lake, a feeder of the Wachusett Reservoir. The premises were such that they peculiarly threatened the purity of the water. For like reasons it was deemed advisable to acquire a considerable tract of land in West Boylston through which a brook having a water privilege ran and emptied into the Wachusett Reservoir. Other improvements have been effected not only in the Wachusett watershed but also in the Cochituate and Sudbury watersheds, but as these pertained more especially to maintenance the cost of these improvements has been defrayed from maintenance funds. (3) WESTON Aqueduct. Some claims under contracts arising on account of the construction of the Weston Aqueduct, the settlement of which has been long delayed by reason of pending suits, have been finally settled. The payments made under the settlements amounted to $1,627.35, making the total of expenditures for the construction of the Weston Aqueduct and Reservoir $2,849,490.11. (4) DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM. (a) New Supply Main for Boston Low-service District. The laying of a new 48-inch main from a point near the Chestnut Hill Reservoir through Beacon Street and Longwood Avenue to the Riverway near the Longwood Avenue Bridge in the city of Boston was completed and the line was put in service on September 14. This · main was deemed especially necessary for the reinforcement of the low service in that city. The length of the main is 12,400 feet, and the cost of the work has amounted to $162,698.06. There are two small bills still to be paid. Inasmuch as the appropriation authorized for the purpose was $190,000, there will be left a balance amounting to more than $25,000. (b) New Weston Aqueduct Supply Main. Under the authority given by the Legislature of the year 1909 for the construction of a 60-inch main from the terminus of the Weston Aqueduct to the present mains near Chestnut Hill Reservoir, contracts have been made for the furnishing of about one-half of the iron pipes which will be required. A contract was also made in the latter part of the season for the laying of about 8,000 feet of pipe near the Chestnut Hill end of the line, principally through Chestnut Hill and Commonwealth avenues in Brighton. The estimate for the entire line was for an expenditure of $750,000. The value of the work done at the end of the year under the contract for laying the pipe was $25,902.53, and, in addition, pipes to the value of about $142,070 have been received. The work of laying the pipe will be prosecuted during the coming year, and it is expected that about one-half of the entire length, being the part on the Chestnut Hill end, will be completed during the two coming seasons. By laying this portion of the pipe the more pressing necessities of the District will be relieved, and it is possible that the laying of the remainder of the line may be put off for a period of a year or two, but such possibility is dependent upon the continuance of a saving in the consumption of water such as has been effected during the past year. This main is supplied, in addition to the 48-inch pipe line which had previously been laid, for the purpose of bringing additional water from the Weston Aqueduct into the Metropolitan District, and is only one of several lines which will be required from time to time to supply the increasing necessities of the District. (c) Northern High-service Main in Everett, Chelsea and Revere. The laying of a new 24-inch main from the junction of Broadway and Hancock Street, in the city of Everett, through Chelsea to the junction of Fenno Street and Broadway in Revere, was begun and completed in the past year. This main has been laid to reinforce the present pipe line in order to give a sufficient pressure to the water supplied to Winthrop, Revere, Swampscott and Nahant. The laying of pipe was begun on July 20 and completed on December 17, and the whole line was put into service by the end of December. The estimated cost of the line was $68,000, for which, however, complete settlements have not yet been made. As the laying of this main was made immediately necessary on account of the admission of the town of Swampscott into the Metropolitan Water District, the expense of construction is paid out of the sum received from the town on its admission into the District. This, however, is but a portion of the new work which will be required on account of the admission of the town into the Metropolitan Water District. (d) New Main for the Supply of Winthrop. A new 16-inch main, 3,945 feet in length, has been laid during the past year from a point near the Beachmont railroad station in Revere to the Winthrop town line, to take the place of a main belonging to the town of Revere which had been used for the supply of Winthrop. The laying of pipe was begun on August 4 and the new main was completed and put into operation on October 23. The estimate made of its cost was $14,500, but the total expenditures have amounted to but about $12,500. (e) Extra High-service Main to Belmont. A 12-inch pipe line from the standpipe on Arlington Heights to the Belmont town line has been required for the supply of buildings on the higher lands in Belmont. The pipe line laid has a length of 1,610 feet and was constructed in the latter part of the year and put into service on November 18. The cost of the line has been $4,604.43. (f) New Pumping Engine at Chestnut Hill. The Board was authorized by the Legislature of last year to provide additional pumping machinery for the Southern High Service at Chestnut Hill. Competitive bids were called for, and as a result the contract for the pumping engine was awarded to the Holly Manufacturing Company of Buffalo, N. Y. The new engine will have a daily capacity for pumping 40,000,000 gallons, and the contract price is $98,769. This pumping engine will be located in the low-service pumping station, and its completion is called for in the early part of the year 1911. (5) ACQUISITION OF LANDS AND SETTLEMENTS FOR DAMAGES. (a) Acquisition of Lands. During the past year the Board has acquired in fee, by purchase or taking, 25.585 acres of land. Six small parcels in Sterling, aggregating 1.245 acres, were purchased, at a cost of $2,440, for the protection of the Wachusett watershed. A tract of 15.94 acres in West Boylston was also acquired for the same reason at a cost of $1,000. There were also acquired three parcels situated on the borders of Lake Cochituate in Natick, aggregating 2.86 acres, for the better protection of the waters of the lake. For these the sum of $813 was paid out of the maintenance appropriation. A tract of 3.99 acres in Framingham was also purchased out of the funds for maintenance, at an expense of $500, for the protection of Framingham Reservoir No. 3 in the Sudbury Department. But a single taking was made, as follows: Taking for Metropolitan Water Works for the Year 1909. No settlements for lands acquired have been made aside from those effected upon the purchase of the lands above described. The settlements under purchases or takings of land for all purposes of the Water Works effected during the past year have been 11 in number, and for an aggregate of 24.035 acres. The sums paid in all these settlements have amounted to $4,753, and in all the cases the settlements have been effected by voluntary agreements. (b) Depreciation of Real Estate. Settlements for depreciation in the value of real estate not taken by the Board were effected in 10 cases, 2 on account of lands situated in the town of West Boylston, amounting to $1,200, and 8 on account of lands situated in Boylston, amounting to $2,400, making a total for the year of $3,600. The 8 Boylston cases and 1 of the West Boylston cases were settled under awards made by commissioners appointed by the court. The other West Boylston case was settled by agreement out of court. (c) Loss of Business. For injury to business caused by the carrying out of the Metropolitan Water Act in the towns of Boylston and West Boylston and in portions of the towns of Sterling and Clinton, settlements were made during the year in 3 cases, the amount paid being $650. |