Documentary History of American Water-works

Melrose

Melrose, Massachusetts

Melrose was as a town in 1850 and as a city in 1900.

The Spot Pond Water Company was incorporated in 1867 to supply water to Malden, Melrose and Medford. The company built a system which was purchased by the towns in 1870, shortly before water service was begun.

Water is provided by the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority and distributed by the City of Melrose

References
1867 An act to incorporate the Spot Pond Water Company. May 4, 1867.

1870 An act in addition to an act to incorporate the Spot Pond Water Company. April 2, 1870.

1870 Lowell Daily Citizen, September 10, 1870, page 2.
Celebration in Malden. Malden will celebrate on the 21st with a procession, banquet and fireworks, the opening of the new aqueduct. The water, which is for the towns of Malden, Melrose and Medford, comes from Spot Pond, which has an average surface of 225 acres, which can be drawn down to a depth of seven feet. It is 143 feet above marsh level, and is capable of furnishing 1,500,000 gallons of water per day. About thirteen miles of distributing pipes have been laid, although but few supply pipes have been attached. A stream can be thrown over any of the buildings in the town upon which a hydrant stream can be brought to bear, while a horizontal stream was thrown a hundred feet. The works have cost $150,000, beside the land damages, for which amount water bonds have been issued to run twenty years at 6 per cent interest.

1882 Melrose, from Engineering News 9:91 (March 18, 1882)

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

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

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

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

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