HomeMy WebLinkAbout1957-12-30 Board of Public Works Minutes December 3U, 1957
Regular meeting of the Board opened at 7:30 P. M .
Present were Chairman Donahue, Messrs. Hopkins, Zanni and Super-
intendent Putnam.
Minutes of previous meeting read and approved.
Reviewed letter to Personnel Board containing recommendation for
Proposed Salaries, Board of Public Works Personnel, Effective April 1,
1958;' and also containing a proposed amendment to the By-Law to Establish
a Wage and Hour Classification Plan, Section IU, Overtime, as it relates
to the classification of Foremen. Letter approved by Board, and Chairman
Donahue authorized to sign same.
Signed Order of Taking of Easement for Water Main on Dividence
(Private) Road, from Emerson Street Westerly.
Reviewed Special Articles for March 1958 Town Meeting.
' Received the following report from the Superintendent regarding
Well Field, Test Wells :
REPORT TO DATEON WELL FIELD TEST WELLS
Decem er
Am pleased to report that Hundred Acre Well Field has recovered to
a normal elevation, as of this date .
The following taole may be of interest to the Board:
TEST WELL RAIN FALL
DATE NO . 1 FOR YEAR REMARKS
Dec. 3U; 1957 7 ' 6" 24.311 inches (EST. ) All-time low rainfall
Dec. 3U, 1956 61 11" 44,14 inches Above normal rainfall
Dec. 3U, 1956 7' 9" 48 .58 inches Above normal rainfall
Deco 30, 1954 41 0" 54.45 inches Above normal rainfall
Test Well No. 26, located Westerly of No. 200 Grove Street on land
owned by Florence E. Sargent, was driven on December 26 and 27 , 1957 to a
depth of forty (40) feet to refusal, passing through thirteen feet of peat
and successive layers of excellent appearing water-bearing gravel. This
well was pulled. Test Well drilling has now been completed by Weston and
Sampson for the purpose of the 1957 Water Adequacy Study.
' Received the following letter from Weston & Sampson, Consulting
Engineers, regarding their study for general water supply improvement for
the Town of Reading:
December 27, 1957
Board of Public Works
Municipal Building Study for General
Reading, Mass. Water Supply Improvement
Gentlemen: ,
We are planning to have this report in your Bands by your January
6th meeting and at Mr. Putnam' s request, are sending this letter to give
you a preview of the summary for your December 30th meeting.
1. It appears that a supply of water of satisfactory quality to
discharge directly to the mains has been located on the Sanborn property
north of Lowell St. We are recommending the installation of one well
there in 1958 and a second one as soon as possible thereafter. This
would be tied into the system through a new 10" main laid along Bradford
Rd. to Willow St. , to avoid the ledge on Lowell St. D. L. Maher Co, are
now driving a test well on the northerly edge of the Revay Brook Meadow
on the Sargent property to see if a supply low enough in iron and manganese
content to use without treatment is available there.
2. Test wells in the Hundred Acre Meadow indicate that there are
promising additional ground water sources and we are recommending that a
gravel pack well be constructed in the southwest corner of the Town pro-
perty near the Wilmington line. This water is high in iron and manganese
content and will require treatment.
3. Since additional 'wells in the Hundred Acre Meadow will neces-
sitate enlargement of the filter plant, we are recommending that the en-
largement include conversion of the plant to filters of the rapid sand
type, in which chemical pre-treatment can be varied to adapt itself to
any type of raw water. The present plant has not been able to reduce the
iron content adequately due to the presence of organic matter which this
type of plant is not designed to cope with.
4. The southwest portion of the Town has inadequate fire flow due
to long stretches of small mains and we are recommending a standpipe, at
the same overflow level as the present ones, off County Rd. , tied into the
system by a new 12" feeder main extending from Willow and Lowell Sts. , via
County Rd. , the new Route 28 service road, and South St. to the existing
12" main newly extadded to Jacob Way.
5. The high level area, bounded by County and Lothrop Rds., is too
high to be adequately served by standpipes at the level of the present ones,
particularly when drawn down 15 feeb or more; as is frequently the case. We
are recommending a high level tank to serve this area, preferablysuper-
imposed upon the proposed standpipe mentioned above, and supplied by A small
underground pumping station located at County Road. The pumping station
should be built as early in 1958 as possible, pumping.directly to the Lothrop
St. main, as was done in 1957 with a CD pumper, and connected to the recom-
mended high level tank as soon as this is constructed.
' 6. We see no need for tying in with the M.D.C. in the immediate
future, and the new policy of the M.D.C. requiring the Town to supply
part of its consumption from its own :sources means that none of the work
recommended above will be rendered valueless if and when unforeseeable
future circumstances make it desirable to enter the M.D.C.
Yours very truly,
GGB/rw WESTON & SAMPSON
In duplicate BY:
Discussed additional water supply data as contained in preceding
letter.
Board adjourned at 9:50 P. M.
Respectfully submitted:
Secretary