| Introduction | Historical Background | Chronology | Geography | Biography | Technology | Ownership and Financing | General Bibliography |
| New England States | Rhode Island | Westerly |
Westerly was incorporated in 1669.
A gravity system was built in 1876 by a private company. No further information has been found about this system or company.
The Westerly Water Works was incorporated in 1886 and built a system using steam engines to pump water into a standpipe.
After extensive litigation, the town of Westerly bought the Westerly Water Works on September 1, 1897 for $175,000.
Water is provided by the
Town of Westerly.
References
1882 Westerly,
from "The Water-Supply of Certain Cities and Towns of the United States,"
by Walter G. Elliot, C. E., Ph. D.
1886 An act to incorporate the Westerly Water Works. May 28, 1886.
1887 Authorizing the Westerly Water Works to supply water to Pawcatuck. March 31, 1887.
1888 "Westerly," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 1.
1890 "Westerly," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 2.
1891 "Westerly," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 3.
1896 "Westerly's
Water Litigation," Fire and Water 20:407 (August 22, 1896) |
also here
|
Judge Carpenter, of the United States Circuit Court, has handed down a
decision granting an injunction against the town of Westerly, Mass.,
prohibiting it from proceeding with the erection of town water works. In
1885 the town made a contract with the Westerly Water Works, a private
corporation, for a supply of water for town and domestic use. Soon after
these water works were completed the town authorities came to differences
with the water company, which resulted in the failure to supply the town
with hydrants adequate for fire protection, and the town commenced to
agitate the construction of town water works to be the rival and
competitor of the works erected by the private corporation. This caused
the private corporation to offer to supply the town with adequate hydrant
service at a price acceptable to the town council ; but the feeling ran so
high that the town meeting rejected the proposal, although it was made at
the low price of $25 annually per hydrant. Soon after litigation was
commenced by tax payers in the State court which seemed to result in favor
of the opinion that the town had a right to build town water works to
compete with those owned by the corporation. Actions were brought in the
United States court by the stockholders and bondholders of the private
corporation, and the gist of Judge Carpenter's decision is that the town
must not build independent works to compete with those owned by the
corporation. Judge Carpenter granted an injunction restraining the town
from proceeding with the project of building town water works. The
insurance companies should now insist on the town making a contract with
the private water company to put in an adequate number of hydrants for
fire purposes or should greatly increase the rates. It may be that the
town will appeal from Judge Carpenter's decision and take the matter to
the Supreme court at Washington. But that means a delay of several years,
in which Westerley may have disastrous fires, such as it has had several
times during the years past, in which the opportunity for "r adequate
water supply has been neglected because of the differences existing
between the town and the water company. From the report of the proceedings
before Judge Carpenter and the text of his decision the Westerly Water
Company appears to have been for many years willing to do everything
requisite for adequate fire protection at a very low price.
1896 Town of Westerly v. Westerly Water Works, 80 Fed. Rep. 611, October 23, 1896, United States Circuit Court.
1897 The
Inter Ocean (Chicago, Illlinois), July 18, 1897, Page 20.
Litigation between the town of Westerly and the Westerly Water-Works
Company.
1897 "Buys
its Water Works," The Boston Globe, July 31, 1897, Page 8.
Terms by which Westerly, R.I., Secures its plant.
1897 "Westerly," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 4.
1899 Confirming to the town of Westerly, Rhode Island, certain privileges sold to it by the Westerly Water Company. June 20, 1899.
1899 Orlando R. Smith et al. vs. Town of Westerly et als., 19 R.I. 437, Supreme Court of Rhode Island
© 2018 Morris A. Pierce