S56 



NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



Genesee river. In considering the Genesee river as a source for 

 a temporary supply for Rochester, the intake might be located 

 either in the vicinity of the south end of the Erie railway bridge 

 or at Elmwood avenue. The former location is nearer to Mount 

 Hope reservoir, but the proximity of the oil works and a storm 

 outlet for a new sewer on the west side makes the Elmwood 

 avenue site somewhat more desirable. The latter is about 1.63 

 miles from the reservoir, and the usual low-water surface of the 

 river is about 128 feet below the same. To render the water fit 

 for domestic use it would need to be filtered, and in this respect 

 it stands on practically the same scale as the water of all the 

 other streams previously mentioned and that of the Erie canal. The 

 principal advantage of this site was that the pumping station 

 would become available for supplying water to South Park as 

 soon as its use for supplementing the flow from Hemlock lake 

 ceased; also the force main would serve as a future distributing 

 pipe for the southern districts of the city on both sides of the 

 river. All of the plant except the filters would thus have had a 

 permanent value for two city departments. The estimated cost 

 of the works with a 12-inch force main and including filters was 

 about $51,000, but if the force main were increased to 16 inches 

 in diameter, the cost was estimated at $60,000. With the filter 

 plant rented for a few years the costs would be about f 15,000 less 

 than the amounts named. 



The following is -an analysis of Genesee river water as made 

 by Professor Lattimore in 1890 : 



(Parts per 100,000) 



Total solids 



Fixed residue 



Loss on ignition 



Sodium chloride 



Ammonia, free 



Ammonia, albuminoid 



Nitrites 



Nitrates 



Hardness , 



14.00 

 6.27 



none 



13.80 



none 



none 



0.002 



