the contract was terminable by either party upon written notice to the other of one year. During the larger part of the time the water has been taken by the Framingham Water Company and by its successor, the town of Framingham, from the filter galleries built alongside the pond; but during a part of the past year the water of the pond has been deemed unfit for the purposes of a domestic supply, and the town of Framingham has taken a portion of its water supply directly from the aqueduct. Inasmuch as the rate of compensation in case the entire or a large part of the supply of the town is taken from the aqueduct is deemed by the Board inadequate, a notice has been given by the Board of its purpose to terminate the present contract, which will accordingly be terminated on February 1, 1908. Terms for a new contract have been under consideration, but no definite action has been taken.

The level of the water in Lake Cochituate was at the beginning of the year nearly 6 feet below high-water mark, but it gradually rose and the lake was kept nearly full from the middle of April until early in July. The lowest point was reached late in September, when it was about 7 feet below high-water mark. Water was drawn from the lake at different periods of the year, amounting to between seven and eight months.

The marginal line of ownership of the Commonwealth about Lake Cochituate is very irregular, and can be recognized only by the presence of the stone bounds. The original stone bounds set by the city of Boston were so small that many of them have been thrown out of position by the frost or pulled up and lost. In order that the location of the property line of the Commonwealth can be accurately determined, a considerable number of these bounds have been reset during the year and many new bounds have been erected. It is proposed to place further new bounds at necessary points during the coming year.

The widening of the road-bed of the Boston & Albany Railroad has necessitated the lengthening of the stone arch culvert, where the road passes over the Beaver Dam Brook arm of Lake Cochituate, and also some filling in the lake at points where the railroad runs alongside the shores. Careful sanitary inspection has been maintained in order to prevent the use of unsuitable materials in the work of filling, and also to prevent the possibility of the pollution of the lake or of its tributaries during the progress of the work.

(3) DISTRIBUTING RESERVOIRS.

The distributing reservoirs, so called, situated within the Metropolitan District, are maintained not only for facilitating the distribution of water, but also to afford additional protection in case of emergencies. The capacities of these reservoirs are as follows:

All of these reservoirs have been kept in good condition, and they have called for but little except the ordinary repairs and the work which has been required for the destruction of the gypsy and browntail moths. More than the usual care and policing are required, especially for the Chestnut Hill Reservoir, Mystic Reservoir, Spot Pond and Forbes Hill standpipe, on account of the large number of visitors who frequent the grounds, particularly on Sundays and holidays.

(4) AQUEDUCTS.

The total amount of water carried through the different aqueducts to the Metropolitan District was a daily average of 126,403,000 gallons. There was drawn from the Wachusett Reservoir through the Wachusett Aqueduct into the Sudbury Reservoir an average of 82,589,000 gallons per day. An average of 84,655,000 gallons per day was carried from Framingham Reservoirs Nos. 2 and 3 through the Sudbury Aqueduct to the Chestnut Hill Reservoir, and an average of 11,398,000 gallons per day from Lake Cochituate through the Cochituate Aqueduct to the same reservoir. Through the Weston Aqueduct an average of 30,350,000 gallons per day was drawn from the Sudbury Reservoir into the distribution system of the

District. The Spot Pond watershed is estimated to have furnished in addition 418,000 gallons per day.

The Wachusett Aqueduct was in active operation on 333 days during the year. Considerable wire fencing has been erected along the line of the aqueduct, to prevent cattle from trespassing upon the embankments. Brush and weeds have been removed, and the fruit trees especially have been cut and carried away.

The Sudbury Aqueduct was in operation on 357 days of the year for conveying water to the Chestnut Hill Reservoir, and on 7 days water was conveyed through the aqueduct from Framingham reservoirs Nos. 1 and 2 to Lake Cochituate.

The Cochituate Aqueduct was in use 216 days of the year. The flow through the aqueduct was suspended for several weeks on account of the laying, by the city of Newton, of a pipe sewer and underdrain beneath the aqueduct. Considerable work was done along the line of the aqueduct in setting property bounds.

Water was drawn through the Weston Aqueduct for a period of 359 days. It was deemed necessary during the year to erect a barn on land of the Commonwealth along the aqueduct for the use of the foreman in charge of the line.

(5) PUMPING STATIONS.

The water which is supplied to the Metropolitan District is substantially all received from the Cochituate and Sudbury aqueducts at or near the Chestnut Hill Reservoir and thence pumped into the distribution system, or is conveyed through the Weston Aqueduct and distributed through the system by gravity. Seventy-five per cent. of the water thus supplied was received and pumped at the two stations at Chestnut Hill Reservoir. The water is pumped from the Chestnut Hill high-service station to the higher districts of Boston, and to Quincy, Watertown, Belmont and a part of Milton. From the Chestnut Hill low-service station the water is pumped to the lower districts of Boston, including Boston proper, South Boston and portions of Roxbury and Dorchester, to Somerville, Chelsea, Malden, Medford, Everett and Arlington, and also to Spot Pond. Water is pumped a second time from Spot Pond to Melrose, Revere, Winthrop, Nahant, Swampscott, and the higher portions of Somerville, Chelsea, Malden, Medford and Everett. From the Arlington pumping station the water is pumped a second time to Lexington and the

higher portions of Arlington, and from the West Roxbury station to the higher portions of West Roxbury and Milton.

The quantity of water pumped at all of these stations during the year was 38,213,520,000 gallons, which was an increase of 8.6 per cent. over the quantity pumped during the preceding year. The cost of operating all the stations during the year was $112,248.67, or $2.937 per million gallons pumped, a cost of $0.027 per million gallons over the cost of the preceding year. There was a considerable increase in the cost of labor, owing in part to the decrease in the hours of labor of pumping station employés, and in part to the increase in the rates of wages paid to the employés. There was generally a slight decrease in the cost of fuel used at the stations, so that the result has been that the average cost at all the stations of raising one million gallons of water one foot high has been the same as during the preceding year, or $0.0329.

During the year 12,126.87 tons of coal were purchased for use at the various stations. Of this total, 7,200.17 tons were bituminous, 350.53 tons anthracite, 3,961.58 tons buckwheat anthracite, and 614.59 tons were anthracite screenings. The average price per gross ton for the bituminous coal. varied at the different stations from $3.99 to $4.84. The cost of the anthracite used was $7.28 per gross ton, of the buckwheat anthracite $2.87, $2.97 and $3.01, and of the anthracite screenings $2.24.

Tests have been continued in order to determine the heating value of the coal used and offered for use in the several stations, and also to determine the viscosity, specific gravity and burning point of the oil used.

The cost per million gallons of water raised one foot was: for the Chestnut Hill high-service station, $0.028; for the Chestnut Hill low-service station, $0.031; for the Spot Pond station, $0.034; for the Arlington station, $0.127; for the West Roxbury station, $0.210.

At the Chestnut Hill high-service station not only has a new boiler been installed, but the foundations of the old boilers have been renewed and considerable repairs have been required on another of the boilers. An accident occurred also to one of the smaller pumping engines, which made necessary a new cylinder and piston. These repairs increased somewhat the operating cost of the station. By reason of the delay in the completion of the new Arlington pumping station and of the installation of the machinery, the old

engines in the temporary station were kept in service nearly the entire year, the first of the new engines having been put into regular service in the month of December. On account of the necessity of maintaining both the old and new stations for a considerable portion of the year, the cost of operation of this station has been larger than during the preceding year.

Owing to the discovery and stopping of leaks in the West Roxbury mains, the quantity of water pumped during the year at the West Roxbury station has been less than during the previous year. No extensive repairs have been called for at this station, but the pumps will soon reach their limit of safety, it being necessary now at times to operate both of them to their full capacity.

(6) PIPE LINES.

No break has occurred in the pipes during the past year. Thirty leaks have been found and repaired upon the pipe lines. All but three of these leaks occurred in joints of the pipes. Fourteen of them were found upon the pipe lines which cross the Charles and Mystic rivers, where the changes of temperature especially affect the pipes. The cost of repairing the leaks in the river pipes is considerable, as the employment of a diver and dredge is necessary.

A new Venturi meter has been placed in the force main leading from the new Arlington pumping station, and it has been necessary to enlarge the Venturi meter measuring the water supplied to the West Roxbury district, on account of the increased consumption. At several points it has been necessary to take measures to protect the registers from freezing. Valves have been continued in use for reducing and regulating the pressure of water supplied in the remoter districts. Considerable general repairs have been required during the

year.

(7) SEWERAGE AND FILTRATION WORKS.

(a) Clinton Sewerage Works.

There was a large increase in the quantity of sewage received at the Clinton pumping station from the Clinton sewers, the total increase over the preceding year amounting to between 8 and 9 per cent. This increase was largely, however, due to the leakage of ground water into the sewers during the three months when the rainfall was unusually great, the daily average quantity of sewage re