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Home My WebLink About1957-11-12 Board of Public Works Minutes November 12, 1957 Regular meeting of the Board opened at 7 ;30 P. M . IPresent were Chairman Donahue, Messrs. Hopkins, Kilgore and Super- intendent Putnam. Minutes of previous meeting read and approved. Signed vouchers and payroll for payment. Received letter from Albert E. Hurst, 2 Pinevale Avenue, Reading, relative to rounding and curbing the South-Westerly corner of Main Street and Pinevale Avenue. ' Moved, seconded and voted to instruct Superintendent to advise Mr. Hurst that his request would receive full consideration when conditions permitted . . Received written request from Harold M. Moody, 1 Wells Road, Read- ing, requesting permission to connect a cellar drain to a newly constructed catch basin on Wells Road. Permission granted, provided Mr. Moody complys i with standard specifications of cellar drain connection and executes a proper Release from Damages to the Town. Received petition signed by eight property owners on Summer Avenue, near Willow Street, requesting extension to their properties of the common sewer. Petition accepted, and filed for processing in the usual manner. Moved, seconded and voted to send the following letter to T. F. Hanron, District Engineer, State Department of Public Works, regarding the West Street Chapter 90 Construction contractor, Dingley Contracting Co; November 7, 1957 T. F. Hanron, District Engineer State Department of Public Works 130 Tnird Street East Cambridge, Mass. Dear Mr. Hanron; The members of the Board of Public Works of the Town of Reading have been the recipients of many complaints from property owners on West Street, Reading because of the construction methods employed by Dingley Contracting Company, the Chapter 90 Construction contractor, and I nave been instructed by the Board to write you regarding these complaints. During rdadxay earth excavation, the contractor excavated nearly a1T of the roadway before gravel borrow was placed, and the driveways of many residences were left for several days in an impassable condition. Also, due to carelessness and/or roughness of the power shovel operator and bull-dozer operator, considerable unnecessary damage was caused to abutting properties and Town-owned water services, water gate boxes, san- itary sewer manholes, and storm water drains. Some of the damaged storm drain pipes have already been replaced by Dingley Contracting Co. , and it is requested that, prior to installa- tion of the crushed-stone sub-base, a thorough inspection be made of all storm drain pipes and structures within the limits of the work, and that any damaged utilities be repaired by the contractor. Very truly yours, aures T. .Putnam Superintendent Received letter from Johnson Bros. , Contractors regarding resurfac- ing of contract sewer trenches which, Johnson Bros, believe, will settle, due to lack of water for pudSling purposes during back-fill operation. Superintendent instructed to invite Mr. Clifford Johnson to meet with Boar on Monday evening, November 18, 1957 to discuss subject matter of his let- ter and to further discuss water-jetting of sewer trenches. Town Counsel Carl H. Amon Jr. , visited Board to discuss legal aspects of litigation against the Town by Donoghue & Babtels, successors to Garden Construction, Inc., wno had the 1956 Sewer Contract, and who claim damages for delay in completing their contract. After a review of the several aspects of the claims, the Town Counsel was requested to continue court action on the case, if necessary, to defend the interests of the Town. Received report from Superintendent regarding present conditions .at the well field, and recommending that the water emergency usage restrictions voted August 22, 1957 be withdrawn. Moved, seconded and voted to withdraw water usage restrictions as recommended by the Superintendent, and to incorporate as part of these minutes the Report of the Superintendent _ and the attached news release: ' REPORT ON TEST WELLS, WELL FIELD Test Well No. 1 at Hundred Acres Pumping Station measured 1716" this morning, a gain of 3110" since Nov. 4, 1957 . Rainfall during the Past week totaled .52 inches, and it is believed the water emergency is at an end . Therefore, I recommend that water restrictions be withdrawn, with an announcement to that effect published in the November 14, 1957 -_ Issue of The Reading Chronicle, effective Friday, November 15, 1957. A suggested news release is attached. D. L. Maher Co, has completed water explorations at Hundred Acres Meadow, with one more well, No. 19, showing a good water potential, as reported by Weston & Sampson in Agenda Item 4. Test Well No. 2U driven at Great Island, struck refusal at 37± feet after passing through an extremely good brown gravel strata at 24t feet. Written permission has been given by Sanborn Brothers Realty Trust for water explorations of Lowell Street, and D. L. Maher Co. moved in on Tuesday Nov. 12, to drive at least two test wells. The next step is to drive probably five (5) more 2� inch wells ad- jacent to the selected well or wells and conduct a 48 hour sustained pump- ing test. The well or wells so treated will be selected by Weston & Samp- son. On Thursday morning, November 14, Mr. Bogren, Mr. Maher and the Superintendent have an appointment at the well field for the purpose of scneduling sustained pumping tests on one or more of the four teat wells believed suitable for a gravel-packed well. SUPERINTENDENT RESTRICTIONS ON WATER USAGE WITHDRAWN BY BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS, EFFECTIVE FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15 1957 Recent rainfalls totaling 3.23 inches since October 30, 1957 have resulted in a partial re-charge of Hundred Acre Well Field, the test well on Tuesday, November 12, 1957 showing a reading o£ 17' -6", or a gain of 41 -111 since November 1, 1957, when a reading of 211 -7" was obtained. The Ipswich River started flowing through the well field on Monday, November 4, 1957 and ground water tables havehown a steady daily rise since that date . The ground water table is still 3f8" lower than on Nov- ember 12, 1956, when a reading of 13110" was recorded. y Therefor, the water usage restrictions ordered as an emergency measure by the Board of Public Works on August 22, 1957 are hereby rescin- ded effective Friday, November 15, 1957, and water may again be used for all normal outside purposes, such as watering lawns, shrubs, bushes, wash ing automobiles, trucks and other equipment, filling pools, etc. The Board of Public Works also wishes to express its appreciation for the cooperation of the citizens of Reading during the past record- breaking drouth and resultant water emergency. BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS Moved, seconded and voted to instruct Superintendent .to request Weston & Sampson, Consulting Engineers currently conducting a Water Adequacy Study, to: 1. Make an analyses of the water in the four locations deemed suitable for gravel packed wells. 2. Estimate safe yield of Hundred Acres Well Field and the effect of pro- posed new wells on remainder of the well field. 3. Present to the Board report of their findings prior to installation , of new gravel packed well. These items to be incorporated• in the final report of Weston & Sampson to the Board of Public Works. - II Received the following progress report from Weston & Sampson rela- tive to the Water Adequacy Study, which hereby becomes a part of these min- utes: November 8, 1957 Board of Public Works Mr. James Putnam, Supt. Municipal Building Reading, Mass. Gentlemen: We are reporting briefly, for your information, the progress of field studies for an additional water supply since we last reported on October 21st. At that time the first 10 test wells had disclosedno promising site for a gravel-wall well, while #11 had shown good water- ' bearing material, but not enough depth .for an ideal well. Since October 21st several developments worthy of note have arisen. s 1. As a result of the storm of November 2-3, there is a good flow of water in the river by your well-field, which has been bone-dry for about three months. 2. The ground-water level in the test well at the rear of the main pump- ing station, #1, is rising instead of falling. The critical period is therefore over if ensuing months have normal precipitation. 3. As a result of the cleaning of gravel-wall well #3 on October 10th with chemicals, that station is now discharging 24 hours daily at a rate of 125-150 gpm, where formerly it pumped dry in about 45 minutes. 4. The Metropolitan District Commission has adopted the policy of admit- ting towns into the water district only on a partial basis - that is, on the condition that the Town utiliga1£s existing sources to the maximum capacity. 5. Test wells have indicated several promising sites for additional gravel- wall wells, -as follows: #12 - In Meadow 250 ' NW of #ll, near Wilmington line. Static water level 8' below ground surface. Drove 56' -811. Pumped @45 gpm/foot of drawdown. Excellent coarse brown sand. Good site for gravel-wall well. #13 - In Meadow, 2501f North of #12, near Wilmington line. Static same as #12. Drove 73' Grey sand, coarse toward bottom. Pumped @70 gpm/foot of drawdown. ' Good site for gravel-wall well. #14 - Midway between #13 and river, near Wilmington line. Drove 75' . Fine grey sand all the way. Pulled. a #15 - 1001 - South of #12, at SW corner Town roperty, at edge of Meadow. Static water level 8'- down. Drove 64' . Brown sand to 531 , coarse grey sand balance of way. Pumped @75 gpm/foot of drawdown. Good site for gravel-wall well. #16 - In borrow pit 1000' = N Of end of B line. Drove 27' through boulders. Pulled. #17a, 17b, 170, 17d. 20011 SW of #16, between roadway & river. Boulders, Could drive no deeper that 81 . Pulled. #18 - 10011 West of #17. Same as #17. #19 - 2511 from river, 90011 due N of filter plant. Static water level 6' i down. Drove 5U' . Grey sand, coarse near bottom. Pumped 70 gpm/foot of drawdown. Good site for gravel-wall well. G Because of the promising sites for gravel-wall wells at the SW cor- ner of Town property in the Meadow, we recommend that a right-of way over nigh land be procured for access to this area. Because of the improvement in the yield of gravel-wall well #3 re- sulting from chemical cleaning of the gravel and screen, we recommend that gravel-Wall well #2 be given similar treatment when it can safely be taken out of service for a week or more. It is planned to continue test drilling at three or four sites to the Nw of the filter plant. Yours very truly, WESTON & SAMPSON GGB/rw - - ( signed ) - By George-G. Bogren = Moved, secondedandvoted to instruct Superintendent to negotiate for right-of+way over private property as recommended in Weston & Sampsons letter. Received report from Superintendent on installation of fluoridat- ing equipment at Pumping Stat ions) No. 1 and No. 2, with recommendation , that fluoridation of the municipal water supply be started on Monday, November 18,- 1957 provided permission so to do is secured from the State Department of Public Health. Moved, seconded and voted to start Fluoridation of the municipal water supply on Monday; November 1$, 1957 if equipment and method of fluoridation is approved by the State Department of Public Health, and to insert the following notice in The Reading Chronicle issue of Thurs- day, November 14, 1957; NOTICE d of Public Nov- ember 18,e1957r the municipalorks waterereby supply, asnotice that directedb ov tenofyTownv Meeting, will be Fluoridated ., pp y' y Method of introduction of the chemical has been approved by the Board of Health of the Town of Reading and the State Department of Pub- lic Health. At the request of several citizens, a water tap at the Deferriza- tion Plant, at a point where water is not fluoridated, has been made avail- able to thosecitizenswho wish to use-same. This tap will be located by a prominent sign. BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS Examined, and approved for signature of the Superintendent, the following Registry of Deeds Plan: OWNER LOCATION SURVEYOR ACTION Marchinko Walnut Street Abbott Approved The following report, which hereby becomes a part of these minutes, was received from the Superintendent regarding difficulties encountered in testing transits sewer mains: TESTING SEWER MAINS Sev3ral attempts have been made by Johnson Brothers to make an ex- filtration test on transite sewer mains installed by them, with no success. As insufficient ground water is present for infiltration tests bo show leak- age in the mains, inflatable bubber balloons were inserted on the outfall 1 side of sewer manholes, and water hosed into the manholes. Apparently the caps on wyes and chimneys permitted the water to leak out. JohnsmManville Boston office was consulted, and they could offer no solution to the problem. It is now proposed to water test only the sewer manholes, and to examine the sewer mains with lights and mirrors. The con- tractor, of course, is held responsible for faulty workmanship for one year from completion of his contract. SUPERINTENDENT Report noted by Board. Reviewed Articles for Special Town Meeting to be held Monday, Nov- ember 25, 1957. No action taken by Board, pending receipt of further de- tailed information from Superintendent. Board adjourned at 11:05 P. M . Respectfully submitted: Secretary