Carla Occaso
How did Montpelier residents get water before the current water system was built?
Around 1820, Roger Hubbard, a local merchant, ran water to his house by laying a line of pump logs from a spring in his pasture 150 feet above his house, per information on waterworkshistory.us. He then extended it to reach his neighbors’ houses. He later began lining the logs with lead pipes.
Also, the State Street aqueduct was formed in 1823 by a partnership of property owners. A second aqueduct company was formed in 1856, and then Joseph Bradish built a gravity water system in 1875 that served 70 houses by 1878. These separate organizations were early water providers before the city built the network of pipes we have today.
George Reed privately surveyed the waterway from Berlin Pond to Montpelier in 1860. But he did not secure the right-of-way or ownership of the water, according to Perry H. Merrill in his book “Montpelier: the Capital City’s history 1780–1976.” In 1870, the village pursued bringing water to the village from two sites: The Snow farm and Berlin Pond, Merrill writes. They chose Berlin Pond.
The village got authority to build a water works in 1872, but arguments about whether to use cast-iron or cement-lined wrought iron dragged on for 12 years before anything was built. In 1873, villagers voted to bring water from Berlin Pond to Montpelier village, figuring it would cost $55,995 to do so. The town voted to raise the money by issuing a $50,000 bond. The water works was finally built in 1884, with a system that worked very well due to the high elevation of the reservoir.
Building the water system accelerated after fires “tore through the heart of Montpelier” in 1875, according to a report by eyewitness George Peck, a firefighter and military veteran. The fires occurred on March 11 and 12, and then again on May 1 and 2, according to Merrill.
At the time, Berlin Pond had cottages all around it, so a committee bought as much land as they could to prevent pollution. During 1913–14, pumps were installed to bring water over a dam and collect it. Then, in 1922 a chlorination system was installed.
Later, Erastus Hubbard and his son, John, helped fund the water system that served Montpelier. Another water system was developed off the North Street extension. Other small springs served houses throughout Montpelier.
