Documentary History of American Water-works

Canaan

Canaan, Vermont

Canaan was chartered was a town in 1782.

The Canaan Aqueduct Company.was incorporated in 1858 by George W. Hartshorn, Francis L. Brown, Fernando C. Jacobs, Marvin Fletcher, Silas P. Shaw, Erastus W. Ingham, and John Neal "for the purpose of constructing and maintaining an aqueduct to supply the inhabitants of the village of Canaan, in the county of Essex, with pure water for domestic uses."

Another Canaan Aqueduct Company.was incorporated in 1880 by Geo. W. Hartshorn, Charles H. Weeks, Charles Green, John H. Brooks, Hiram M. Harvey, Hiram Blanchard, Ed. Flanders, and Cyrus E. Farnham "for the purpose of constructing and maintaining an aqueduct to supply the inhabitants of the village of Canaan with water for domestic and other purposes."

In 1894, Calvin T. Stoddard of West Stewartstown, New Hampshire, built a gravity system fed from a reservoir in West Stewartstown. Around 1915 the system was owned by Bryan McDonald and M. Lovain.

Fire District #1 was formed in 1984 and built a water system in the unincorporated village of Canaan.

Water is supplied by the Canaan Water and Sewer Department, which is part of Canaan Fire District #1, PWS #VT0005106.

References
1858 An act to incorporate the Canaan Aqueduct Company. November 28, 1858.

1880 An act to incorporate the Canaan Aqueduct Company. December 18, 1880.

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

1914 Report of the State Board of Health of the State of Vermont from January 1, 1912 to December 31, 1913.
Page 126: Canaan. Water supply: village supplied by spring water system. One hotel, supplied by village water.

1916 Report of the State Board of Health of the State of Vermont from January 1, 1914 to December 31, 1915.
Page 55: Canaan. The supply is by gravity from springs. There is one reservoir on the system. The water is not treated in any way except as domestic filters may be used. The system is owned by Bryan McDonald and M. Lovain.

2000 Canaan, Vermont, Municipal Plan, Adopted March 7, 2000.
Page 16: Water Supply. The Canaan and Beecher Falls villages are served by separate water systems.
The Canaan system is a Municipal Fire District formed in 1986. The Fire District's primary responsibility is the control of the Canaan village water collection and distribution system. The primary source of supply is a group of springs located northwest of the village in Canada augmented during dry periods by a 180 gallon per minute driven well located in Ethan Allen Park near Leach Stream.
In 1987 a 100,000 gallon covered concrete reservoir was constructed adjacent to the previous open pond 300,000 gallon reservoir near the springs on the U.S. side of the border. Safe water storage is now provided, free from spring and summer runoffs which had caused some coliform problems in the past. The distribution system from the reservoir is six inch (transit) main installed in 1964.
This system supplies water to about 140 dwellings, school buildings, a motel and numerous small businesses in Canaan village as well as the village of West Stewartstown, New Hampshire.