Common Council Plans - 1853

Brooklyn's Mayor Lambert penned an article for the Brooklyn Daily Eagle. It appears that the the city of Brooklyn was one step closer to breaking ground on the reservoir system that they envisioned.

Brooklyn Daily Eagle: June 23, 1853

Outline of Plan For Supplying the City of Brooklyn With Water

The Common Council of the city of Brooklyn, in pursuance of an Act of the Legislature entitled "An Act for the supply of the city of Brooklyn with Water, passed 3rd June, 1853," have provisionally adopted a plan for such supply, of which the following is an outline:

The sources from which the Water will be obtained are East Meadow Brook, in the town of Hempstead, Parsonage Creek, also in said town, and intermediate streams, which have been, or may be hereafter purchased for said purpose, and which are estimated to furnish Water sufficient for the supply of a population four times as great as that contained in the city of Brooklyn at the present.

This analysis of the Water, which has been made, shows it to be purer than that supplied to any other city in in the country. (Boston only excepted.)

Suitable Dams or Reservoirs will be constructed on sold Streams, and the Water will be brought thence in a conduit or partly in a conduit and partly in an open canal, at or near to the base of the line of hills forming the back bone of the island, where the pump well will be located, and the necessary steam engines and the machinery erected to elevate the Water to a Reservoir, to be located upon the summit of said line of hills, which Reservoir will be of ample capacity to contain a supply beyond the daily wants of the city; and from thence the Water will be distributed by Iron Pipes throughout the city, as the wants of the citizens, and the location of the population may require.

The Conduit or Canal will be constructed of suitable capacity to carry Water sufficient, for at least four times our present population.

The estimated cost of bringing from the farthest point named, a sufficient supply of Water for the present wants of the city, including the costs of streams, land, damages, conduit pumps, well, steam engine and machinery, reservoirs and eighty miles of distribution pipes, hydrants and all other things necessary to complete the work in the best manner, is Four Milllions Dollars.

The additional cost as the population of the city increases, will consist of such further steam power as might be necessary to elevate the additional quantity or Water which might be required, and of such further distribution pipes as would be necessary to furnish the same to the consumers.

It is estimated that the cost of supplying a population double our present numbers will, when required, add to the original cost of the work, One and-a-half Millions of Dollar,

Edward A. Lambert, Mayor
Joseph Hegeman, City Clerk

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