment necessary can be furnished foV about $15,000 as against the $103,600 required for the pipe line Before this recommendation was made, however, a careful study was made to determine whether it would be cheaper in the long run to build the pipe line. It was found that at least $3,120 a year could be saved by psimoing The interest ofi $103.600 at percent which would have to be paid on the money used (o build the main wouM Iv U410 a a it- snmc Monhagen because the pumps could be located at the filter plant and the same men employed at the filter plant could operate the pumps and care for them, while if the pumps are located at Sha- wangunk Lake it will require additional employees i must be paid. As an added precaution against an impure water supph it is found that mixing and coagulating basins are required at the filtei plant. It needs but little explanation to show the necessitv of relief and re-enforcing mains particularly to those consumers who now are not able to get an ample supply at proper picssuies II is well to bear in mind that no atter how much atei be in the lakes it will be no advantage to the unless it can be delivered to their homes There can be no iclief horn inadequate supplies unless the piesent mains are lelicved the construction of the mains called for.

This woik will benefit all sections of the city. The recommendations call for the construction of a fourth reservoir to provide for a daily consumption of 4,750,000 gallons At present the consumption is 3 500,000 gallons. At the present rate of consumption it will take 9,000 more pooulation to demand a 4,750,000 gallon daily sunnly It is the intention of the city officials to proceed at once to take th preliminary steps toward providing the fourth reservoir. It will be readily understood that much work must be done in the way of locations, options on land, etc. It is important to bear in i that item of the work which it is now proposed to do will be essential in connection with the fourth reservon when it is i It is advisable to remem her also that there has been no better time in years to do this kind of work than now.

The bonds can be sold at the lowest rate of interest in years. Materials ran be bought at the lowest prices in years. Tfhe work will give employment to many mechanics and laborers. It is in complete harm ony with the recommendation of the National and State governme nts to carry out needed public improvements now to overcome une mnloyment Probably half of the total to be raised through the sa le of the bonds will be spent in wages. That would mean better than $100,000 in ages distributed in Middlctown at a time when work is needed and when men need work The decision is entirely in the hands of the taxpayers.

The work will not increase taxes because the expeiibe will he paid from the water rents. It will not increase the water rents because next year we pay off $205,000 water bonds with money hand. This will allow the use of the monev required for the bonds to pay off the interest a nd principal of the new bonds. Clarence C. Van Fleet, Mayor.

Members Common Council Horace Young, President. Lewis Wood. Virgil Harding Fred i a George W. Cole V.Exans Robert R. Cranston A.J.Vcraldi.

Vote "YES" On November 12 Between 2 cmd 8 P. M. To Avoid Water Shortage and To Give Employment.