Research Regarding the History of the Pelham Reservoir in Today's Willsons Woods Park

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Until the late 19th century, citizens of the Town of Pelham and the Village (later City) of Mount Vernon obtained their water from wells and, in earlier days, streams.  As the population of the region grew, however, the quality of local well water degraded and concerns arose over the ability of subterranean water to satisfy the ever-expanding need for water in the ever-growing suburban region.

The Village of Mount Vernon was first supplied with water by the Mount Vernon Water Company, which was originally incorporated January 28, 1882, by "33 then leading and representative citizens of Mount Vernon."  Initially, the company sank an aresian well and pumped the water into a standpipe to supplement local water supplies.  Soon, it became apparent that such a system would not suffice.  Moreover, other nearby communities including the settlements known as Pelham Manor and Pelhamville were also beginning to look for a larger, more-reliable water source.  To make matters worse, in 1886 the area was in the midst of an extended, severe drought.

The Mount Vernon Water Company was succeeded by the New York and Mount Vernon Water Company, incorporated January 23, 1886.  The controlling interest of this company was in New York City.  The New York and Mount Vernon Water Company arranged for local property rights along the Hutchinson River and dammed the river to create what came to be known as Pelham Reservoir (sometimes referenced as the "Pelhamville Reservoir").  On Friday, August 6, 1886, water began flowing into the newly-constructed Pelham Reservoir.  From there, the water began flowing throughout Mount Vernon through two miles of new water mains sealed with tar.

Mount Vernon residents were unhappy.  The water was yellowish.  It tasted "tarry."  Many believed that it did not match the quality or purity of the clear artesian well water to which they had become accustomed.  The New York and Mount Vernon Water Company tried to quash concerns by hiring two of the nation's preeminent chemists to analyze the water.  Those experts concluded that it was safe and pure and rivaled water from the Croton system, among other such water systems.  Local residents, however, were not satisfied.  One presented a report to Mount Vernon officials detailing nearby privies and upstream sewage systems of some concern.  Officials insisted the water was as pure as possible, but admitted, even as early as 1886, that a filtration system would be necessary to address some of the fears raised by local residents.

On March 26, 1891, the New York City Suburban Water Company was created to take over the predecessor company and to provide means for increasing the supply of water required by the increasing wants of the rapidly growing region.  Much property for reservoir purposes was acquired within the present limits of the city of New Rochelle and many costly improvements were undertaken for the purpose of yielding a better service to the region.  The company acquired Tom Paine brook, upon which another reservoir was constructed with 88,000,000 gallons capacity, and capable of being increased to 197,000,000 gallons by simply raising the dam.  In 1894 a purifying process by aeration and sand filtering was adopted at the Pelham reservoir.  Images of this filtration system appear on a number of post card views of the reservoir created in the early twentieth century (see below).    

The strain of these heavy expenditures, running into hundreds of thousands of dollars, coupled with the financial depression which existed at that time, resulted in the insolvency of the company, which was reorganized and succeeded by the New York Suburban Water Company, incorporated May 25, 1895.  Under this corporation the rights to the watershed of the Mamaroneck river were secured.  Thereafter, on November 28, 1901, the New York Inter-Urban Water Company, acquired all property and rights of the former company. 

In 1904 the available water supply was increased by the laying of a pipe line from the Mamaroneck River, where there was a reservoir of 12,000,000 gallons capacity with a filter plant.   The available water resources of the company from Hutchinson Creek, Tom Paine Brook and the Mamaroneck River would, under average conditions at that time, supply about 10,000,000 gallons per day.  To insure an ample supply in seasons of drought or in emergencies, the pipe system of the water company was also connected at three points with the pipe system of New York City, and was connected with the mains of the Consolidated Water Company of Suburban New York, which supplied certain communities north of Mount Vernon.

According to a report published in 1920 (see below), by 1918, the region's water supply was obtained from Hutchinson Creek, Troublesome Brook and two systems of wells.  Three reservoirs had been built to impound the water of Hutchinson Creek, and one was built on Troublesome Brook.  One of the well supplies was located on both sides of Hutchinson Creek, at Pelham Heights.   The other, used only during the summer, was located at Union Corners.  The company had three pumping stations and two standpipes and, in 1918, was delivering an average of about 3,600,000 gallons daily.  However, the company had no water resources in reserve, and the communities it supplied soon would have to draw from the Catskill system in seasons of drought.

By 1921, the Pelham filter plant located at the Pelham reservoir consisted of 3 slow sand filters.  With a consumption of 1.3 million gallons of water per day, the filters were operating at a rate of 1.16 million gallons per acre per day.  The filters were cleaned about every six weeks, whereby 1/2-inch of sand was removed at each cleaning.  The filtered water was "sterilized" with liquid chlorine.  An additional new chlorine apparatus had been installed and was held in reserve in case of emergency.

Much, much more can be written about the history of the Pelham Reservoir that provided water to Pelham residents for nearly four decades.  Today's posting to the Historic Pelham Blog is intended, however, to collect a large number of resources regarding the early history of the reservoir and to present a host of images of map details, post card views, and photographs of the reservoir.  All will be supplemented with follow-up posts.

*          *          *          *         *

Below are transcriptions of the text of a host of articles dealing with the reservoir and a large number of images of the reservoir.

"The water from the new reservoir at Pelhamville was introduced in the village last Friday [August 6, 1886], but it does not give the general satisfaction which the artesian well water gave.  For culinary purposes, exclusively, or drinking, the artesian well water is doubtless preferable, particularly at the present time; but for general use, we think the consumers will soon find that the water from Hutchinson River is much the best.  Complaints are made that it is not clear like the artesian well water, but is of a yellowish cast.  It is quite natural that it should be; everything is new.  The reservoir has only been filled a few days, miles upon miles of mains have been laid, and it will take some time for all the sediment to be forced out of the pipes and the water to clear itself.  Once the water becomes clear, and the tarry color and taste it now has by coming through nearly two miles of mains to the standpipe, has disappeared, it will be much more preferable than well water, in that while the latter is hard or brackish, the former is soft."

Source:  [Untitled], The Chronicle [Mount Vernon, NY], Aug. 10, 1886, Vol. XVII, No. 905, p. 2, col. 1.  

"OUR WATER SUPPLY.

The people of Mount Vernon are very deeply interested in having a supply of pure and wholesome water, and they look therefore with anxious and critical eyes at that which is furnished by the Mount Vernon Water Company.  They know that if this water be unwholesome, scores of lives may be sacrificed and the health of hundreds ruined.  Absolute purity it is impossible to get, but that is no reason why the water company should not make every effort to have the water it supplies as nearly pure as possible.

It gives us pleasure to add that the officers of the company realize the great responsibility which rests upon them, and that they are taking steps daily in the right direction.  Some of them should have been taken sooner, -- some have not yet been taken, but soon will be; but we must all realize that neither Rome nor Mount Vernon was built in a day, and that both are still far from perfect.

We must bear in mind that when water works are new, there are many impurities in the water, due to dirt and tar in the pipes, and to the decay of vegetable matter in and about the reservoir.  The dirt and tar soon disappear, if the water be freely used, and the reservoir should be so thoroughly cleaned that there should be no vegetable matter therein to decay.  In any event, these evils right themselves in course of tijme, even if nothing be done.

The Mount Vernon Water Company have, as one of the first steps to assure the people of their intention to furnish good and wholesome water, employed two of the most eminent chemists in the land, Professors Chandler and Martin, to examine the water works and source of supply, and to analyze the water.  The reports of these two gentlemen are now in the hands of the officers of the water company, and are to be submitted to the Board of Trustees at their next meeting, with the following letter:

Mount Vernon, N. Y., Sept. 28th, 1886.

To the Honorable The President of the Board of Trustees of the Village of Mount Vernon, 

Sir -- I have the honor to submit the analysis and official report of Prof. C. F. Chandler, Ph. D., and Dr. Edward W. Martin, upon the water now being furnished to the inhabitants of Mount Vernon, by the N. Y. & Mt. Vernon Water Co.

I congratulate your citizens upon the success of this new improvement, with its increased assurance of public health and personal comfort.  -- Very Respectfully, 

Your Obt Servt.

F. HOPKINSON SMITH.
Pres't

My dear sir -- In response to your request, we have examined the water at Mt. Vernon. 

One of us (Mr. Martin) visited Mt. Vernon, examined the reservoir and its surroundings, took a sample of water from one of the taps in the village, and submitted it to careful analysis.

A copy of the analysis is herewith enclosed.  The results of the analysis satisfy us that the water is pure and wholesome, and suitable for domestic purposes.

--Very truly yours,

C. F. CHANDLER.

EDWARD W. MARTIN.
To Mr. F. HOPKINSON SMITH, Pres't
150 East 34th st
N. Y. City.

CERTIFICATE OF ANALYSIS.

The following are the results of analysis of the sample of water from Mount Vernon submitted to us for examination:

Appearance......Clear and brownish
Odor (heated to 100 degrees F.).....None
Grains in one U.S. gallon of 231 cubic inches.
Phosphates....None
Nitrites.....None
Chlorine in Chlorides....0.2470
Equivalent to Sodium Chloride.....0.4080
Nitrogen in Nitrates and Nitrites.....0.0017
Albumeouid Ammonia.....0.0198
Free Amonia.....0.0198
Organic and Volatile Matter.....1.4580
Mineral Matter.....3.6740
Hardness, equivalent to Carbonate of lime, before boiling.....2.5740
Hardness, equivalent to Carbonate of lime, after boiling.....2.2350
Total solids.....5.1330

Respectfully your obedient servant,
C. F. CHANDLER, Ph. D.

To Mr. F. HOPKINSON SMITH, President.

Now such an analysis might just as well be written in Greek, so far as the general public are concerned; but with a little explanation, especially with a comparison with an analysis of some such well-known wholesome water as the Croton.  The figures above given are full of significance to any one of average intelligence.

As we have an analysis of the Croton water made this month by Prof. Martin, we shall compare it with the foregoing.

[Original has two column comparison; for simplicity sake, only the Croton data is reproduced below]

Appearance......Clear and brownish
Odor (heated to 100 degrees F.).....None
Phosphates....None
Nitrites.....None
Chlorine in Chlorides....0.1218
Equivalent to Sodium Chloride.....0.2000
Nitrogen in Nitrates and Nitrites.....0.0245
Albumeouid Ammonia.....0.0050
Free Amonia.....0.0011
Organic and Volatile Matter.....1.4580
Mineral Matter.....2.2530
Hardness, equivalent to Carbonate of lime, before boiling.....1.3050
Hardness, equivalent to Carbonate of lime, after boiling.....2.2290
Total solids.....3.7900

This comparison shows that the Hutchinson River water is as free from phosphates and nitrites as the Croton and is just about as soft.  The amount of organic matter is exactly the same in both -- and it is in the organic matter that most of the danger lies.

Of chlorides there is twice as much in the Hutchinson water as in the Croton; but of nitrates and nitrites there is fifteen times as much in the Croton as in the Hutchinson.

There is many times more Ammonia in the Hutchinson water than in the Croton and of mineral matter there is about forty per cent more.

If we make the comparison with the waters used in other places it is very largely in our favor.
                                        Mineral Matter   Organic Matter   T'l of S'lds in Grains
Thames, London...............15.500               0.830                 16.880
Syracuse, NY....................12.130              1.300                 13.390
Seine, Paris......................7.830                 1.000                 8.830
Hudson, Albany................7.314                 0.699                  8.013
Hudson, Troy...................6.090                  1.340                  7.430
Lake Michigan, Chicago....5.620                 1.000                  6.680
Croton, New York.............2.331                  1.458                  3.790
Hutchinson, Mt. Vernon....3.074                  1.458                  5.132
An analysis of the Croton
 made in 1879 by Prof.
 Chandler, showed...........4.833                   0.550                 4.893   

We have no doubt that an analysis made next winter or next summer would prove the Hutchinson River water even much better than it is now."

Source:  OUR WATER SUPPLY, The Chronicle [Mount Vernon, NY], Oct. 1, 1886, Vol. XVIII, No. 920, p. 2, cols. 1-2.  

"ENOUGH TO SETTLE THE QUESTIONS.

The report made to the Board of Trustees last Tuesday night, by the special committee which was appointed to examine into and report upon the water supplied to our village by the Mount Vernon Water Company, was a complete and overwhelming refutation of the scandalous report made by Dr. Brush to the Town Board of Health.  

Dr. Brush reported that the fermentation from decaying vegetable matter under the water in the reservoir, was so great as to resemble an active beer vat.  

Dr. Arthur Hollick, State Sanitary Engineer, who was employed by the committee to examine our water supply, reports that the bubbling which Dr. Brush took for fermentation was due to springs under the reservoir; and this he proves conclusively, by showing that the temperature of the water at the bottom of the reservoir is from two to four degrees less than that at the surface.  

If further proof were needed, it could be shown in the fact that the water in the reservoir has fallen less than a foot below the dam during this extraordinary drought, in which very little water has run into the reservoir from above, while from 60,000 to 70,000 gallons a day have been pumped out of it.  In fact, we may say without fear of contradiction, that most of the water we now get from this reservoir comes from springs directly under it.  

There are two privies near its banks which should be removed; and the reservoir should be fenced in, to prevent cattle from getting into the watyer.  

There is a deposit of muck or soft peat about a foot thick at the upper end of the reservoir, and though it does not make the water unhealthy, it affects the taste thereof.  To remove all doubts or fears, it would be well to havve the water filtered before it passes into the reservoir.  This could easily be done since the river is a small one.  

Before Dr. Brush's report was made, steps had been taken to have the two privies above referred to removed, and we are assured they will be removed very soon.  They are not a source of danger or unhealthiness now, but they might be if some of the persons who use them were stricken with typhoid fever or some other very contagious disease.  If the existence of privies on a watershed would be good grounds for rejecting the water of a stream as unfit for use, where would a stream of wholesome water be found?  The whole world is made up of watersheds.  If we expect to get water from a stream on the watershed of which there are no privies, we must go out into the wilds of Canada or find some place where man has not yet taken up his abode.

The water supply of this village, taken from wells, is more or less affected by the drainage or leakage from 2,000 privies.  If that water be fit to drink, is it not silly to say that a water supply affected by no privies is unfit for use?  Dr. Brush keeps a score or more of cows in one of the rapidly growing parts of our village.  What, in his own showing, must be the condition of the water in wells less than two hundred feet away?

What must be the condition of the water supplied to Philadelphia, to London, to Berlin and hundreds of other cities?  The Croton River flows through a much more thickly settled region that that of the Hutchinson River; along its banks there were, a few slaughter-houses, cow-yards, privies and many other sources of contamination.  We can lessen these sources of impurity, but it is impossible, so near New York as we are, to get water absolutely pure.  Dr. Brush laid special stress on the fact that a stream flows into Hutchinson River from the Infant Asylum farm, and that into this stream the sewage fro the asylum is discharged.

This stream, Dr. Brush says, furnishes from ten to fifteen per cent of the water which flows in the Hutchinson River directly below it.  The sewerage of the Infant Asylum is emptied into several large cesspools.  These cesspools are from two to three hundred feet away from the stream, which in that neighborhood is a ditch about two feet wide, and is about a mile and a half from the reservoir.  From these cesspools run porous earthenware pipes in all directions under a large field, and from these pipes the sewage filters into the earth and is to a considerable extent absorbed by the growing crops.  At no place are these drain pipes within a hundred feet of the stream.  Drs. Martin and Hollick took a sample of the water in this stream; at its nearest point to the subsoil outfall of this system of drainage, and found on analysis no evidence whatever of sewage contamination.  In fact, the water, even at this point, is much purer in every respect than the water now supplied to the city of London.

What then must be the condition of this water after flowing a mile and a half through a small stream exposed to light and air?

Dr. Brush, while picking out the things where he thought he could find fault, and wherewith he has caused great anxiety and doubt, did not say a word concerning the many admirable features of the Hutchinson River as a water supply.  But it seems to us that a fair minded man would.  For three miles from the dam of the New Rochelle Water Company, down to the reservoir of the Mt. Vernon Water Company, the Hutchinson River flows through an almost uninhabited region, covering a large watershed, from which a water supply large in quantity and of the very finest quality is obtained.

Into this river flow several little streams or rivulets, equally as pure, and any one familiar with the river knows that trout have been caught therein within a very few years.  All Dr. Brush can find to set off against these facts are, first, the sewage from the Infant Asylum, none of which runs into the Hutchinson River, except, perhaps, a very small part which may percolate through hundreds of feet of soil, and then run a mile in an open stream; second, two privies near the reservoir, which does not affect the healthfulness of the water, and which can easily be removed.  The labor of the mountain has almost literally brought forth a 'ridiculous mus.'" 

Source:  ENOUGH TO SETTLE THE QUESTION, The Chronicle [Mount Vernon, NY], Oct. 22, 1886, p. 2, cols. 1-2.  

"The Board of Trade, composed of over two hundred representative citizens, was organized in 1891, and has become a great power for good in the community.  It works hand in hand with the city authorities, and encourages every improvement calculated to be of benefit to the city.  Col. Henry Huss is President and E. B. Maynard Secretary.

Mount Vernon can truthfully boast of its pure water, that most essential element conducive of good health.  The Mount Vernon Water Company was incorporated in 1883, deriving its supply from a well 500 feet deep, having a capacity of 72,000 gallons per day.  In 1886 this company was absorbed by the New York & Mount Vernon Water Company, and the source of supply changed to Hutchinson river.  A reservoir was built at Pelhamville with capacity of 20,000,000 gallons.  In 1892 the New York City Suburban Water Company succeeded to the property and again increased the supply by acquiring the Tom Paine brook, upon which a reservoir was constructed with 88,000,000 gallons capacity, and capable of being increased to 197,000,000 gallons by simply raising the dam.  In 1894 a purifying process by aeration and sand filtering was adopted at the Pelhamville reservoir, through which all water supplied to the city of Mount Vernon now passes.  The analysis made by the State Board of Health showed that 99.18 per cent. of all the impurities had been removed.  In 1895 the receiver, Mr. Charles B. Ludwig, commenced the construction of an additional storage reservoir on the Lester property in New Rochelle, which is not yet completed."

Source:  The Board of Trade, The Mount Vernon Argus [Mount Vernon, NY], Supplement to The Mount Vernon Argus, May 30, 1895, p. 4, cols. 3-4.  

Detail of 1881 Map Showing Area Before Construction of

Pelham Reservoir.  Source:  Bromley, George W., "Town

of Pelham. (with) Pelham-Manor. (From Actual Surveys

and Official Records by G. W. Bromley & Co." in Atlas of Westchester

County, New York. From Actual Surveys and Official Records by G. W.

Bromley & Co., pp. 56-57 (Washington, D.C.:  G. W. Bromley

& Co. 1881).

Detail of 1893 Map Showing Pelham Reservoir.

Source:  Bien, Joseph Rudolf, "Towns of Westchester and

Pelham.  (with)  Villages of Westchester and Unionport.  (with)

Village of Pelhamville" in Atlas of Westchester County, New York.

Prepared Under the Direction of Joseph R. Bien, E.M., Civil and

Topographical Engineer from Original Surveys and Official

Records, p. 3 (NY, NY:  Julius Bien & Co., 1893).

Detail of 1899 Map Showing Pelham Reservoir.

Source:  Fairchild, John F., "City of Mount Vernon & Town of Pelham"

in  Atlas of the City of Mount Vernon and the Town of Pelham

Compiled from Official Records, Personal Surveys, and Other

Private Plans and Surveys, p. 20 (Mount Vernon, NY:

John F. Fairchild, 1899).

Detail of 1900 Map Showing Pelham Reservoir.

Source:  Hyde & Co., "Map of Mount Vernon, East

Chester, Pelham, New Rochelle, Scarsdale and 

Mamaroneck" in Map of the Greater Portion of Westchester

County, New York and the Towns of Greenwich and Stamford,

Conn., p. 3 (Brooklyn, NY:  Hyde & Co., 1900).

Detail of 1908 Map Showing Pelham Reservoir and Filter Beds.

Source:  Fairchild, John F., "City of Mount Vernon" in Atlas of the

City of Mount Vernon and the Town of Pelham Second Edition Compiled

from Official Records, Personal Surveys, and other Private Plans and

Surveys, p. 24 (Mount Vernon, NY:  John F. Fairchild, 1908).

Note:  Shows Ownership by New York Inter Urban Water Co.

Detail of 1910 Map Showing Pelham Reservoir and Filter Beds.
Source:  Bromley, George W. & Bromley, Walter S., Untitled Map Bounded by Town of
East Chester, City of New Rochelle, Pelham Station, Clarefmont
Avenue and Central Boulevard in Atlas Of Westchester County, Vol. One, p. 17 
(Philadelphia, PA:  G. W. Bromley & Co., 1910).

Detail of 1914 Map Showing Pelham Reservoir and Filter Beds.

Source:  G. W. Bromley & Co., "Mount Vernon & Pelham" in

Atlas of Westchester County, N. Y. Pocket, Desk and Automobile

Edition, Vol. I, p. 122 (NY, NY:  G. W. Bromley & Co., 1914).

Note:  Shows Ownership by New York & Mt. Vernon Water Co.

Detail of June 30, 1915 Map Showing Portion of Right of Way and Track
of the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad Co. Near Pelham Reservoir.
Source:  "Right of Way and Track Map The New York New Haven and Hartford
R.R. Co. . . . from Woodlawn to New Haven, Station 125+60 to Station 178+40,
City of Mt. Vernon, Town of Pelham, State of N.Y." (Thomas J. Dodd Research
Center, University of Connecticut Libraries; New York, New Haven, and Hartford
Railroad Company Valuation Maps Collection; Roll No. 177; Valuation No. 53.80,
Sheet 4; Accession Number MSS1998-0378).

"No. 134.  Water Supply  Pelham N. Y."
Post Card View of Pelham Reservoir, Circa 1905.
Post Card Postmarked Jan. 11, 1907.

Undated Photograph of Pelham Reservoir, Ca. 1902.

Detail of Undated Post Card, Ca. 1911, Showing View to the East
at the New Trestle Carrying the New York, Boston and
Westchester Railway Over Portion of the Pelham Reservoir and
Hutchinson River with Children Fishing.

1950's Post Card View of Pelham Reservoir
and the Hutchinson River Parkway.

"MOUNT VERNON

Mount Vernon was first supplied with water by the Mount Vernon Water Company, which was formed in 1882.  The company sank an aresian well and pumped the water into a standpipe.  In 1901, after several companies had succeeded the original company, the New York Inter-Urban Water Company was incorporated, taking over the property of the predecessor companies.  This company extended its business and at present it supplies Mamaroneck, Pelham, Rye and certain rural districts as well as the city of Mount Vernon.  

From 1886 to 1892 the entire water supply of Mount Vernon was obtained from Hutchinson Creek, which flows into Eastchester Creek.  A prior right to that supply, held by the New Rochelle Water Company, made it necessary for the Mount Vernon Company to look elsewhere.  An additional supply was found on Tom Payne [sic] Creek, in the city of New Rochelle.  This water was diverted into that part of Hutchinson Creek from which the Mount Vernon company could draw, at a storage basin of 15,000,000 gal. capacity, known as the Pelham reservoir.  A filter plant was built at the reservoir in 1894.

In 1904 the supply was added to by the laying of a pipe line from the Mamaroneck River, where there is a reservoir of 12,000,000 gal. capacity, and a filter plant.  The available water resources of the company from Hutchinson Creek, Tom Payne [sic] Creek and the Mamaroneck River will now, under average conditions, supply about 10,000,000 gal. per day.  To insure an ample supply in seasons of drought or in emergencies, the pipe system of the water company is connected at three points with the pipe system of New York City,, and it is also connected with the mains of the Consolidated Water Company of Suburban New York, which supplies certain communities north of Mount Vernon.

The company at present supplies water to a population of about 50,000.  All connections are metered, and the average daily consumption is only about 65 gal. per capita.

NEW ROCHELLE

New Rochelle is supplied with water by the New Rochelle Water Company, which also supplies Bronxville, Tuckahoe, Pelham, Pelham Manor, North Pelham and Eastchester.  The company was incorporated in 1886.  

The water supply is obtained from Hutchinson Creek, Troublesome Brook and two systems of wells.  Three reservoirs have been built to impound the water of Hutchinson Creek, and one has been built on Troublesome Brook.  One of the well supplies is located on both sides of Hutchinson Creek, at Pelham Heights, about 1 1/4 miles from the business center of New Rochelle.  The other, used only during the summer, is located at Union Corners, about two miles from the center of New Rochelle.  The company has three pumping stations and two standpipes.

In 1918 the company was delivering an average of about 3,600,000 gal. daily.  It has no water resources in reserve, and the communities it supplies will soon have to draw from the Catskill system in seasons of drought."

Source:  Joint Report with Comprehensive Plan and Recommendations - New York, New Jersey Port and Harbor Development Commission, p. 396 (Albany, NY:  J. B. Lyon Co., 1920).

"THE MOUNT VERNON WATER CO. was originally incorporated January 28, 1882, by 33 then leading and representative citizens of Mount Vernon, who nominated the following named gentlemen from their number to serve as Trustees for the first year:  Charles Hill Wilson, Oliver Dyer, Joseph S. Wood, Gerd Martens, David Quackenbush, William D. Chapin, Burr Davis, John Berry, Edson Lewis, Max Huss, Elijah N. Wilson, Simeon L. Close.  Their source of supply was from an artesian well sunk in property on South Seventh avenue, near Third street.  The well still remains, though the machinery has been dismantled.  This company was succeeded by the New York and Mount Vernon Water Company, incorporated January 23, 1886.  The controlling interest of this company was in New York City.  at that time the pumping station was located at a point where the N.Y., N.H. & H.R.R. Co. intersects the boundary line between Mount Vernon and Pelham and its supply was then taken from the Hutchinson river.  The station still remains at this point, although it has been enlarged and much improved since that tiime.  On March 26, 1891, the New York City Suburban Water Company was created to take over the predecessor company and to provide means for increasing the supply of water required by the increasing wants of the rapidly growing city.  Much property for reservoir purposes was acquired within the present limits of the city of New Rochelle and many costly improvements were undertaken for the purpose of yielding a better service to the city.  The filter plant, one of the first to be inaugurated in this country, was constructed during that period.  The strain of these heavy expenditures, running into hundreds of thousands of dllars, coupled with the financial depression which existed at that time, resulted in the insolvency of the company, which was re-organized and succeeded by the New York Suburban Water Company, incorporated May 25, 1895.  Under this corporation the rights to the watershed of the Mamaroneck river were secured.  The present company, the New York Inter-Urban Water Company, acquired all property and rights of the former company on November 28, 1901.  The present company has extended and enlarged upon the improvements begun under the administrations of the several predecessors, by constructing a large conduit main, 7 miles in length, from Mamaroneck to Mount Vernon, and has now approaching completion at Mamaroneck, one of the most beautiful and complete pumping stations in this part of the country.  It is expected when this station shall have been completed, that the combined resources of the company will be equal to the water requirements of a city of 200,000 population.  Many statistics affecting the water company may be found on pages 8 and 9 of the Mayor's report for 1899-1900.  The company has nearly 50 miles of mains and nearly 500 hydrants in the city.  The State Geologist for Pennsylvania commissioned by the U.S. Government to inspect and report upon the water companies of the country, for use in construction and enlargement of the services for the cities of Washington, D. C., and Philadelphia, Pa., imparted to the writer that, after a thorough investigation of water plants throughout the country, he considered that the Mount Vernon plant, from the neatness of its surroundings, the quality of water supplied, and the general standard of its operation, was the most satisfactory of those he had visited, and that Mount Vernon, for a city of its size and class, had no superior in the matter of a water service."

Source:  Beach, George O., ed., The Daily Eagle's Illustrated History of Mt. Vernon Embracing a Descriptive History of its Local Government, Religious, Social and Commercial Institutions, with Biographical Sketches, p. 123 (Mt. Vernon, NY:  Daily Eagle, 1903).

"Mount Vernon residents had been agitating for their annexation to New York City as early as 1892, for a host of common reasons:  'a sufficient supply of pure, wholesome water at cheaper rates, better fire protection, lower insurance rates, a better sewage [sic] system, a larger police department, lower fares, and far less taxes.'  As in the case of Yonkers, the question of Mount Vernon's annexation to New York City was contemporaneous with a proposal to incorporate the village as an independent city.  If Yonkers serves as any example, incorporation as a city or annexation to New York were likely posed as the two alternatives by which Mount Vernon, whose population had increased from 4,586 to 10,830 between 1880 and 1890, could confront [Page 68 / Page 69] the issues that arose from rapid urbanization.  As in Yonkers, the residents of Mount Vernon confirmed their desire for municipal independence by voting in favor of incorporation in 1892 by a majority of 78 percent (1,485 to 428) and against consolidation in 1894 by 56 percent (2,017 to 1,602).

We may be able to explain, at least in part, the fact that the lower portion of the town of Eastchester voted in favor of annexation while the city of Mount Vernon voted against the measure by reference to an 1893 map that shows the majority of the streets in the most densely settled area of Mount Vernon supplied with water, gas, and sewer lines that end abruptly at the southern city limits.  The most densely settled area of lower Eastchester was known as South Mount Vernon, and while its street grid was largely contiguous to that of the city of Mount Vernon, it had no sewerage, water, or gas service.  If residents in Mount Vernon had agitated for annexation in order to receive a better water supply and sewerage system, it would seem likely that the demand for annexation to New York City would be greater in an area such as South Mount Vernon that had no water supply or sewerage system at all.  The possibility of being included within New York City's proposed public works program would thus have benefited lower Eastchester more than Mount Vernon and may have tipped the scales in favor of consolidation in that area.

Water was first supplied to Mount Vernon by the Mount Vernon Water Supply Company, formed in 1882.  One of the initial supporters of the company, Joseph S. Wood, a prominent attorney with large property holdings in the village, was also a leader of the annexation movement in 1892.  Unable to attract enough customers to pay off the $5,000 debt that it had incurred in building its waterworks, the Mount Vernon Water Supply Company was bought out in 1886 by investors from New York City, Boston, and Philadelphia who organized as the New York and Mount Vernon Water Company and received a '20 year exclusive franchise' to supply the village with water.  The new company impounded approximately three square miles of the drainage area of area of Hutchinson River, which it judged adequate to supply 35,000 people with water.  In 1892 the New York and Mount Vernon Water Company consolidated with a water company that served New York City's 24th Ward, or Kingsbridge Heights.  The newly consolidated company became the New York City Suburban Water Company.  

The water from the Hutchinson River 'had a horrible look and a worse taste' and was judged by the health officer of the town of Eastchester to be polluted by animal and human wastes, among other things.  Nevertheless, [Page 69 / Page 70] the pressures of urbanization forced the residents of the growing village to abandon their local wells and subscribe to the water company's service.  Possibly even more disturbing than the quality of the Hutchinson River water was its growing scarcity as numerous water companies and municipalities competed for the water resources of Westchester County.  Mount Vernon's water supply was seriously threatened when the New Rochelle Water Company purchased water rights to the Hutchinson above the intake of the New York City Suburban Water Company, with the result that the company was sent scrambling to find other sources for water, including the polluted Bronx River and the artesian well of the old Mount Vernon Water Supply Company.

It was thus in the context of a possibly catastrophic water shortage that residents in Mount Vernon began to agitate for annexation to New York City.  It is notable, however, that by utilizing other sources, the New York City Suburban Water Company prevented a water crisis and was in fact taking proactive steps to improve the water supplied and ensure an adequate water supply for the future, including the purchase of new water sources such as Tom Paine Creek and the installation of innovative new filter beds, at a cost of $200,000, that received national attention.  The renowned filter beds may also have served as part of a larger booster movement to promote the city as a healthy place of residence.  To the extent that the residents of Mount Vernon were making a choice against annexation when they voted for incorporation as an independent city in 1892, it seems likely that that choice was in large part based on their belief that their city could provide itself with an adequate supply of water without the help of New York City, and that belief was at least in part inspired by the progressive steps taken by their water company.  Moreover, many of the other issues that Mount Vernon residents considered when they voted to incorporate as an independent city in 1892, such as fire protection and insurance rates, were intimately connected to the issue of water supply."

Source:  Dilworth, Richardson, The Urban Origins of Suburban Autonomy, pp. 68-71 (Cambridge, MA:  Harvard University Press, 2005) (footnotes omitted).

See also Franko, Alfred M., Your Mount Vernon Board of Water Supply:  An Historical Account of a Community's Struggle for a Pure Water Supply with a Description of the Present System (Mount Vernon, NY:  Mount Vernon Board of Water Supply, 1959).

"MOUNT VERNON

City.  Population 27,000.  Situated in the southern extremity of Westchester county on the Bronx river on the N.Y.C. & H.R.R.R.

Plant.--Pumped system.  Situated at North Pelham.  Consists of pump house sheltering two pumps, four storage reservoirs, three open slow sand filters, stand pipe, distributing system.

Plant is owned and operated by the New York Interurban Water Company as part of the system supplying Mt. Vernon, Mamaroneck, Harrison, Orienta and part of Rye Neck.  This company is one of those controlled by the American Pipe and Construction Company of Philadelphia.

The whole system comprises about 100 miles of sixteen inch to four inch cast iron pipe.

Total cost not obtainable.

The plant at North Pelham is said by the superintendent to be now used merely as an emergency supply, the normal source of water of the system being obtained from the filters at Mamaroneck.  

Sources of Supply.--The Mamaroneck and Hutchinson rivers, with four storage reservoirs.  One at Pelham, 13,000,000 gallons capacity, two at New Rochelle of 80,000,000 and 5,000,000 capacity, one at Mamaroneck, 15,000,000 capacity.  Supply is a polluted one with high bacterial counts and almost constant presence of fecal organisms.

The raw water flows by gravity to slow sand filters, thence to small clear well, twelve feet in diameter, whence it is pumped to a stand pipe, 120 x 20 feet.

Pumps.--One 4,000,000 gallon Worthington, one 3,000,000 gallon Dean, both compound steam pumps.  [Page 429 / Page 430] 

Filters.--Three open slow sand filters, J. M. Howells, engineer.  These filters are nearly rectangular and have surface areas approximately 11,880 square feet, 14,150 square feet, and 16,450 square feet respectively, equivalent to 0.27 A., 0.32 A.,, and 0.37 A.

The underdrains consist of wooden box drains constructed of four inch by one inch planks, giving an inner space of three inches.  These are set cornerwise in depressions in the bottom of the filter and surrounded by a layer of one inch to two inch mesh gravel with three layers of graded gravel above.  A quarter inch opening near the bottom edge of the box allows the entry of water.  The lateral underdrains extend across the filter beds parallel to each other and at right angles to a central twelve inch collecting conduit of plank.  These collecting conduits extend directly to a small circular clear well twelve feet in diameter, or join a sixteen inch collecting conduit extending to the clear well.  Between each row of lateral underdrains there is a rise of six inches in the bottom; the gravel above the underdrains is filled in level with the top of the rise.  Over the center of this ridge there is eighteen inches of sand, while over the underdrains there is twenty-four inches of sand.  The sand used is from local sand banks and passes through a one-eighth inch mesh sieve.  The filters were completed in 1894 as above described, but the ridged surface has apparently not been maintained in recent years, judging from the appearance at the time of inspection.  

It was formerly customary to scrape the beds about every three months.  To scrape, and place again in service, the three beds requires twenty men two days.  After scraping, the water is allowed to flow upon the bed from the top and not as in the best practice, filtered water admitted from the bottom. Neither are the beds first filtered to waste.  Effluents are run to the clear well at once.

The rate of filtration probably lies between 2,500,000 and 3,000,000 gallons per acre per day.  

In order to reduce expense and avoid the labor and annoyance of scraping, it is said to be now the practice when the beds clog to such an extent as to materially decrease their discharge to treat the beds with copper sulphate in the proportion of five [Page 430 / Images Opposite Page 430]

"MT. VERNON -- SLOW SAND FILTERS AT NORTH PELHAM -- 

SHOWING SMALL CLEAR WATER WELL AND GATE HOUSE

JUST BELOW PUMP HOUSE"  (Opposite Page 430).

"MT. VERNON -- AERATING CASCADE -- SLOW

SAND FILTERS AND PUMP HOUSE.  (Opposite Page 430).

[Images Opposite Page 430 /  Images Opposite Page 431]

"MT. VERNON -- SLOW SAND FILTERS AND IMPOUNDING

RESERVOIR AT NORTH PELHAM."  (Opposite Page 431).

[Images Opposite Page 431 / Page 431]

pounds of copper sulphate to 1,000,000 gallons of water.  The filtering film is thus destroyed and the rate brought back substantially to that yielded before becoming clogged.  No analyses could be obtained as evidence that the copper treatment is a good and safe one to substitute for scraping.  Bacteriological tests are said to be made twice a week by the Lederle laboratory of New York city.  None of the reports could be examined by your inspector, nor have the promised summaries of results been forthcoming.

Distributing System.--One hundred miles of 16-inch to 4-inch castiron [sic] pipe, 6,200 service taps, all metered.  Pressure on mains 30 to 125 pounds.  Total consumption about 2,600,000 gallons per day.  Equivalent to a daily per capita consumption of sixty-five gallons.  

Efficiency.--From the appearance of the beds and a consideration of the methods of operation, it is the opinion of your inspector that high efficiencies and satisfactory effluents are doubtless the exception rather than the rule."

Source:  MOUNT VERNON, in Annual Report of the State Department of Health of New York for the Year Ended December 31, 1909, Vol. II, pp. 429-31 (Albany, NY:  1910).


"Last Well Completed and Tested

Mt. Vernon, N. Y. -- Well No. 4 of the city's emergency supply system was given a seven consecutive hour test last week and showed an average yield of 150 gallons of good water per minute, according to Alderman H. J. Stolte, the chairman of the Aldermanic Committee on Water and Sewers.  Alderman Stolte said that the well sinking was now completed and that the work of having the pipe to carry the water from the wells to the Pelham Reservoir would be begun as soon as the necessary 8-inch iron pipe could be secured.  One of the pump houses, the Alderman said, was well under way, and two others were to be begun during this week.  The bill of lading for the motors has been received and the motors themselves are being expected every day.  The pumps were shipped from the factory where they were made, in Lynn, Mass., late in June, and are now en route to this city.  When asked if he thought other wells would be sunk in addition to the four now about completed, the alderman replied that he had a proposition in mind, but he did not want to talk about it at this time.  The alderman also told that Mayor Fiske and Alderman C. J. Kirk visited he wells while the test of No. 4 was in progress and expressed themselves as being pleased at the entire result of the four-well experiment."

Source:  Last Well Completed and Tested, Municipal Journal, Jul. 19, 1911, Vol. XXXI, No. 3, p. 86.

"ELEVEN YEAR OLD CHARLES SMITH IS DROWNED BY BREAKING THROUGH THE ICE AT PELHAM RESERVOIR TODAY
-----
In Company With His Cousin George Went Out on Ice Which Gave Way -- Latter Rescued by Vincent Rosenheimer, a Companion.
-----
WHO CARRIED HIM ON HIS BACK TO THE SHORE
-----
Heroism of Lad Who Also Tried to Save Dead Boy by Pushing Him to Embankment -- Body Recovered 150 Feet Away.
-----

North Pelham, March 1. -- Charles Smith, aged eleven years, son of Dominic Smith, a well known contractor, was drowned this morning shortly after 9 o'clock, in the Hutchinson river, after he had broken through the ice in the Pelham reservoir, near the dam, and had been carried over the falls.  His cousin, George Smith, son of Charles Smith, was saved from a similar fate by Vincent Rosenheimer, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Rosenheimer, who jumped into the icy water and pulled him to the shore.  At the same time he gave Charles a push, thinking that by so doing the boy would reach the embankment.  But the current was so strong that he was carried over the falls and was drowned.

-----

Were on Their Way to School.

The accident is the first that ever occurred in the Pelham reservoir and the tragedy has brought gloom throughout the town, as the families are prominent.

The Smith boys and Vincent Rosenheimer were on their way to the convent school connected with St. Catherine's church on Second avenue, when the accident occurred.  The school is only a short distance from the reservoir.

Walked Out on Ice.

The three boys were walking along First street when the Smith boys suggested that they go down to the pond.  When they reached the embankment, one of the boys noticed a hole in the ice and then started to walk out to it.  The ice was thin on account of the heavy rains and the warm weather.  

'Come on,' said one of the boys to Vincent.  'Let's go over and look at that hole.'

Vincent told them that he would not go on the ice, as his mother had warned him to keep off.  The two Smith boys then walked on the ice and left Vincent standing on the embankment.

The Ice Gave Way.

They had not gone more than eight or ten yards when the ice gave way beneath them and they were precipitated into the water.  They began to struggle and shouted for help.  Their cries attracted attention and it was not long before the pupils and teachers from the school ran down to the pond.  

Took George Smith Ashore.

Having no thought for his own safety, Vincent Rosenheimer had jumped into the open space of water where the two boys had drifted in the direction of the falls and managed to catch hold of George Smith.  At the same time he gave Charles a push toward the embankment, thinking that by so doing he would be able to reach the shore himself.  He then told George to put his hands on his shoulders.  The smith boy did this and Vincent was able finally to reach shore with Smith on his back, tho [sic] he was exhausted.

Went Over the Falls.

After they had reached a point of safety, young Rosenheimer shouted to Charles Smith, thinking that he had reached the other bank all right, but he had been swept over the falls.

Taken From the Water.

About 150 feet west of the culvert through which he had been carried by the swift current into the Hutchinson river, the boy was seen floating on the water by an Italian employed as a workman on the new brewery building which is being constructed in Pelham.  This man pulled the boy to the shore and laid him on the ground.  His shouts attracted the attention of Louis Rees, a foreman for Bellinger Bros., who ran down to the river with Henry Dove.  The two men carried Charles into the office of the works and tried to resuscitate him by rolling him on a barrel.  It was noticed that he moved his fingers several times.

Father Overcome by Grief.

Dr. McGuire, of Pelham, was notified and he did all he could to restore life, but death ensued.  Dominic Smith was notified and when he arrived at the place, where he saw the body of the boy, he was prostrated with grief and swooned.  He was given medical attention a little later.  Mrs. Smith is out of town and has not been notified as yet of the accident. . . ."

Source:  ELEVEN YEAR OLD CHARLES SMITH IS DROWNED BY BREAKING THROUGH THE ICE AT PELHAM RESERVOIR TODAY, The Daily Argus [Mount Vernon, NY], Mar. 1, 1910, p. 1, cols. 2-3.  

"CITY WILL SINK SIX ARTESIAN WELLS TO FEED SUPPLY IN PELHAM RESERVOIR
-----
Council Expected to Pass Necessary Order at Tuesday Night's Meeting and Then Work Ought to Begin at Once -- Provide Against Famine and Will Insure Sufficient Water Here.
-----
The mayor and the members of the aldermanic committee at their meeting last night paved the way for a provision against any water famine herre this summer such as that with which the city was afflicted last year.  The action decided upon last night, was to sink six wells on the property of the Westchester Brewing company, to install an electric pump, pipe the well water to the Pelham reservoir, which is just across the railroad tracks from the brewery property and then feed it to the mains which supply the city.
-----

It was announced at the meeting that William Hobby of the brewing company had agreed to allow the city to sink the wells, install the pumping apparatus and pipe the water to the reservoir, for a period of five years, and to sell the water to the city at the rate of $80 per million gallons.  It was the opinion of the members of the committee and of the mayor as well, that a supply of from one and a half to two million gallons a day could be taken from the six wells, in which case, the city would be well provided.  

Herring and Fuller, the city's consulting engineers, had a representative at the meeting and he was instructed to visit the place where the wells are to be sunk today, and to submit an estimate of the cost of sinking the wells and equipping the plant before Tuesday night, so that Chairman Stolte of the committee on water and sewers would be able to offer a resolution at the council meeting, on Thursday night, which would authorize the city clerk to advertise for bids on the work.

Mr. Harding, the engineer who was present, stated that he thought the plan as a source of temporary, or an emergency supply, was a very good one and he gave it as his opinion that unless Providence was very good with the rain storms soon, that Mount Vernon would be up against it even worse this year than it was last, because of the fact that the New York supply was low and in all probability no water could be obtained in Mount Vernon from that city's supply.  He stated that from the information given him by the mayor and the members of the committee that the plan ought not to cost the city much, and he thought that the entire plant ought to be in good working order by June 1, or before.

The engineer also stated, when discussing the problem of a permanent water supply for the city that he thought the Connecticut water shed proposition was one which ought to be looked into, as sources from which to obtain water for this section were scarce, and no probable source of supply ought to be allowed to go by without an investigation.  He was anxious to proceed immediately with a detailed investigation of the water shed as he said the investigation of the water shed as he said the investigation by Herring and Fuller into the other plans submitted to them was about completed.

Both Mayor Fiske and Alderman Stolte were of the opinion that the city should spend no money for the engineers' investigation until a written proposition with figures, etc., had been received by the city from R. Jay Walsh of Greenwich, who is the president of the corporation owning the Riversville, Conn. water shed, so the mayor called up Mr. Walsh at his home last night and asked him if his company was going to make the city a proposition, and Mr. Walsh promised that a letter enclosing a proposition to the city wo0uld be sent to Alderman Stolte some time next week."

Source:  CITY WILL SINK SIX ARTESIAN WELLS TO FEED SUPPLY IN PELHAM RESERVOIR, The Daily Argus [Mount Vernon, NY], Apr. 29, 1911, No. 6525, p. 1, cols. 4-5. 

"FIRST CROP OF ICE HAD AT PELHAM RESERVOIR
-----

The Knickerbocker Ice Co. completed harvesting the first crop of ice from the Pelham reservoir yesterday.  A large force of men have been at work all week and the pond was cleared with the exception of a small space at noon.

The ice is of excellent quality and is between ten and twelve inches thick.  There is a thin layer of snow ice, while below that is the water ice.  In order to fill the ice house this pond has to be cleared twice a season.  There are two large ice houses containing two sections each."

Source:  FIRST CROP OF ICE HAD AT PELHAM RESERVOIR, The Daily Argus [Mount Vernon, NY], Jan. 22, 1912, p. 1, col. 2.  

"NEW YORK INTERURBAN WATER COMPANY

A reinspection of the public water supply furnished by the New York Interurban Water Company to the city of Mt. Vernon, and to the village of Mamaroneck, town of Harrison, and the districts of Orienta and Rye Neck, Westchester county, N. Y., was made by Mr. Alfred Mullikin, a representative of this Department on October 4, 1921.  Previous inspections of this supply have been made by this Division in 1909,, 1915 and 1920 and the reports thereon published in the Annual Reports of the Department for those years.

Mt. Vernon, a city with a present population estimated at 43,000 is located north and adjacent to New York City on the Bronx river.  The village of Mamaroneck and the other districts served lie to the northeast of the city and have an estimated population of 9,000.  Of the total population, all are served with water from the public water supply.  The waterworks are owned and operated by the New York Interurban Water Company under the direction of Mr. H. E. Walbert, superintendent.  The water supply of the New York Interurban Water Company is obtained from three sources namely, the Hutchinson river, Tom Paine brook and the Mamaroneck river.  The supply from the Hutchinson river consists mainly of the overflow from the New Rochelle reservoirs together with the drainage from the watershed between these reservoirs and the reservoir of the Interurban Company at Pelham.  The water from Tom Paine brook is collected in a large reservoir, known as the Mahlstead reservoir, from which it is siphoned to the Pelham reservoir.  The water from these 2 sources is then filtered through open slow sand filters.  The supply from the Mamaroneck river is collected in a small storage reservoir and then pumped through pressure mechanical filters after coagulation and sedimentation in a preliminary settling basin and after treatment with hypochlorite of lime.  The description of these two filter plans will be found on pages 419 and 429, Vol. 2 of the 30th Annual Report of this Department.

After filtration and sterilization, the water passes into a distributing system.  The water mains over the entire system are flushed once a year.  The average daily water consumption for the month of September was 3,694,554 gallons, of which some 2,377,400 gallons was [sic] supplied by the Mamaroneck plant and 1,317,250 gallons by the Pelham plant.  Storage is provided by a steel stand pipe.

The Mamaroneck reservoir formed by a timber and stone dam is located about 8 miles east of the center of the city of Mt. Vernon and about 1 mile north of the village of Mamaroneck.  Signs are posted to prevent trespassing but the reservoir is not fenced.  Monthly inspections are made and copper sulphate is added 3 or 4 times a year to inhibit the growth of algae.  Above the reservoir the drainage area of the Mamaroneck river is about 12.8 square miles.  The soil is rocky and traversed by a number of highways along which are numerous houses on the watershed.  The river receives surface wash from this populated area.  It is also said that the supply is subject to direct pollution from time to time from the overflow of sewers carrying sewage from the city of White Plains.  The Pelham reservoir is located about 1 1/2 miles east of the center of the city of Mt. Vernon and north of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad.  Although signs against trespassing are posted, the reservoir is not fenced.  The physical condition of the water was somewhat impaired at the time of the inspection due to the presence of algae growths in the reservoir.  Located near the inlet pipe leading from the reservoir to the slow sand filters, a barrel is placed and used in connection with the application of copper sulphate for treatment of the raw water at a rate of 5 pounds per day or approximately 0.46 parts per million.  The Pelham reservoir is fed by water from the Hutchinson river and the Tom Paine brook.  The Hutchinson river has a drainage area of about 2 square miles and receives the overflow from the New Rochelle reservoirs.  There are also numerous houses and highways on this watershed which in all probability give rise to pollution of the supply.  It was learned that the Hutchinson river receives direct pollution from leaks occurring [Page 204 / Page 205] in a tile sewer laid in Hutchinson boulevard.  Tom Paine brook has a drainage area of about 1.9 square miles.  The water is collected in two small rip-rapped ponds in the city of New Rochelle and flows to Mahlstead storage reservoir.  The watershed receives less pollution than the other sources.  It contains some swamp area above the upper pond and is open to the public.  Above the upper pond crossing the brook in Wykagyl park, the city of New Rochelle has recently laid sewers constructed of 24-inch cast-iron pipe with leaded joints.  The Mahlstead reservoir is rectangular in shape and rip-rapped.  Although signs are posted prohibiting trespassing, 5 people were fishing from the banks of the reservoir at the time of the inspection.  Although the reservoir is treated with copper sulphate several times a year, the water contained considerable algae.  Rules and regulations for the sanitary protection of the public water supply of the city of Mt. Vernon were enacted by this Department in 1907.

The Pelham filter plant is located at the Pelham reservoir, 1 mile east of the city of Mt. Vernon and consists of 3 slow sand filters.  With a consumption of 1.3 million gallons of water per day, the filters were operating at a rate of 1.16 million gallons per acre per day.  The filters are cleaned about every 6 weeks, when 1/2-inch of sand is removed at each cleaning.  Two of the filters were being cleaned at the time of the inspection.  The filtered water is sterilized with liquid chlorine which is applied by a Wallace and Tiernan manual control solution feed chlorinator having a pulsometer capacity of 45 c.c.  At the time of the inspection chlorine was being applied at the rate of 0.8 parts per million.  An additional new chlorine apparatus has been installed, having a pulsometer capacity of 39 c.c.  This apparatus is held in reserve.

The Mamaroneck filter plant is located about 1 milenorth of the village of Mamaroneck and some 200 feet below the impounding Mamaroneck reservoir.  The water from this reservoir flows by gravity to a coagulating basin.  It is cleaned every three months.  From the coagulating basin the water flows through 4 horizontal pressure mechanical filters.  With a consuption of 2.38 million gallons of water, the rate of filtration based on a cross-sectional area of 160 square feet each, would be 162 million gallons per acre per day.  Every day two of the four filters are washed giving a 48 hour run between washing for each filter.  The first filtrate is not wasted.  At the time of the inspection some 200 pounds of alum were being applied to the raw water per day, the rate of application is 0.59 grains per gallon which gave a satisfactory floe to the raw water.

The filtered water is sterilized with liquid chlorine at nearly 1.3 parts per million.  From the recent inspection it appears that our previous recommendations have been carried out with the exception that the chlorine cylinder connections have not been arranged so that two cylinders may be kept connected to the apparatus at all times.

The results of the analyses of the filtered and chlorinated water made by the Division of Laboratories and Research and collected at the Pelham plant show nearly 100 per cent removal of turbidity, 50 per cent removal of color, 70 per cent and 53 per cent removal of organic matter as measured by the albuminoid ammonia and oxygen consumed tests respectively.  The results of the bacteriological examination show a total bacterial increase of some 92 per cent as indicated by the 20 degree count which is probably due to the fact that one of the filters had just been cleaned prior to the time of the inspection.  The results of the analyses of the filtered and chlorinated water collected at the Mamaroneck plant show nearly 100 per cent removal of turbidity, 58 per cent and 47 per cent removal of organic matter as measured by the albuminoid ammonia and oxygen consumed tests respectively.  The results of the bacteriological examination show a total bacterial removal of 94 per cent as indicated by the 20 degree count and a removal of 100 per cent of organisms of the B. coli type in all inoculations examined.  

In a report upon an inspection of the supply dated December 20, 1921, the following recommendations were made:  [Page 205 / Page 206]

1.  That as previously recommended the Interurban Water Company maintain at all times a careful supervision over the watersheds tributary to the supply.

2.  That adequate pumping machinery be installed at the Westchester avenue sewage pumping station and care be taken to see that no sewers overflow or other sources of pollution continue.

3.  That frequent tests of the treated water at both filter plants for excess chlorine be made by the starch iodide method in accordance with the enclosed directions, and the rate of application of the chlorine regulated in accordance with the results of these tests.

4.  That the water company make careful daily tests of the raw and filtered water with a view to determining the exact quantity of alum and chlorine required at all times and the rate of application of these chemicals be regulated in accordance with the results of these tests and applied continuously.

5.  That copper sulphate be properly applied to the Pelham and Mahlstead reservoirs throughout the year under the supervision of a competent expert in order to prevent the occurrence of algae growths in the reservoir.

6.  That the present depth of sand on the Pelham filters be increased by the addition of a suitable quality of sand and at no time should the depth be less than 30 inches.

7.  That the water company increase the filter capacity of the Mamaroneck filter plant in order that the rate of filtration will not at any time exceed 125,000,000 gallons per acre per day.

8.  That the pressure gauges on the filters of the Mamaroneck plant be tested and the filters washed frequently in order that at no time may the loss of head exceed 10 feet, or a difference of 4 pounds on the gauges.

9.  That in accordance with the previous report two chlorine cylinders be attached to the chlorine apparatus at all times so that an interval of time will not elapse when gas is not applied to the filtered water when changing cylinders." 

Source:  NEW YORK INTERURBAN WATER COMPANY in State of New York -- Forty-Second Annual Report of the State Department of Health for the Year Ending December 31, 1921, Vol. I, pp. 204-06 (Albany, NY:  B. Lyon Co., Printers, 1922).

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