History of the Water Supply of the World / arranged in a comprehensive form from eminent authorities, containing a description of the various methods of water supply, pollution and purification of waters, and sanitary effects, with analyses of potable waters, also geology and water strata of Hamilton county, Ohio, statistics of the Ohio river, proposed water supply of Cincinnati.

by Thomas J. Bell

WATER PIPES.

The different kinds of water pipes in use are made of wood, cast-iron, wrought-iron, and glass. For adapting wrought pipe to practical use, various methods have been resorted to, that of coating with asphaltum, enameling, galvanizing, and lining inside and covering outside with cement. The latter method has been adopted by a number of water-works; but the liability to corrosion, from imperfect work and material, has caused its abandonment in a number of places. The Spring Valley Water Company, of San Francisco, have in use a number of wrought-iron riveted pipes, coated with asphaltum, of 20 to 42 inches in diameter. They are made of No. 12 to 14 iron (Birmingham wire gauge), and have a hydrostatic pressure upon them of from 200 to 400 feet. Virginia City (Nevada) water-works laid two lines of wrought-iron pipe across the Washoe Valley, 7½ miles wide—one of 12-inch riveted pipe, and the other of 10-inch enameled, lap-welded tubes. The pressure on the pipe at the bottom of the valley is 750 pounds. The enormous pressure has caused a number of rivets to give out. On the test for the respective capacities, the 10-inch pipe delivered 2½ millions per day, against two millions for the 12-inch pipe.

Hard water has but little effect on cast-iron pipe, due to the carbonates; but soft water attacks it so vigorously, that it not only gives a turbid appearance to the water, but seriously weakens the pipe by corrosion, and the consequent formation of concretions that reduce the capacity of the pipe. Hard water also causes the formation of lime deposits, that offer great impediments to the flow of water. These obstructions are now removed by boring tools forced through the pipe by the hydrostatic pressure. The Superintendent of the Halifax (N. S.) Water-Works records the cleansing of a 12-inch main, 32,000 feet long, in three-fourths of an hour. The preservation of cast-iron pipes, and the prevention of these concretions, are now accomplished by carefully dipping the pipe, previously heated to a temperature of 300 degrees, in a bath of distilled coal tar, mixed, to a proper consistency, with linseed oil, or an oil of the tar.

The Rivers Pollution Commission condemned the common practice of using hemp in pipe joints, because it affords a nidus for the breeding, development, and decay of animalculæ. Turned joints were recommended.

The results of the observations of this commission prove conclusively than the commonly received opinion, that soft water necessarily acts upon lead pipes, is erroneous. The Loch Katrine water, which is notorious for dissolving lead in water exposed to the open air, yet no symptoms of lead poisoning have been discovered since its introduction, eighteen years ago. The water will act upon the lead at first, but will ultimately coat the inside of the pipe with a vegetable deposit that prevents further deterioration.

The frictional head, for a given diameter, is as the square of the velocity nearly; and, for different diameters, inversely as the diameters. Thus the loss of head, for each 100 feet of clean cast pipe, the velocity being three feet per second, is 1.35 feet for a 3-inch pipe; 1.02 for a 4-inch; .679 of a foot for a 6-inch; .407 of a foot for a 10-inch; .255 for a 16-inch, and .204 of a foot for a 20 inch pipe. The mean coefficient of friction, for cast-iron pipes of small size, with velocities of three feet, is .00644 for clean pipe; .0082 for slightly tuberculated pipes, and .012 for foul pipes.

WEIGHTS OF CAST-IRON PIPE,

WITH ALLOWANCE ADDED FOR BOWL AND SPIGOT ENDS.

Weights in columns per foot lineal. Iron .2604 per cubic inch.

Inter’l Diam. in Inches.	Thickness of Iron Shell in Inches.
	⅛	¼	⅜	½	⅝	¾	⅞	1	1⅛	1¼	1⅜	1½	1¾	2
2	3	6	9.3	14	19
3	4	9	12.5	18	23
4	5	11	16	23	30	37	44	53
5	6.5	13	20	28	36	44	53	61
6	8	15	24	33	43	52	63	72
8	10	20	32.5	44	56	68	81	93
10	14	26	40.5	56	69	84	99	114
12	15	30	48	65	82	100	117	135
14	18	36	54	75	95	115	137	159
16	20	40	64	86	108	130	154	176
20	26	52.5	79	107	134	162	190	216
24	32	63	95	127	160	192	225	259
30	40	78	118	158	198	238	278	318	358
35	45	90	135	180	225	270	315	360	405	450	495	540
36	47	94	141	188	235	282	335	384	433	483	533	583
40	52	104	156	208	260	312	364	413	465	517	569	621
42	55	110	165	221	276	331	386	442	496	552	608	662	718
48	63	125	189	252	315	379	444	510	573	640	705	771	904	1039

WATER-WORKS STATISTICS

FROM REPORTS FOR 1880 AND 1881.

Cities of U. S.	Miles of Pipe.	Population.	Gals. of Water per day per head.	No. of Taps.	No. of Meters.
Albany, N. Y.	77	90,903	55	2,832	10
Baltimore	524	332,190	—	49,000	524
Boston	500	412,000	87	69,504	1,631
Brooklyn	350	566,889	54	60,000	1,085
Buffalo	102	155,137	122	9,099	—
Chicago	455	503,304	114	67,949	2,113
Cincinnati	196½	264,000	80	24,300	600
Cleveland	125	160,142	65	10,013	402
Columbus, O.	39	51,665	41	2,156	534
Detroit	209	116,342	127	22,465	29
Hartford, Conn.	71	42,553	119	4,291	—
Indianapolis	43	75,074	40	1,200	12
Jersey City	323	120,728	122	—	220
Louisville	110	123,645	33	7,225	251
Milwaukee	86	115,578	75	6,835	—
New York	510	1,206,590	80	80,000	550
Newark, N. J.	136	136,400	67	10,965	150
Philadelphia	746	846,984	67	110,000	30
Pittsburgh	112	156,381	102	—	—
Providence	152	101,255	31	9,691	4,036
Rochester	113	89,363	56	7,588	100
San Francisco	220	233,956	70	—	—
St. Louis	212	350,522	71	20,204	980
Washington, D. C.	175	147,307	176	17,000	—