﻿842 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  On 
  account 
  of 
  similarity 
  of 
  conditions 
  the 
  facts 
  gained 
  in 
  the 
  

   Rochester 
  study 
  are 
  of 
  general 
  interest 
  to 
  the 
  towns 
  of 
  western 
  

   New 
  York, 
  and 
  accordingly 
  a 
  brief 
  account 
  of 
  the 
  studies 
  made 
  

   in 
  1890 
  is 
  herewith 
  given. 
  

  

  Domestic 
  Water 
  Supply 
  of 
  Rochester 
  

   The 
  object 
  of 
  the 
  investigation 
  was 
  to 
  determine 
  the 
  cheapest 
  

   source 
  from 
  which 
  a 
  proper 
  temporary 
  supply 
  of 
  water 
  for 
  the 
  

   city 
  of 
  Rochester 
  could 
  be 
  obtained. 
  A 
  number 
  of 
  sources 
  within 
  

   short 
  distances 
  were 
  examined, 
  but 
  it 
  was 
  found 
  that 
  in 
  every 
  

   instance 
  where 
  the 
  quality 
  was 
  satisfactory 
  the 
  quantity 
  was 
  not. 
  

   On 
  the 
  other 
  hand, 
  where 
  the 
  requisite 
  quantity 
  was 
  available, 
  

   the 
  contamination 
  was 
  such 
  as 
  to 
  necessitate 
  filtration. 
  The 
  

   deficiency 
  in 
  the 
  supply 
  was 
  estimated 
  at 
  1,500,000 
  gallons 
  per 
  

   day, 
  and 
  since 
  Rochester 
  was 
  growing 
  rapidly, 
  the 
  shortage 
  was 
  

   likely 
  to 
  amount 
  to 
  2,000,000 
  gallons 
  per 
  day 
  before 
  a 
  new 
  con- 
  

   duit 
  could 
  be 
  constructed. 
  We 
  will 
  first 
  refer 
  to 
  Hemlock 
  lake, 
  

   the 
  main 
  source 
  of 
  supply 
  for 
  Rochester. 
  

  

  Hemlock 
  lake. 
  In 
  1872 
  Hemlock 
  lake 
  was 
  decided 
  upon 
  as 
  the 
  

   water 
  supply 
  of 
  the 
  city 
  of 
  Rochester. 
  This 
  lake 
  lies 
  at 
  an 
  ele- 
  

   vation 
  of 
  386 
  feet 
  above 
  the 
  Erie 
  canal 
  aqueduct 
  at 
  Rochester, 
  

   and 
  a 
  gravity 
  conduit 
  was 
  therefore 
  constructed 
  capable 
  of 
  carry- 
  

   ing 
  7,000,000 
  gallons 
  per 
  day, 
  although 
  in 
  1876, 
  immediately 
  after 
  

   its 
  completion, 
  this 
  conduit 
  was 
  reported 
  as 
  carrying 
  9,300,000 
  

   gallons 
  per 
  day. 
  No 
  systematic 
  tests 
  had 
  been 
  made 
  until 
  1890, 
  

   when 
  it 
  was 
  found 
  to 
  be 
  carrying 
  only 
  6,700,000 
  gallons 
  per 
  day. 
  

   In 
  the 
  meantime, 
  the 
  city 
  had 
  developed 
  from 
  a 
  population 
  of 
  

   89,000 
  in 
  1880 
  to 
  134,000 
  in 
  1890, 
  and 
  the 
  natural 
  increase 
  in 
  the 
  

   use 
  of 
  water 
  had 
  exhausted 
  the 
  available 
  supply. 
  At 
  least 
  two 
  

   years 
  was 
  required 
  to 
  construct 
  a 
  new 
  conduit 
  and 
  accordingly 
  

   it 
  became 
  necessary 
  that 
  a 
  temporary 
  supply 
  of 
  some 
  sort 
  be 
  pro- 
  

   vided 
  to 
  tide 
  over 
  the 
  emergency. 
  The 
  investigation 
  considered 
  

   every 
  possible 
  source 
  from 
  which 
  a 
  supply 
  could 
  be 
  obtained. 
  

   Mount 
  Hope 
  reservoir 
  is 
  about 
  two 
  miles 
  south 
  of 
  the 
  center 
  of 
  

   the 
  city 
  and 
  Rush 
  reservoir 
  ten 
  miles 
  south. 
  Just 
  south 
  of 
  Mount 
  

   Hope 
  reservoir 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  deep, 
  broad 
  valley 
  several 
  miles 
  wide, 
  

   while 
  south 
  of 
  Rush 
  reservoir 
  is 
  the 
  valley 
  of 
  Honeoye 
  creek. 
  

  

  