REPORT

OF THE

CAMBRIDGE WATER BOARD

FOR 1882.

To the Honorable City Council of the City of Cambridge:—

In accordance with the requirement of the city ordinance, the Cambridge Water Board herewith submits to you its eighteenth annual report.

Total Cost of the Works.

Cost of the Water Works, Nov. 30, 1881, as per last year's

Whole amount of bonds issued.

Less amount paid from the Water Loan Sinking Fund

Deduct from this the value of the Water Loan Sinking
Fund, as per the Trustees' account
Leaving amount yet to be provided by the Sinking Fund.

to extinguish the balance of the water loan .

$1,714,900 00

236,400 00

$1,478,500 00

483,137 81

$995,362 19

Statement showing in brief the transactions on account of the

water works for the year ending Nov. 30, 1882.

We would call attention to the fact that this year's accounts show the amount of water loan outstanding, less the Water Loan Sinking Fund, to be less than one million dollars, and also that there is a steady increase in the receipts of the annual

water rates.

Water Supply.

The total amount of water pumped during the year was 903,234,909 gallons, being a daily average of 2,474,616 gallons. In 1881 the total amount pumped was 902,319,300 gallons, the daily average being 2,472,108 gallons, showing the increased amount pumped in 1882 over 1881 to be only 915,609 gallons.

In these days, when we hear so much from other places in regard to waste of water, and the best means to prevent it, we wish to call your particular attention to these figures, as showing the excellent condition and comparative economy of our water works in this respect.

The total amount of water pumped as above, 903,234,909,

shows a daily average for each inhabitant of about 44.19 gallons, estimated on a population of 56,000.

If we now take the whole number of gallons .

903,234,909

And deduct from this the amount sold by meter, and used

in watering the streets, say.

233,497,905

We have left for domestic use

669,737,004

32.7

Showing the daily average for each inhabitant for domestic purposes to be about

This is an improvement on our excellent record of last year, when the total average per inhabitant we made 46.75 gallons, and the amount for each one, for domestic purposes, 36 gallons. For the purpose of comparison we append the daily average of other cities, taken from their reports.

Daily consumption per inhabitant of other cities, taken from their reports and other sources.

The water in the pond, Dec. 1, 1881, was two feet five and seven eighths inches above the top of the conduit. On Dec. 1, 1882, it stood one foot eight and one half inches above the top of the conduit, showing a loss of about one foot this year, compared with last year.

The water in the pond reached its highest point March 28, being then six feet ten and one half inches above the conduit. This was about two inches lower than the highest point reached in 1881.

We give our usual statement showing the comparative rainfall and height of water in the pond during the year, compared with the two preceding years.

The analyses made during the year have not shown any material change in the water, and no complaints have come to us in regard to the quality of the water except those of a local nature, which are soon removed.

There is one source of impurity which affects our water every year, and which the analysis plainly shows. On the southwesterly side of the pond there is a piece of swamp land comprising