Documentary History of American Water-works

Rockville

Rockville, Connecticut

Rockville was settled in 1726, incorporated as a city in 1889, and consolidated with the town of Vernon in 1965.

The Snipsic Aqueduct Company was organized in October, 1847 with George Kellogg as the first president and Phineas Talcott first secretary and treasurer. This company built a gravity system that began service that same year using cement-lined wrought-iron pipe.

The limited resources of the company were unable to meet the demands of local residents, leading to the incorporation of the Rockville Aqueduct Company in 1866 S. D. W. Harris, George Talcott, George Kellogg, Jr., E. K. Rose, Clark Holt, J. C. Hammond, Jr., J. J. Robinson, L. A. Corbin, Cyrus White, A. Park Hammond, Cyrus Winchell, Royal G. Holt, George Maxwell, Lebbeus Bissell and George Kellogg "for the purpose of supplying the village of Rockville, in the town of Vernon, with an abundant supply of pure water for public and domestic use." Cast-iron pipes were installed.

The Rockville Water and Aqueduct Company was incorporated in 1893 to effect a merger of the Rockville Aqueduct Company and the Rockville Water Power Company. The company installed a pumping station and standpipe the following year.

The Connecticut Water Services Company acquired a majority of the stock of the Rockville Water and Aqueduct Company in 1957, and in 1974 the Connecticut Water Company acquired the Connecticut Water Services Company, which shared common management.

Water is provided by Connecticut Water.

References
1866 Incorporating the Rockville Aqueduct Company. June 27, 1866.

1882 Rockville, from "The Water-Supply of Certain Cities and Towns of the United States," by Walter G. Elliot, C. E., Ph. D.

1885 Rockville, from Engineering News 14:46 (July 18, 1885)

1888 "Rockville," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 1.

1890 "Rockville," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 2.

1891 "Rockville," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 3.

1893 Incorporating the Rockville Water and Aqueduct Company. March 1, 1893.

1893 Authorizing the Rockville Water and Aqueduct Company to issue bonds. May 5, 1893.

1897 "Rockville," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 4.

1905 Amending a resolution authorizing the Rockville Water and Aqueduct Company to issue bonds. May 18, 1905.

1911 "Vernon and her Industries," from A Century of Vernon, Connecticut, 1808-1908, by Harry Conklin Smith

1957 An act authorizing the city of Rockville to purchase the Rockville Water and Aqueduct Company. June 27, 1957.

1958 Rockville v. Public Utilities Commission, 146 Conn. 1, December 2, 1958, Supreme Court of Connecticut.

1974 "Inspection of New Treatment Facilities, The Rockville Water and Aqueduct Company. Remarks on Early History of the Company," by William Heal MacKenzie, President, Journal of the New England Water Works Association 88:2-? (1974) | pdf |
1847 - Under a Mr. Ball's supervision, sheet iron pipe lined on the inside and the outside with a thick coating of water cement was laid through all the main street by the old Aqueduct Co. and connected with all the mills. This type of pipe proved very unsatisfactory over the early years because the high pressure burst the pipelines on numerous occasions leading to frequent damage claims.
1866 - On August 29, 1866, the Directors authorized the President and Secretary to sign a contract with the New Jersey Patent Water & Gas Pipe Co. for iron pipe. Wm. R. Orcutt, Superintendent, laid pipeline the whole length of Main St., starting with a 14" iron pipe passing through the dam, then 12" cement pipe down to Rose Silk Mill, 10" cement to Bissell's store. Cement pipe was discontinued at the Rock mills and iron pipe was used due to great pressure, 8" to the Florence mills, 6" to the Hockanum mills and 4" to the Snipsic mills. A total of 5 miles of pipe was laid serving 250 families and 36 hydrants.
A contract for iron pipe was awarded to Wood & Co. of Philadelphia on March 27, 1867. The old cement pipe was in such poor condition that it all had to be replaced starting with Market Street in August, 1868.