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Cambridge water-works.
I propose to give a history of the beginning and progress of the chartered water-works in
Cambridge.
The facts, new to many, and perhaps not altogether uninteresting on an occasion like this, will thus be recorded for future reference.
The first charter was granted to the
Cambridgeport Aqueduct Company in April, 1837, to bring the water from a spring or springs on what is now
Spring Hill in
Somerville.
The water was brought in wooden logs, and a limited amount was supplied in the lower Port for many years.
In 1852, a charter was granted the Cambridge Water-Works, and in 1856, the corporation was authorized to take the water of
Fresh Pond.
Here our present water-works began.
In 1861, the Cambridge Water-Works was empowered to buy out the
Aqueduct Company, which it did, and the city of
Cambridge in April, 1865, was permittted to buy and acquire the rights of both of these companies, which was done by vote of the city, and thus all the water-works in
Cambridge became public property.
In 1875,
Cambridge was authorized to take the waters of
Spy and
Little Ponds, and
Wellington Brook.
Subsequently, all of these sources of supply were connected.
Spy Pond afterwards was, however, condemned as a source of supply for domestic use, and no water was drawn from it for the use of
Cambridge, but the waters of
Wellington Brook and
Little Pond helped furnish a supply for several years by being brought into
Fresh Pond.
As the city grew the demand for water increased, until these sources were entirely inadequate, and other water was looked for.
May 21, 1884, the additional privilege was given to
Cambridge to ‘take the waters of
Stony Brook and its tributaries for the purpose of extinguishing fires, and for domestic and
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other purposes,’ and with the added right to ‘take land for building dams, creating storage basins, and doing everything else necessary to utilize the water thus given them.’
The act was accepted by the city council, the waters were formally taken, and have since been paid for and brought into
Fresh Pond.
Stony Brook and its tributaries have twenty-two square miles of watershed, and in 1893, the driest of the last eight years, they furnished by measurement more than eighteen million gallons, daily average, for the whole year.
This was three times as much as we used.
It will be seen by this that all that we need to do, to secure water enough for our city for many years, is to create storage basins to retain the water during the spring freshets, and hold it until the dry season comes.
The Water Board is now making a storage basin on
Hobbs Brook, a branch of
Stony Brook, which will store two thousand million gallons of water.
This, with
Stony Brook, will furnish the city with an abundant supply for many years to come.
Another large storage basin can be made at the head-waters of
Stony Brook, when needed, including
Beaver Pond, a location for a dam having been already secured and surveys made for another storage basin, plans of which are on file in the city engineer's office.
The Water Board is also now building a high service distributing reservoir at
Payson Park, with a capacity of forty million gallons, which will greatly increase the security against fires, and furnish head for buildings on the highest lands in
Cambridge.
Before the city bought out the private companies, there was a difference of opinion among some of our best citizens as to whether it was best to buy, or not, some thinking that a department would be created in which jobs would be let out detrimental to the city, an enterprise which private effort had failed to make profitable, and that it would be likely to become a financial burden, if the city took it. Others thought differently, and could see no good reason why the water-works should not be managed on business principles and take care of themselves.
The city voted to buy out the private companies, and paid $291,400 (for which amount bonds were issued), at the same time agreeing that all extensions of the water-works should be provided for by bonds and surplus water rates, after paying current expenses.
Interest on bonds, and what the law required for the sinking fund, was to be added to the sinking fund.
In
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order to determine which class of our citizens was right in their views about buying the water-works, it was provided by ordinance that the accounts of the water-works should be kept separate from the other departments of the city.
At first an allowance was made to the water-works for water furnished the fire department, for watering streets, for all public buildings, and water fountains for horses, etc.; but several years since, the ordinance on these matters was repealed.
Since that time nothing has been allowed the water-works for any used in the city for fire and other public purposes, as is the custom almost everywhere else.
Now let us look at the financial standing after thirty and one half years experience up to November 30, 1895.
| Amount of bonds issued for original purchase | | $291,400.00 |
| Bonds issued since for extension account | | 3,543,500.00 |
| | ——— |
| Making the total amount of bonds issued | | $3,834,900.00 |
| Amount of bonds paid from sinking fund | $1,619,400.00 | |
| Value of sinking fund November 30, 1893, as per the trustee account | 546,049.24 | $2,165,449.24 |
| | ——– |
| Leaving bonds yet outstanding to be provided for by the sinking fund and representing the net cost of the water-works, November 30, 1895 | | $1,669,450.76 |
The sinking fund will be ample to provide for all outstanding bonds as fast as they fall due.
We feel somewhat proud of our financial showing, especially when we know that our people have been supplied at lower rates than others, though all the water is pumped, and all departments of the city have been furnished with water free for many years.
Nothing is put into the tax levy from year to year to swell the income, or to make up deficiencies in the water department, as is done in some other places.
In connection with the financial history of the water-works there are some other points that should be mentioned, in which it has been a help to the tax-payers in other city departments.
1. In 1876, there were hard times, and many were out of work in the city, their families being in want.
The city council passed an order appropriating $26,000 for relief, and directed the
Water Board to spend it as best they could, paying the men one dollar per day, and settling every night.
The Board was
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obliged to spend $28,000 more to create the work called for, and the work thus done proved of little or no value to the waterworks, but $54,000 was contributed to help the poor of the city.
Upon this sum the water-works has been paying interest for the past eighteen years, at six per cent. per annum.
2. Concord Avenue had been in a most deplorable condition for several years.
The city had bought thirteen and one half acres of land in
Belmont near
Fresh Pond, that it was desirable to annex to
Cambridge.
Huron Street (now Huron Avenue) had been laid out seventy feet wide from Concord Avenue to the
Watertown Branch of the Fitchburg Railroad.
It was desirable that this should be continued to Cushing Street, which would give an avenue surrounding all the land of the city bordering on
Fresh Pond, which was fast assuming the appearance of a fine water park.
An act was secured from the legislature giving the city the right ‘to lay out, construct, and maintain Cushing, Grove, Washington, and Adams streets, and Concord Avenue, from Adams Street to Fresh Pond Avenue, and for laying out, grading, embellishing, and maintaining the grounds around
Fresh Pond, and pay for the same out of the surplus water rates, after paying all interest on bonds, current expenses, and providing for the sinking fund, three per cent. as required by law.’
3. Under this authority the
Street Department put Concord Turnpike in good repair in 1891, at an expense of $12,400. In 1892, the
Street Department widened Adams, Washington, Grove, and Cushing streets, and put them in good order, at an expense of $10,000. In 1893, two iron bridges were built on Huron Street extension, and the work of grading and making the street from the railroad to Cushing Street has been done, or is nearly completed, by the
Street Department, at an expense of $27,022. Besides this, the
Street Department has taken many thousand loads of gravel from land bought by the
Water Board, paid for in the water bonds, upon the cost of which we are still paying the interest, but for which no allowance has been made to the
Water Department.
4. The making of Lake View Avenue from Concord Avenue, Fresh Pond Avenue, to the railroad station and pumping engine house, and filling and grading Worthington Street at an expense of about $50,000, was also paid for by the
Water Department.
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Now let us summarize these things, say:—
| Amount expended to help the city poor | $54,000.00 |
| Amount expended in constructing Lake View Avenue with sewer in same, etc | 47,985.32 |
| Amount expended in repairing Concord Avenue | 12,400.00 |
| Amount expended in widening Adams, Grove, and Cushing streets | 10,000.00 |
| Amount expended on Cushing, Huron Street, and two bridges | 27,022,00 |
| ——– |
| Making the total amount of | $151,407.32 |
representing some of the direct benefits rendered the city and paid for by the water-works in money procured by sale of water bonds, not counting the gravel taken.
These statements are made to show what has been, in brief, the history, and to show the value of the water-works to the city of
Cambridge, besides furnishing water for the citizens.
To the credit of the city council it should be said that it has uniformly granted the needed appropriations asked for by the
Water Board, and that without its hearty cooperation nothing could have been done, for the
Water Board could spend no money until it had obtained authority from the city council.
I have thus endeavored to set forth a few of the salient points in the history of our water-works.
I have never before had a chance to inform so many on this subject, and never expect another such opportunity.
Fresh Pond was ceded to the city of
Cambridge by the
Commonwealth for a reservoir in 1888, with power to take all the land and buildings around the pond for the purpose of preserving the purity of the water.
Under this act the city has taken about 170 acres, and removed all buildings therefrom.
The pond contains 160 acres, and a fine driveway has been constructed all around its borders, nearly three miles long.
With the water area and land taken, this makes a fine water park of 330 acres. The surroundings of the park are being graded and laid out in an artistic way, beautifying the whole region and making it one of the most attractive places in the suburbs of
Boston.
It will thus be seen that in an abundant supply of excellent water, not surpassed by that of any town or city in the
Commonwealth, and equaled by few,
Cambridge presents one of the strongest inducements, with her ‘No License’ record, for any who may be looking for a home where good water and good
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morals prevail, while at the same time manufacturers will find it for their interest to locate here where the land is reasonable, and moderate in price, the water rates low, and the facilities for doing business excellent.
The water-works have, since the city purchased them, been managed by a Water Board, composed at first of the mayor (who then presided over the board of aldermen), and president of the common council
ex officio, and five citizens, chosen one from each ward.
Since the revised charter was adopted, the
Water Board consists of the five citizens only, who have always served the city with no compensation, except the consciousness of serving the public in one of its most important departments.
Editor's note.—The above account of the water system of Cambridge cannot be considered complete without the additional statement that Mr. Kingsley was himself a member of the Water Board from 1865 to 1894, and that for fourteen years of that time he served as its president.
