Chapter 12 of The Water Works of the City of Philadelphia: The Story of their Development and Engineering Specifications
Compiled in 1931 by Walter A. Graf (Staff Engineer, The Budd Company, Philadelphia), with the assistance of Sidney H. Vought and Clarence E. Robson. This online version was created from an original volume at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Catalog No. WZ 23591 (4th Fl. Folio).
Walter Graf History Home Page
(With Notes on the Text, Preface, and Acknowledgements)
Reading the Preface will give a quick overview of the beginnings and expansion of the Philadelphia water system.
THE BELMONT WATER WORKS were designed to take the place of the Twenty-fourth Ward works in supplying the water requirements of the districts west of the Schuylkill River, known as West Philadelphia. The building of the reservoir for these works was started in 1866 and the building of the engine house and first engine were started in 1869. The buildings are pictured in FIGURE 43. On September 19, 1870, the works commenced operation, although only the eastern section of the reservoir was finished sufficiently to permit filling to a depth of 16 feet.
The reservoir was located nearly one mile from the pumping station and was known as the George’s Hill reservoir. It had a capacity of 40 million gallons. One month after the Belmont works began operating the Twenty-fourth Ward water works, those first built to serve West Philadelphia, were abandoned and eventually demolished. (See Chapter 9).
The pumping plant was situated on the west bank of the Schuylkill River several hundred feet below the Columbia Avenue Bridge of the Philadelphia & Reading Railroad. The engine house, built of brick with Ohio sandstone window and door opening trimmings, was 72 feet long by 56 feet wide in its inside dimensions, large enough to house three 5 million gallon Worthington duplex compound pumping engines. The boiler house, located in the rear of the engine house, measured 100 feet by 53 feet and was provided with a stack 100 feet high.
The first engine to be installed (No. 1) was a Worthington duplex whose specifications called for 5 million gallons per day lifted to a height of 216 feet. Its regular service to the 24th and 27th Wards was inaugurated on September 19, 1870. This engine had two high pressure cylinders of 29 inch bore and 48 inch stroke, and two low pressure cylinders of 50¼ inch bore and 48 inch stroke. The bore of its two plunger pumps according to one record is given as 2211/16 inches while another gives it as 22½. The stroke was 48 inches. This engine attracted attention because of its satisfactory performance and was considered a very efficient machine for the requirements of that time. It worked in a remarkably smooth and almost noiseless manner. Great credit was reflected upon the inventor and the contractor for the ingenuity of design and perfection of workmanship. The water was raised by this engine through a 30-inch main, 4,167 feet long. The photograph of FIGURE 44 is of the three Worthington pumps of this station and this first pump is probably the one on the left.
The boilers supplying this engine were 54 inches in diameter, and under each were two heaters, 26 inches in diameter. The boilers were safe and reliable and could be run almost continuously without more than ordinary attention. For these reasons they proved very desirable units for use in the Water Department where it was essential that delays and interruptions in pumping be avoided if possible. They were not, however, as economical as the Cornish and some other available types, and the duty of the engine was as a result somewhat reduced. However this was later, for the first engine in its trial run of 25 consecutive hours exceeded its contract guaranteed performance by 20 percent.
The duplex compound Worthington pump tested was built with the steam and water cylinders in tandem. The valves were of the swinging piston-balanced type. The cylinders had separate steam and exhaust, passages. The valves were driven through bell-crank levers attached to the walking beams of the air pumps by connecting rods in such a way that the motion of one engine controlled the valves of the other engine. The direct path of the water through the pump diminished the friction loss in the machine and largely accounted for its high efficiency.
On July 18, 1871 a second Worthington engine (No. 2) was placed in service. This engine was practically a duplicate of the first one and successfully met its specifications by pumping the specified 5 million gallons to a height of 216 feet in 24 hours. The high and low pressure steam cylinders, the pump cylinder and the stroke were all of the same dimensions as those from the first engine save that the low pressure cylinders were 55½ inches in diameter as against 50¼ and there was no question as to the 22½ inch bore of the pump cylinders.
In 1873 installation of the third engine (No. 3) was completed. While of the same make and type as the other two it was considerably larger. Its two high pressure cylinders were each of 33¾ inches in diameter and its pump cylinders 28 inches in diameter, while the common stroke was 48 inches. As it went into service it pumped 8 million gallons a day against its lift of 216 feet.
In 1873, and again in 1874, Dr. Wm. H. McFadden, then chief engineer of the Water Bureau, advocated the duplication of the Belmont Water Works buildings, pumps and mains, in order to provide a 20 million gallon supply to adequately serve the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia and meet the increase in demand expected on account of the great influx of visitors to the exposition. These recommendations were not approved. The Belmont works continued to operate in a satisfactory manner, aside from an insufficiency of boiler capacity, up until the year 1883, when the Bureau reported that all three pumping engines were in bad condition, having been in continuous service for 10 to 13 years.
In 1880, the No. 6 engine in the Schuylkill works broke down. This engine was at that time used as an auxiliary to the Belmont works. An attempt was made to run Belmont’s 8 million gallon engine (its No. 3), which had been standing idle due to lack of boiler capacity. This attempt was unsuccessful and there resulted a water shortage in the districts supplied by this station. At this time there were in the station only the original eight Neafie and Levy boilers. The shortage became very acute, and in 1881 seven additional tubular boilers, built by Hilles and Jones, were added. The 15 together were able to produce all the steam necessary to run the works not only at that time but also for a number of years thereafter.
During 1886, the experiment of forcing air under pressure into the water was made at the Belmont station. The results set forth in the Water Bureau’s report for the year were as follows:
“The water is charged with 20 percent of its volume of air, and the result appears to be the almost complete disappearance of ammonia and the diminution of nearly 50 percent of albuminoid ammonia. There is another result, however, the difficulty in preventing the mains from leaking. Joints that are perfectly tight while pumping in the usual way, will leak badly when the pipes are charged with air, and when the use of the air compressors is stopped, the joints resume their former good condition. Professor Leeds, in a lecture before the Franklin Institute, December 23, 1886, stated that this process had been applied at only one of our pumping stations, namely Belmont, because at the others, the mains are too leaky to permit its use.”
The submerged main across the Schuylkill River caused considerable trouble during the years it was in use. Any breaks or leakages in the portion of this main which was underwater, would generally go for a long lime undetected, and when found were very troublesome and expensive to repair. It was necessary on one or two occasions to build special scows and a portable and floating cofferdam to make the necessary repairs.
On June 23, 1892, Councils passed an ordinance that was approved by Mayor Stuart, authorizing invitations for bids for the erection of a filtering plant at the Belmont pumping station, according to specifications prepared by the Bureau of Water. The installation and trial of this filtering plant was recommended by the Bureau, in lieu of enlargement of the George’s Hill reservoir, which was under proposal at this time. The object was to increase the storage capacity for sedimentation and avoid the practice of supplying the West Philadelphia districts with raw water by direct pumpage through the reservoir, which practice had grown with the increasing demands of the districts. However, inasmuch as no appropriation had been made for this work, the Bureau could not accept any of the bids or otherwise enter upon the construction of the proposed filter plant and the Belmont station was deprived of the honor of having the first Philadelphia filtration plant, an honor which some 10 years later fell to the lower Roxborough plant.
In 1893, it was decided to build a high service pumping station, a short distance to the east of the George’s Hill reservoir, to improve the water supply to the western part of the 34th Ward. The contract for the engine and boiler house for this station was awarded in the same year to the R. C. Ballinger Company, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and the buildings were finished October 31, 1894. There was also built for this station a standpipe 150 feet high and having a capacity of 106,000 gallons at an elevation of 364 feet city datum. FIGURE 45 is a photograph of the station.
The first engine selected was an old Worthington. It was thoroughly overhauled and on June 27, 1895 started its service. It served the districts of Bala, Haddington and the high elevations of West Philadelphia. The complete original equipment consisted of this old Worthington, a duplex of 2 million gallon capacity, and a small Snow 500,000 gallon engine to be held in reserve. The small capacity of the Snow engine and the fact that the demand of the high service districts was already 2 million gallons a day, ruled this small engine out entirely and the Bureau’s reports of operations during this period do not mention the Snow engine at all. The reports mention only the Worthington duplex and indicate it was necessary to run this Worthington night and day continuously, year after year, for several years. FIGURE 46 shows these engines.
Yet another old engine was placed in the old Belmont pumping station in 1895. This engine was the No. 4 Worthington high duty duplex, with a capacity of 20 million gallons. It began service June 27. It was built with two high pressure cylinders 41 inches in diameter and of 48 inches stroke and two low pressure cylinders 82 inches in diameter and of the same stroke, operating two double plunger pumps 36½ inches in bore and of 48 inches stroke. As the station buildings were too small to accommodate this addition, No. 4 was housed and operated in a wooden shed until a permanent brick building was completed to accommodate it and the five additional boilers required to furnish it with steam.
In 1895 and 1896, the need of a new reservoir for this station became very apparent, and urgent formal request for it was made to Councils by the Water Bureau.
In 1897 it was considered imperative to take definite action to provide additional boilers together with boiler house and stack, to meet the anticipated increased demands on this station the ensuing year.
In 1898 two additional pumping engines of 10 million gallon capacity were requested for the Belmont station, and one 5 million gallon pumping engine was requested for the George’s Hill high service station. Repeated requests for additional pumping facilities for the George’s Hill station resulted September 19, 1899 in the placing of an order for a 5 million gallon Worthington engine, and this went into service in 1900. This unit was a horizontal compound high duty pumping engine, with tandem high and low pressure cylinders of 13 and 36 inches diameter respectively, and with pump cylinders of 17 inches diameter, all of 36 inch stroke, and operated at a speed of 26 strokes per minute.
After a number of years of agitation for an additional reservoir, pumping engine, engine house, boiler house and boilers, an ordinance was approved July 12, 1898 appropriating (from a loan authorized by ordinance of Councils and approved June 17, 1898) the sum of $500,000 for the purpose of constructing a reservoir, and furnishing pumping engines and mains for that portion of the city lying west of the Schuylkill River.
On July 12 of the same year a new reservoir site adjoining the old reservoir on the north was selected. This new reservoir was to be triangular in shape with capacity for 85 million gallons, but this plan did not materialize. Instead, a few years later, a 73 million gallon sedimentation basin to work in conjunction with the new Belmont filtration plant was built on the east side of Belmont Avenue at City Line Avenue.
There was recommended new pumping equipment capable of delivering 20 million gallons a day, together with a new engine house large enough not only to accommodate this new machinery, but also the earlier 20 million gallon engine which had been operating under temporary wooden shelter ever since its acquisition in 1895. This plan was strongly urged in 1898 but not until June 30, 1900 was any relief afforded. On that date contracts were let for the construction of a new engine house and intake and for an addition to the old boiler house. Work was started almost immediately by the contractor. A frame structure was erected inside of the old engine house completely housing the existing engines, Nos. 1, 2 and 3. The old engine house was demolished to its foundations, the foundations were extended on the south side to provide room for three additional pumps, and a new building 166 feet 10 inches long and 73 feet 6 inches wide was erected. The boiler house was also extended. Demolition began June 15, 1900, and the new engine house, together with the installation of three newly acquired pumping engines was completed during 1901. FIGURE 47 is a photograph of the station as of 1901.
The new units, which bore manufacturer’s serial numbers, 519, 520 and 521, were assigned stations Nos. 5, 6, and 7 respectively. The extension of the boiler house was finished December 3, 1900. The new engines (shown in the photograph of FIGURE 48) were erected by the Holly Manufacturing Company of Lockport, New York. They were the Gaskill high duty rotative type, and each of 10 million gallon capacity with superimposed 20-inch high pressure and 50-inch low pressure cylinders. The length of stroke was 38 inches and the 22½ inch plungers operated at 30 R.P.M. These pumps discharged through two 36-inch mains and were designed to work against a static head of 290 feet. Active service began during July 1901, and during the first year their superiority over all the types previously used was proven by the smaller quantity of coal consumed. The coal consumption of the station was approximately 49 percent less than that of the previous year.
During this same year (1901) the building of the projected new Belmont reservoir and filtration plant at Belmont and City Line Avenues was started. The contract was awarded to Ryan and Kelley of Philadelphia on June 26, 1901. This became the third plant of the city’s filtration system. The 73 million gallon reservoir was built with two compartments, 279 feet above city datum when the depth of the water was 25 feet. Schuylkill water was delivered to this reservoir by the newly enlarged Belmont pumping station.
At the gate chamber or valve house of the reservoir the water was initially carried through a main laid on the floor of the easterly compartment to the extreme northerly end where it was admitted through special branches from the main to the bottom of the compartment to be subjected to its first period of sedimentation. The water then passed diagonally across the basin to a so called floating discharge pipe nearly the southerly end of the dividing embankment between the compartments. This discharge pipe consisted of a 48-inch riveted iron pipe 1/8 inch thick, inclined to the bottom of the reservoir.
At the bottom end of the pipe, a hinged joint was provided while the top end of the pipe was supported from a cylindrical iron float, so adjusted as to keep the mouth of the pipe at a constant depth of but a few feet below the surface of the water, so that only the surface water in the basin could be drawn off. The hinged joint at the bottom end permitted the pipe to rise or fall as the depth of the water varied. Entering from this floating discharge pipe in the easterly compartment, the water passed down the pipe through an equalizing pipe in the division embankment into the westerly compartment where it was led to the extreme northerly end, where it issued into this compartment at the bottom. Then passing diagonally across and upwards through this basin, it underwent its second period of sedimentation, and was drawn off at the top through another floating pipe connected with a screening chamber, thus completing a full transit through both compartments of the reservoir.
From the screen chamber, the water was conveyed through the outlet pipe and gate chamber, or valve house, to the filters. The arrangement of the valves was noteworthy. While water was normally admitted first to the easterly compartment of the filters and then into the westerly one, from which latter it was drawn off, if desired the water could be admitted to and drawn from either one of the compartments independently of the other. Still further the compartment could be operated independently but simultaneously. This system of flow through the reservoirs was modified upon completion of the aeration flume in 1922. With this in operation the water flow was reversed, the water being first introduced into the westerly compartment and then flowed through the aeration flume to the northerly end of the easterly compartment, in which it completes its transit.
The filter plant is located south of the reservoir. The general arrangement of the filters in plan is irregular. There are 18 covered sand filters and a court for storing and washing filter sand. The topography of the terrain allowed arrangement of the filters in a series of terraces with a maximum difference in level of three feet between adjacent filters. All the filters are rectangular in shape, with eight filters measuring 120 feet 2 inches by 272 feet 8 inches, seven filters measuring 135 feet 5 inches by 242 feet 2 inches, and three filters measuring 165 feet 11 inches by 196 feet 5 inches. Each filter provides approximately 32,000 square feet (or .735 acres net) of filtering area at the normal sand line. Assuming a normal rate of filtration of 3 million gallons per acre every 24 hours, each filter was figured to yield approximately 2.2 million gallons of water per day, and with 15 filters in operation the capacity of the plant was approximately 33.3 million gallons daily.
The capacity of this plant, as recommended by the Board of Experts in their report of 1899, was 27 million gallons per day, but owing to an increase in water consumption between the time the report was made and the beginning of the filtration installation, it was deemed advisable to provide the extra capacity. Sufficient land was acquired by the city to allow for plant extensions to a capacity of 65 million gallons a day, based on the 3 million gallon per acre performance.
In general the construction of these filters is the same as that of the Upper and Lower Roxborough filters, with the exceptions that where it was necessary to build all or portions of the floors of some of the filters on filled land, expanded metal (three-inch mesh, No. 10 gauge) was imbedded in the concrete.
The accompanying filtered water basin is rectangular in plan, measuring 382 feet 2 inches by 396 feet on the neat lines. It has a normal water depth of 15 feet, and a capacity of 16.5 million gallons. In general construction this basin is similar to those at the Upper and Lower Roxborough filter plants except that the pillars are 22 inches square for their entire height and the semi-elliptical groined arches of the vaulting have a span of fourteen feet. Provision was made in designing and building an inlet chamber in one corner, for the addition of another compartment to the basin in the event of extension of the works. The filtered water is drawn off in another corner from the bottom of the basin directly into the distribution mains. Two 30-inch overflow pipes are provided.
The pipes and sewers of this plant were all designed and built of sufficient capacity to provide for future filter installations. As far as possible, the regulating mechanisms of two adjacent filters were placed in one house located at the dividing walls between the filters; but where the location and elevation were such that this could not be accomplished, isolated valves were provided.
Work on the reservoir began August 1, 1901, and was completed in 1903; with work on the filters begun July 10, 1901 and completed in 1903. The first water was pumped into the filters on September 3, 1903, and the first filtered water was turned into the city mains April 1, 1904. It was, however, not until December 13, 1904, that the full capacity of the plant was available to the West Philadelphia districts.
The construction of the preliminary filters for the Belmont plant, as at Roxborough and Torresdale, was not commenced until after the installation of all other parts of the plant was well under way, and for several years the plant operated without them. Following an investigation of the operations of the Bureau of Filtration made in 1905 by a special Board of Engineers, all work under the contracts for the preliminary filters was suspended until March 22, 1907, when the work was resumed. The preliminary filters were completed and started in service October 23, 1907 of the same year. Their initial delivery was at the rate of 40 million gallons per day per acre.
These preliminary filters consisted of nine separate concrete filter tanks each divided into three compartments. The first compartment was uncovered and contained ordinary coke. The water admitted at the bottom at one end of the tank was passed through the length of the tank and upward to the second compartment which was filled with a sponge layer about six feet deep. Water introduced at the bottom of this second compartment passed upward through the sponge and flowed on to the third compartment, which contained a layer of coke dust or cinders, (coke breeze) ranging from 1/8 inch to ¼ inch in diameter. The water filtered downward through the coke breeze at the rate of 40 million gallons per acre per day. Early experience with this system indicated the first and second compartments were not economical in operation for reducing turbidity and the coke breeze was then depended upon entirely.
In 1902 the pumpage required at the Belmont station called for steam in excess of the boiler capacity for sustained operation, and the immediate construction of a new boiler house, stack and 10 new boilers was advocated. It was also recommended that three of the old engines, installed in the early 1870s, be replaced with more modern and efficient types, which would effect an estimated saving of $25,000 annually. During this same year the demand upon the (Belmont) George’s Hill high service station increased 54 percent, and the 5 million gallon Worthington which had been installed in 1900 was being worked at its capacity limit. The immediate installation of an additional engine of the same size and type was deemed imperative.
Two new steam driven centrifugal pumps were installed at the new Belmont filter plant in 1903. They were used to pump the wash water required for cleaning the preliminary filters, and if necessary to pump pre-filtered water from above the sand bed of low level filters to filters at high level. They each operated at a 5 million gallon capacity against a head of 45 feet.
Three duplex direct acting pumps to supply filtered water under pressure to the sand washers and ejectors, together with the necessary boilers, were built during 1903, but their installation was not completed until 1904.
The recommendations of 1902 to install new pumping engines in the Belmont pumping station were renewed in 1903 and 1904, when there were requested three 10 million gallon pumps, a 36-inch pumping main, 10 boilers, a stack, and new engine and boiler houses. The demands on the station had increased greatly and in addition it was necessary to raise the water to the new Belmont reservoir, which was approximately 67 feet higher than the old reservoir at George’s Hill. This was a task that only the three Holly engines installed in 1901 could do successfully. Consequently when the Belmont filter plant was placed in full operation in 1904, the raw water pumps at the Belmont pumping station were unable to deliver a sufficient quantity of water into the new sedimentation reservoir and at the same time meet the requirements of the George’s Hill reservoir for the high service districts. In order to remedy this condition as quickly as possible, the old 5 million gallon Worthington duplex engines and pumps, Nos. 1 and 2, were equipped with new pump barrels and plungers 19¾ inches in diameter instead of the former 22½, and the 8 million gallon Worthington duplex engine, No. 3, was equipped with pump barrels and plungers of 24¼ inches diameter instead of the former 28 inches. No. 4, the 20 million gallon engine, although originally designed as a high duty engine, also had difficulty and was straining under the additional load. Its pump size was reduced from one of 36½ inches diameter to one of 34 inches diameter. These changes decreased the capacity of Nos. 1 and 2 to 4.5 million gallons, that of No. 3 to 6.5 million gallons, and that of No. 4 to 17 million gallons.
In spite of these measures the rapidly increasing population of West Philadelphia made it almost impossible for this station to keep pace with the water demand. Therefore on November 3, 1905, a contract was awarded for the construction of 10 new boilers, and a new boiler house and stack, in the hope that such an arrangement would enable the station to keep up an efficient water supply until arrangements could be made for new pumping engines and an extension to the engine house. The new boiler house was erected south of the pumping station, and the new boilers duly installed. They began operation in June 1906.
During 1906, the George’s Hill reservoir was given a thorough cleaning, and in 1907 filtered water was delivered to this reservoir and thence to the districts supplied by this high service station.
On November 4, 1907, a contract was awarded to the Allis-Chalmers Company for a new 6 million gallon horizontal cross compound pumping engine for service in the George’s Hill high service pumping station. This was to replace the old 2 million gallon Worthington duplex pump No. 1. The Allis-Chalmers engine and pump went into service in 1908.
The old No. 1 and No. 2 Worthington engines of the Belmont station (which were erected 1870-1871) were removed in 1908 and superseded by two 10 million gallon Bethlehem Cross Compound pumping engines, the first of which was put in service April 27, 1909, and the second on October 19, 1909. FIGURE 49 is a photostat of the manufacturers drawing.
Construction of an extension to the Belmont Filter System and the Belmont Preliminary Filters was commenced in 1914. These extensions when placed in service in 1915 added 50 percent to the areas of these plants.
During the years 1915 and 1916, a new and modern type of prime mover was introduced into the Belmont station. Two DeLaval 20 million gallon steam turbine driven centrifugal pumps were acquired. One of them was installed in 1915 and the other in 19l6. FIGURE 50 is a photograph of one of the installations. The contracts for these pumps and 6,500 horsepower boilers were let in 1914. Each of these units comprised a DeLaval 1600 H.P. 3600 R.P.M., 14 stage turbine, coupled through a speed reducer to 24 25.5 inch 600 R.P.M. centrifugal pumps in series.
By 1919, the West Philadelphia districts were using water up to the practical capacity of the Belmont plant, and warnings were accordingly issued by the Bureau that the extension of this plant must be given early consideration. The results were the planning and placing of certain contracts in 1921, not only to increase the output of the filters but also to add to their efficiency and enable them to cope with the steadily increasing pollution of the Schuylkill River waters. One of the attempts to improve the quality of the water from this station at this time was the installation of an aeration system to operate in conjunction with the filter system. When completed in 1922, it was found to reduce only those tastes and odors arising from the decomposition of organic matter in the water. The tastes and odors due to pollution of the river by industrial plant wastes were not reduced.
Plans were made in 1921 to consolidate the George’s Hill high service station (or Belmont auxiliary pumping station, as it was sometimes called) with the pumping station of the Belmont filtration plant, and to operate with the filter pumping equipment and the high service pumping equipment by electric power produced in the main Belmont pumping station. This arrangement was completed in 1922, and the steam driven George’s Hill high service pumping station went out of commission on November 30 of that year. The service it had been rendering was then taken over and has been carried to date (1931) by the electrically-driven centrifugal pumps located in the Belmont filtration plant pumping station.
The George’s Hill reservoir was at this time (1922) and still is (1931) used as a filtered water emergency storage basin. At the time of the consolidation in 1922,the electrically-driven pumping equipment of the Belmont high service station (as located at the Belmont filtration plant) consisted of three 4 million gallon and two 1 million gallon Frederick Iron and Steel Company pumps, driven by General Electric Company motors, which afforded high service pumpage; and the two 1 million gallon pumps which were used as reserve units for the high service pumpage and as regular units for supplying filter wash water. Wash water is today (1931) supplied by two 10 million gallon double-suction single-stage Fairbanks Morse centrifugal pumps driven by Fairbanks Morse 150 H.P. 900 R.P.M. motors. About 1929 two 8 million gallon Fairbanks Morse, double-suction single-stage centrifugal pumps driven by 250 H.P. 1200 R.P.M. Fairbanks Morse motors were added to the high service duty equipment. In 1922, an additional 20 million gallon DeLaval turbo-centrifugal pump, which had been installed at the Queen Lane pumping station since 1917, was moved over to the Belmont station. At Queen Lane this pump was rated at 25 million gallons against a 271 foot head. This rating was reduced to 22 million gallons a day by reason of the higher head at the Belmont station. The first and second units of this same type were also re-rated at 22 million gallons. The installation of this last turbo-centrifugal pumping outfit gave this station a complement of five steam driven pumps aggregating a maximum daily pumping capacity of 86 million gallons divided as follows:
Two DeLaval turbo-centrifugals, installed in 1915-1916, capacity 22 million gallons a day each; one DeLaval turbo-centrifugal, installed in 1922, capacity 22 million gallons a day; and two Bethlehem Cross compounds, installed in 1909, capacity 10 million gallons a day each.
The various laboratories which had been organized previous to and after the advent of the starting of the filtration plants were consolidated in 1925 and placed in a completely-equipped chemical laboratory and office on the Belmont filtration plant site at the north end of the Belmont filter plant power house.
Plans for the most modern and efficient mechanical filtering units for this station were completed in 1925 and construction commenced and carried on through the succeeding years. The units were completed in 1928.
A complete chlorinating plant was installed in the early part of 1930. The year 1929 closed the era of steam driven pumping equipment at the Belmont pumping station with the completion and placing in service of the two 60 million gallon centrifugal pumping units shown in FIGURE 51. They were driven at 900 R.P.M. by Westinghouse 3800 H.P. 13,200 volt motors. About the same time there was undertaken the electrification of the remaining three 22 million gallon turbo-driven DeLaval centrifugal pumps which were installed 1915, 1916, and 1922. These pumps were then re-rated at 25 million gallons. With the installation of the electrical units, the Philadelphia Electric Company became the source of supply for power, and the station’s boiler equipment and the three Allis-Chalmers generators and Kerr turbines were placed in the discard.
