Synopsis
The Water Works Of Brooklyn: A Historical And Descriptive Account Of The Construction Of The Works, And The Quantity, Quality And Cost Of The Supply by George B. Brainard. This work offers a historical survey of Brooklyn's Ridgewood Water Works, tracing the long evolution of proposals, committees, and public debates that culminated in a centralized public water supply. It details the geographical and geological basis of the Ridgewood system, including the drainage-basin and key ponds such as Jamaica, Valley-Stream, Brookfield, Hempstead, and Parsonage Creek, and describes the transition from early canal schemes to a substantial masonry conduit. The book outlines the construction and operation of pumping engines, reservoirs (Ridgewood and Mt. Prospect), distribution mains, hydrants, and meters, and it discusses water quality, consumption patterns, and the finances of the project, including costs, bonds, and sinking funds. Overall, it presents an in-depth portrait of late-19th-century urban infrastructure, its engineering triumphs, and public health implications for a growing metropolis.
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