Category Archives: water history

84″ Conduit Inspection

08 Thursday Dec 2016

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Back in 1956 – 1957 a new 84″ pipeline was laid to connect the Montebello Filters with South East Baltimore, doing away with a pumping station. It was inspected this week using what is called a Pipe Diver. A mini-sub looking thing with a bunch of probes. No camera unfortunately.

Here is the pipe prior to connection to the filtered water reservoir in 1957. The reservoir (20 million gallons) is behind that house on the left, underground.

Connection to the clear-well chamber. Years later another connection would be made on the opposite side of the reservoir. The two conduits are connected about 100 yards from the above point.

Back in June, while making my rounds thru the property, I saw a contractor digging a hole. Asked what he was doing and he said he needed to rebuild this manhole and put a new valve on the pipe. That they were getting ready to inspect the 84″ pipe. I asked if he knew that this pipe was full of water. He said he knew and it would be alright. Here is another case in the City when agencies do not communicate. We had no idea they were doing a pipe inspection.

A month later, a contractor comes on site to look at a possible entry point for their pipe diver. I showed them and in November they came back.

They could not relieve the pressure in the pipe enough to insert their tool. So they had to postpone and rethink their strategy.

This week they came back. It took a lot longer to relieve the pressure than what they thought. This is the net that was inserted downstream, about 3 miles. It was there to catch the pipe diver.

Installing the net.

This is the equipment that was used to track their diver. It only took about 3-1/2 hours for the machine to flow by water pressure to the net.

Removing the pipe diver tool. hopefully the information obtained is all good info – that the pipe doesn’t need repairs or in worse case, replacing.

One disturbing photo sent to me is this one, showing where ground cover has washed away, exposing the water pipe. I’ve lived around this stream for many years and I know the force of nature, during storms. Just a matter of time…

Pre-Black Friday Sale

23 Wednesday Nov 2016

Posted by in Baltimore, water history, Writing

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Ok, time to order now for Christmas! Nothing like a little self promoting during the Holiday Season. (Thanks to the person(s) that bought 3 copies this month! My sales report does not list the buyers so I have no way to know who to thank)

These books are cheaper on Amazon than they are on the publisher’s pages. ALL proceeds from the sale of these books goes to Water For People.

This first book is a crazy story about Chuck and Gary and the misadventures that happen because of the fluoride in their toothpaste! I think this may have been an LSD induced novel. But more likely comes from all the research I did concerning the subject that I didn’t know what else to do with!bookcoverimage-1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This next one is about, well, it’s about what the title says it’s about. Taken from the journals of the building inspectors. Ten miners killed in an explosion – called an accident, but I don’t think so…

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And this last one is also about what the title implies. Over 400 pages of more information you will probably ever need concerning water history. Plus a bunch of tidbits thrown in.bookcoverimage

 

 

 

 

Herring Run or Tiffany Run

17 Thursday Nov 2016

Posted by in Baltimore, HISTORY, water history

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I was recently asked to do a brief history for the Friends of Herring Run Park, concerning the history of DPW activity in the park. More specifically – What is up with those concrete structures in the park that have pipes sticking out of them? They are air relief vaults for the Susquehanna pipeline. So, instead of a brief, one line answer, I decided to give them a Readers Digest version for the building of the Susquehanna pipeline.
As in most cases, when doing basic research, I always get distracted with other history facts I find. The story of my life (Well, the story of my life is another book I wrote, which is out of print. Too many people disagree with what I wrote about MY life and MY memories. I did however see a copy on Amazon for $354.00! Ha!)(See what I mean about getting distracted!!)
Anyway, I came across the below 1854 report that mentions Herring Run as a possible source of water for the City of Baltimore. If not a source, then possibly build a reservoir there. The author of the report, Alfred Duvall, who signs the report as a ‘Practical Engineer’ also suggests a reservoir on Tiffany Run, which is a stone’s throw away from Herring Run. By 1875 they decided on Tiffany Run for the new reservoir, that would be filled via tunnel from Loch Raven.

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Duvall’s 1854 report. Interesting read.

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Tiffany Run, prior to the 1875-1881 construction of Lake Montebello

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Lake Montebello soon after construction. Gatehouse to the left received water from Loch Raven, where a dam was built during the same years.

The Quarry

03 Thursday Nov 2016

Posted by in Hiking, Photography, water history

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While doing research for my book a few years ago, I came across reports that mentioned a quarry on the filtration plant property. I had even seen glass plate negatives showing the quarry with its mills. But for the life of me, I could not find it or figure out where on this 300 acres it was located.

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This 1894 map shows the quarry in relation to Lake Montebello.

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This photo taken in 1913 shows the quarry and mill.

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Another view of the quarry.

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And another.

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In 2011 I was on a mission – to find the quarry. I started roaming around in the woods, in search of it. I was not able to roam too much though – the area was really overgrown. From atop a rock, I saw water.

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So I climbed down to take a look. It was just too overgrown to make an accurate assessment as to whether or not this was it. I tried to match the rocks to the 1913 photos.

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One of my bosses back then said that he remembered the quarry in the late 60s. That his father and others in the neighborhood use to dump stuff in there. He believed that the quarry was filled in back in the early 70s.

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Then in 2013 the Federal Government said all the sewers in Baltimore needed improvement. A contractor went to the area and moved the sewer pipe out of Herring Run stream and into this area. In the process, clearing the area I was unable to get to before. Doesn’t look much like a quarry.

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Another view.

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The other day I went back down to see how it looked. Soon it will look like it did in 2011. In just 3 years it is becoming overgrown.

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Another view.

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The one good thing about my job – I get to hike thru areas like this!

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My lucky day!  A green Mushroom!

Waste Lake Chronicles

31 Monday Oct 2016

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Checking on the contractors the other day, I saw that they had pretty much cleared most of the shoreline…nice day for a hike around the lake.

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Started on the SW side looking towards Morgan State University.

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Headed up to the far end, closest to Hillen Road. The old surge shaft from Loch Raven is to the right. The dredge and barges could not get this far up.

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Looking down from on top – the sludge. This is a by-product of what goes on in the filtration plant. Lots of sand at this point. The sand is used to filter the drinking water and when the filter becomes clogged, we backwash it. Unfortunately the pressure from backwashing pushes sand into the drain and ends up here.

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More sand and sludge.

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Since I was up here, I figured I would look down the hatch. The contractor had some concerns about getting too close to this structure. He said they could see a pipe that I told them to stay away from.

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The pipe coming thru the wall at the top, is laid in the waste lake bed. It is about 10′ under the water surface. Although capped off, it would still cause problems if broken. I was supposed to climb out of this shaft a while ago…after an inspection of the old 1880 Loch Raven tunnel. (5-1/2 mile hike). Cancelled due to safety concerns.

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Heading down the NE side. Watching the small barge and excavator get as close as he can.

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The large excavator and barges. These barges are only about 5 feet tall. They displace only 2 feet of water. That just amazes me.

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Soon, we will be testing pumps up on Deer Creek. This will be water from the Susquehanna River. It is very dirty water so we will just dump it instead of letting it go into the plant. See that tower in the background? That is the Susquehanna Surge shaft. When the DC pumps come on and the water flows 36 miles to this point, closing the valves to not let it in, well, the water has to go somewhere. It goes up that shaft and then out thru the drain you see to the left of the boat. 50-60mgd. The dredging should be done by then and their equipment removed. If not, they better tie that stuff down!

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Continuing my hike down the shoreline.

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Some spots were a little rough to navigate across.

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Here is that cove I mentioned in an earlier post. Deer tracks everywhere.

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The 4 million dollar problem – already rearing its head in the warm sun!

Roland Water Tower

24 Monday Oct 2016

Posted by in Baltimore, engineering, HISTORY, water history

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Received an email – you know the kind – a city resident has a complaint, goes to their City Council Person, goes to the Director of Public Works, goes to my boss – who sends it to me to investigate: The area around the Roland Water Tower is the site of 24/7 drug dealing activity. Shouldn’t this complaint have gone to the police? Being the good employee that I am, I went to investigate. For a 24/7 drug spot, the grounds looked clean and I saw only 2 people, walking their dogs. My mission was to see if there was any available electricity for new lighting? There are already 5 street lights surrounding the property. I could not get inside the tower itself to see if there was electric. I doubt it.

Time for a history lesson: The Tower was built, according to the bronze tablets, between 1904 and 1905. According to my records the contract was awarded to two contractors – one for the steel tower and one for the brick enclosure. Then later, another contractor for the concrete pool and steps.

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The steel stand pipe being built by Tippett and Wood.

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The brick enclosure by John Stack. The steps and pool by the Andrew Co.

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The finished tower.

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As it looked this morning. There is a fence around it, which I was able to go through.

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Pieces of the tower are falling down. This is the purpose of the fence – to keep people out and to keep people away from the falling pieces.

The tower held about 213,000 gallons of water that it received from Druid Lake. The design was by William Fizone, who also designed the Montebello Filters. The pool has been filled in. In 1939 the Water Board turned the property over to the City Comptroller. In 2009 and again in 2011 consultants were hired to figure out what to do with this abandoned tower. It had a couple times been turned over to the Roland Park Community Association, who tried to raise funds to restore it. And it still sits – a magnet for the druggies and dog walkers.

Almost Done

19 Wednesday Oct 2016

Posted by in engineering, filtration, water history

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Construction Management sent me this photo and asked if I know what lake this is! If you ever need a pond or lake dredged, these guys do it right. And ahead of schedule.

That cove on the right hasn’t been cleared in about 40 years! I need to bring my kayak to work! For inspection purposes of course!

Waste Lake Progress

17 Monday Oct 2016

Posted by in Baltimore, water history

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The downtown consultants for the dredging of the waste lake at Montebello had underestimated the amount of material that could be possibly dredged from our waste lake – so they asked if it would be alright to remove the phragmites. A big OK to that.

Back in July I posted an aerial of the lake filled with sludge. This view shows most removed. The phrags were attached to the outfall structure and the contractor cut by hand. (At end of catwalk, lower center of lake). At lower right of lake more sludge accumulated due to a polymer added to belt presses, dumping back into this area.

Barge and excavator removing phragmites. The one shore is completed. Would be nice to have enough budgeted money to remove growth along shoreline.

Within one month the phragmites have grown a couple feet around outfall. Because the growth mat is attached to the structure, pulling away the growth will damage the wall. This outfall leads directly to Herring Run and we can not have this water going there.

What the waste lake by the outfall structure use to look like. Those houses are long gone.

Another view of the lake from years past. This is looking towards the NW corner where the surge pipe from Loch Raven is located. It was nice and clear of growth, inside and out. Those houses are also gone.

The waste lake shoreline was so clear that kids would come in and sail their model boats. This is looking towards the outfall structure.

Fullerton from the Susquehanna

12 Wednesday Oct 2016

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In my previous post I talked about the Fullerton Filtration Plant and the problems with it becoming a reality. Below are some photographs from the pre-planning stages of the Fullerton Plant. 1964 – when engineers were still able to look ahead and plan for the future.

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Contractors moving the Fullerton connection into place.

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Connecting the ‘Y’ branch to the Susquehanna pipe line. The Susquehanna pipe line was known as the “Big Inch” being 108 inches in diameter. This connection dropped it down to 96 inches. The metal mesh is for pouring concrete around the pipe line to hold it in place.

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Capping off the end for future contractors to be able to connect the Fullerton Plant, if and when…

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Just up the road is the Big Gunpowder Falls (Loch Raven and Prettyboy dams are on this river, way upstream). The Big Inch went under the Falls at this point. To the left is Interstate 95, back then known as the North-East Expressway.