10-01-40 Special
1.552
COUNCIL CHAMBER
OCTOBER 'l ST. 1940
THE COUNCIL MET IN SPECIAL SESSION ON CALL OF THE MAYOR,
AT 7:30 P.M., FOR THE TRANSACTION OF GENERAL BUSINESS ANO PARTICULARLY.
TO MEET WITH G.F.CATLETT, CHIEF ENGINEER OF THE STATE BOARO OF HEALTH, TO
DISCUSS DELRAv'S P~OPOSEO WATER SYSTEM IMP~OVEMENTS.
THE CITY ATTORNEY AND ALL MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL WERE PRESENT.
,
BEFORE CALLING THE MEETING TO ORDER, THE MAYOR BROUGHT UP
THE MATTER OF ALLOWING CONSTABLE FRANK STANLEY USE OF THE CITY JAIL FOR HOUS-
ING OF PRISONERS, WHILE IN HIS CUSTODY AWAITING DELIVERY TO OTHER AUTHORITIES.
HE 6XPLAINED THAT THIS, IN MOST CASES, WOULD MERELY BE AN OVERNIGHT ACCOMMO-
DATION AND WOULD BE PERMITTED ONLY WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THE CITY
WILL BE PUT TO NO EXPENSE OR INCONVENIENCE BY SUCH AN ARRANGEMENT. IT
WAS GENE~ALLY CON~EDED AMONG THE MEMBERS. THAT, UNDER THESE CONDITIONS,
MR. STANLEY BE ALLOWED THE PRIVILEGE OF USING THE CITY JAIL FOR SUCH
PU~POSE WHENEVER FACILITIES ARE AVAILABLE.
\
MR. BRADSHAW BROUGHT UP THE MATTER OF HAVING DELR~Y PUBLICITY
SIGNS PAINTED ON FOY SHIVER'S THREE TRUCKS, STATING THAT THE CHAMBER OF
COMMERCE HAD OFFERED TO PAY $50.00 FOR PAINTING ONE TRUCK PROVIDED THE
CITY WOULD AGREE TO PAY $100.00 FOR THE OTHER TWO; IT BEING FURTHER
RECOMMENDED THAT THIS WORK BE DIVIDED BETWEEN THE TWO LOCAL SIGN PAINTERS.
COUNCILMAN HILL REPORTED THAT THE TRUCKS HAD BEEN REPAINTED AND THE OLD
SIGNS COMPLETELY 08LITE~ATED THEREFORE HE BELIEVED THE COST FOR PAINTING
THEM ANEW, WOULD BE MUCH MORE THAN $150.00. No ACTION WAS TAKEN IN THE
MATTER.
AT THIS POINT MR. CAT~ETT OF THE STATE BOARD OF HEALTH, AND
MESSRS R. R. SWEITZER AND J. E. COUSINS OF THE LAYNE-ATLANTIC COMPANY
ARRIVED AND THE MAYOR CALLED THE MEETING REGULARLY TO ORDER.
,
COUNC I LMAN BRADSHAW, CHAI RMAN OF THE WATER COMM I TTEE, PREFACED
TffiE DISCUSSION B~ INFORMING THE VISITING PUBLIC THAT THE WATER COMMITTEE
AND THE CITY COUNCIL HAD HELD A NUMBER OF MEETINGS AND DISCUSSIONS WITH
VARIOUS ENGINEERS AND WATE~ TREATMENT EXPERTS REGARDING OEL~AY'S WATER
SITUATION, IN AN EFFORT TO DETERMINE EXACTLY WHAT TYPE OF P~ANT WOULD
MOST ECONOMICALLY FURNISH TREATMENT CONSIDERED NECESSARY FOR DELRAV'S
WATER SUPPLY. FOR THIS REASON DR. CATLETT HAD BEEN INVITED TO MEET
WITH THE COUNCIL AND CIT IZENS OF OEU:RAY, T'O I'l'EPORT ON THE CITY WELLS
AND RECOMMEND A DESIRABLE METHOD OF PURIFICATION AND IRON REMOVAL.
THE WHOLE SITUATION WAS DISCUSSED FREELY AY MR. CATLETT
AS WELL AS THE LAYNE COMPANY'S REPRESENTATIVES, AND A MR. ADAMS WHO
HAD PREVIOUSLY DRIVEN TEST WELLS FOR THE CITY, OUT WEST OF TOWN.
MR. CATLETT SAID WATER SAMPLES SUBMITTED TO HIS DEPARTMENT
BYDELRAY, HAD GENERALLY BEEN GOOD ALTHOUGH LABORATORY ~EPORTS SHOWED
THAT A FEW HAD BEEN DOUBTFUL AND NOT ENTIRELY SATISFACTORY, WHICH
MIGHT BE TAKEN TO INDICATE THAT SURFACE WATER WAS tETTING INTO THE WELLS.
1.553
COUNCI~ CH~MBER -
OCTOBER 1ST. 1940
H[ ~~ID DELRAY BEACH'S WATER SUPPLY WAS LISTED AS ONE NOT ENTIRELY
SAFE AND ONE TH.T SHOULD HAVE PROTECTION AT SUCH TIME CHANGES OR
IMPROVEMENTS ARE MADE TO THE PRESENT SYSTEM. THE PRESENT WELLS HE TERMED
1'SHALLOW WELLS", AND POTENTIALLY DANGE~OUS.
;
UPON BEING ASKED BY COUNCILMAN CREGO WHAT THE CITY WOULD
HAVE TO DO TO CORRECT THE WATER SUPPLY IN A WAY THAT WOULD MEET WITH
THE APPROVAL OF THE STATE BOARD OF HEALTH MR. CATLETT SAID THE CITY
WOULD HAVE TO INSTALL A PURIFICATION PLANT, WHICH PLANT WOULD REMOVE
BOTH BACTEPtIA AND IfroN, AS WELL AS SOFTEN THE WATE"_
~
THE MAYOR ASKED THE CHIEF ENGINEE~ IF HE BELIEVED A TREATMENT
PLANT WOULD BE NECESSARY IF THE CITY DRILLED NEW WELLS DOWN TO APPROX-
IMATELY ONE HUNDRED FEET OR MORE, AND MR. CATLETT SAID HE BELIEVED THERE
WAS A POSSIBILITY OF GETTING PUPtE_ IPtON-FREE WATEPt, AT SUCH A DEPTH,
THAT WOULD REQUIRE NO TREATMENT, OTHER THAN CHLORINATION, WHICH WAS
DEMANDED OF WATER SUPPLYS THROUGHOUT THE STATE, REGARDLESS OF THE PURITY
OF THE WATER.
'JfI'
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MR. MILLER ASKED IF THERE WASN'T MORE PROBABILITY OF DEEP WELLS
BECOMING SALTY, WHEN DRAWN ON HEAVILY, THAN THE SHALLOW ONES AND MR.
CATLETT SAID THERE WAS, BUT THAT HE DID NOT THINK THIS WOULD OCCUR HERE
ANY TIME SOON JUDGING BY THE QUANITY OF WATER BEING USED BY THE CITY
AT THE PRESENT TIME.
MR. SWEITZER THEN ADDRESSED THE MEETING, DISCUSSING CH:JEFLY
THE WELL-ORILLHIG RECOMMENDATION. HE SUGGESTED THAT A TEST WELL BE
DRIVEN BY CORING A HOLE DOWN TO ABOUT ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY FEET AND TAKING
WATER SAMPLES AT THAT DEPTH, AND FPtOM THIS CO~E HE SAID IT- COULD BE DET-
ERMINED JUST WHAT STRATIS HAD BEEN PENET~ATED AND WHETHER OR NOT THE
EMPERVIOUS ROCK BED EXISTED WHICH MR. CATLETT DEEMED NECESSARY FOR
PROTECTION OF THE WATER SUPPLY. HE ALSO SAID IT WOULD BE CHEAPER TO
DRILL NEW WELLS THAN TO DEEPEN THE PRESENT ONES AND THAT THE COKE BEDS
SHOULD BE REPLACED BY A SIMPLE TYPE OF AERATOR, VERY INEXPENSIVE TO
CONSTRUCT. A MODERN PUMP WOULD BE NECESSARY, HE SAID. HE WAS POSITIVE,
ALSO, THAT THE CITY COULD GET ALL THE WATER NEEDED FROM TWO DEEP WELLS.
THE OLD WELLS HE SAID SHOULD BE FILLED IF MR. CATLETT DEMANDED IT, AND
AT LEAST THEY SHOULD BE CEMENTED OR MADE TIGHT AROUND THE MAN-HOLES
TO PREVENT SEAPAGE AROUND THE CASINGS.
,
FOLLOWING UP THESE RECOMMENDATIONS, MR. SWEITZER MADE A
PROPOSITION TO THE CITY AS FOLLOWS: THAT HE WOULD AGREE TO DRILL A
TEST WELL FOR THE CITY, AND IF GOOD WATER IS UNOBTAINABLE THOUGHT
THIS TEST WELL, THEN THE CITY SHALL MERELY PAY HIli ~S(lM.N'OTHOCf:)lfllIlED $400.00,
THE CllST OF THIS WORK AND TRANSPORTATION OF HIS EQUIPMENT FROM
SAVANNAH AND BACK. IF HE IS SUBSEQUENTLY AWARDED A CONTRACT FROM THE
CITY FOR THE TWO PERMANENT WELLS HE WILL GUARANTEE TO SUPPLY A MILLION
AND A HALF GALLONS PER DAY, FURNISHING NECESSARY PUMPS AND MOTOPtS FOPt
$6,000.00.
COUNCILMAN MILLER ASKED THE CITY ATTORNEY IF THE CITY WAS
NOT COMPELLED TO CALL FOR BIDS ON A CONTRACT OF THIS SIZE AND WAS
INFORMED THAT STATE LAW DID REQUIRE THAT COMPETITIVE BIDS BE CALLED FOR
ON CONTRACTS EXCEEDING $~OO.OO, WHERE ~EVENUE CE~TIFICATES A~E TO BE
ISSUED IN PAYMENT.
1.554
COUNCIL CHAMBER - OCTOBER 1ST. 1940
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THE CITY ENGINEER QUESTIONED MR. SWEITZER, ASK ING IF HE WENT
DOWN TO A DEPTH OF 140 OR 200 FEET AND FOUND WATER WITH EVEN HALF AS
MUCH IIWN CONTENT AS WHAT WE ARE NOW USING, (WHICH WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE)
BUT FOUND A LARGE AMOUNT OF CO2 GAS, WHAT WOULD THE CITY BE UP AGAI NST?
MR. SWEITZER SAID IT WOULD THEN BE NECESSARY TO PUT IN A CO"ROSION
CONT~OL PLANT, SUCH AS THE PLANT ~ECOMMENDEO BY HIS COMPANY, WHICH I~
A CORRECTION AND CORROSION CONTROL PLANT AS WELL AS IRON REMOVAL.
'<
,
UPON BEING ASKED BY MR. MILLER WHAT WOULD BE DONE WITH THE
TEST WELL, MR. SWEITZER SAID IT WOULD BE FILLED UP A;AIN AND CEMENT
POURED DOWN TO A SOLID ROCK STRATA TO OBVIATE ANY POSSIBILITY OF CONTAMIN-
ATION REACHING SURROUNDING WELLS THEREFROM.
.
.,ie;
MR. CROMER ASKED IF A CHLORINATOR. WAS INSTALLED, WOULD IT BE
NECESSARY TO HAVE A 24-HOUR ATTENDANT AND MR. CATLETT SAID "No", ONLY
WHILE THE PUMPS ARE OPERATING."
MR. COUSINS ASKED MR. CATLETT: "SUPPOSE WE GOT AN ACCEPTABLE
WATER, AS FAR AS CHEMICAL ANALYSIS IS CONCE~NED) AND WENT DOWN THROUGH
AN IMPERVIOUS STRATA, WOULD THE PLANT WE PROPOSE TO INSTALL BE ACCEPTABLE
TO THE STATE BOARD OF HEALTH?" MR CATLETT SAID IT WOULD.
.'f..-
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MR. SWEITZER SAID, IN H IS OPINION, THE GREATEST SOURCE OF
POLLUTION WAS THE NETWEORK OF PIPES LAID JUST A FEW FEET UNDER THE
GJlfOUND, WHICH WAS PART OF OUR PJifES6NT SYSTEM. THIS WOULD BE ELIMINATED)
HE SAID, WITH THE NEW WELLS AND PLANT HE RECOMMENDS.
AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE DISCUSSION IT WAS MOVED BY MR. HILL
THAT THE LAYNE-ATLANTIC COMPANY BE EMPLOYED TO PUT DOWN A TEST WELL,
WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT IF THESE PEOPLE ARE AWARDED A CONTRACT FOR
THE PERMANENT LARGE WELLS, THEN THE CITY WILL BE ALLOWED CREDIT FOR THE
$400.00 CHARGED FOR DRILLING THE TEST WELL. MR. B~ADSHAW SECONDED THE
MOTION, AND ON ROLL CALL, IT CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
THE CITY ENGINEER THEN REPORTED THAT HE AND SUPERINTENDENT
BAKER HAO INSPECTED THE 10-INCH PIPE OFFERED THE CITY AT $1.00 PER FOOT
AND HAD FOUND IT IN GOOD CONDITION WITH THE ORIGINAL COAT OF PAINT STILL
ON IT. THIS PIPE MR. WOODRUFF, THE VENDOR, GUARANTEES TO DELIVER, IN
GOOD CONDITION, TO DELRAY. IT WAS THEREFORE MOVED BY MR. BRADSHAW THAT
THE CITY PURCHASE APPROXIMATELY 1500 FEET OF THIW SECOND HAND PIPE AT
$1.00 PER FOOT, SAME TO BE ACCEPTED UPON THE CITY ENGINEER'S APPROVAL
WHEN DEL IVERED IN DELRAY. MR. HILL SECONDED THE MOTION, WH ICH CARRIED
UNANIMOUSLY ON ROLL CALL.
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THERE BElNG NO FURTHER BUSINESS TO COME BEFORE THE MEETING, IT
WAS REGULARLY MOVED, SECONDED AND CARRIED THAT COUNCIL ADJOURN.
~110 uJ '(A-I~
CITY CLERK
APPROVED:
Dht9~~
MAYOR ,-f