84 HALIFAX WATER WORKS. JOHNSTON. 



of the department was planned and executed. To them is due 

 the credit of establishing the works as we have them to-day, 

 and if unsatisfactory it is through no fault that ca'n be attached 

 to the plans that were adopted, but rather through the neglect of 

 enforcing stringent ordinances, the necessity for which I am 

 informed was repeatedly urged upon the council by the board." 

 Since 1872 the works have been under the control of the board 

 of works and managed by the city engineer of the city of 

 Halifax. 



As may be gathered from the foregoing history of the works, 

 the district supplied by the Long and Chain Lakes lies at an 

 elevation below 150 feet above mean low tide, and that sup- 

 plied by the Spruce Hill Lake system above this elevation. The 

 former is called the low service district and the latter the high. 

 Both are supplied by gravitation. One of the great difficulties 

 in connection with the high service shortly after its intro- 

 duction, was the constant and urgent demand of the consumers 

 near the higher levels of the low service district, as the pressure 

 became lower through the increased consumption for the letting 

 down of this service to the lower levels. While this was coin- 

 batted strongly by the commissioners and subsequently by the 

 city engineer, it was frequently done, and greatly impaired the 

 efficiency of the high service system. However, since the intro- 

 duction of the 27-i'nch low service main the supply has been 

 kept back nearer its proper level. At present the lowest points 

 supplied by the high service are the Victoria General Hospital 

 and poor house, where the ground is at an elevation of 100 feet, 

 and on Uniacke Street, at an elevation of 120 feet. 



Low Service Gathering Grounds and Storage Reservoirs. 



The water .shed of the low service system comprises an area 

 of 4,455 acres, including the lakes 904 acres in the Chain 

 Lakes and 3,551 acres in the Long Lake gathering grounds, the 

 water area in the former being 97 acres and in the latter 459 

 acres. Included in the Chain Lakes water shed is Bayer's Lake 





