HALIFAX WATER WORKS. JOHNSTON. 79 



e(tby the city' council, and they "engaged Mr. James E. Laurie, 

 C. E., of ^"ew York, to report 011 tile '' works arid increased 

 sources of supply. 'Mr. : Laurie submitted his report, which is 

 an exceedingly interesting and valuable document, on the 10th 

 May; 1860. The population of the town at that date was 

 30,000, and there ' were 892 water tenants on the books of the 

 company. Allowing eight 'persons to a family,: this would give 

 7,136 people using the -water; but as the barracks/ navy yard 

 and city counted as single' tenants and a large number were 

 using water from free hydrants,; he estimated that there were 

 about 20,000 consumers. While tli>, -mains were capable of 

 discharging 2,000,000 gallons per -day^-on account of there 

 being only about two 12-inch distributing: mains only about 

 1,500,000 gallons were being; used by ; these ; 20 r , 000 consumers, 

 or at the rate of 75 gallons. per capita per clay. la calculating 

 for an increased supply he based his estimate 'on a population 

 of 60,000 using at the rate of 83^ gallons ^er, capita .per day or 

 for a total of 5,000,000 gallons per day. , ,! r 



He discussed two plans for increasing the supply, and two 

 for the proposed high service, and also improvements, in thb dis- 

 tribution system: 



1st. Long Lake. By raising this lake, ithree feet and replac- 

 ing the 12-in'ch main with a '24-inch main a daily supply of 

 5,000,000 gallons witlra storage 'capacity for 160jdays would be 

 obtained at an estimated cost of $70,070.00. 



2nd. Birch Cov^ : Lakes. 1 -These lakes consist of several 

 bodies of water connected -by "narrow passages, having a sur- 

 face elevation of 239 feet above mean low r tide, a'iicl an area of 

 241 acres, with several other lakes emptying into them. The 

 natural flow was small, a 9-inch x 12-inch penstock carrying the 

 greater part of the ''water in' the dry season to a mill on the 

 stream. Assuming' the lakes to be capable of being raised ten 

 fret, which was problematical, as the eastern banks were low and 

 unsuitable for dams, ; and eighfc feet of water being drawn off, 



