Text 34. Water supply of salt lake city

1 Give an oral translation of the text.

Ever since Salt Lake City was first settled in 1847 the water supply problem has always been of prime importance. The original settlers diverted water from the surrounding mountain streams for irrigation of their crops, and the domestic supply was dipped from the irrigation ditches.

As the city grew, underground wooden tanks were located at key points in the business district and filled from the irrigation ditches. These tanks provided the first fire protection service, and gradually the City Council allowed residents to extend small private pipes from the tanks to their homes for domestic use.

It was not until 1871 that the subject of installing a waterworks system was considered. In 1875, the actual work of laying pipes, installing valves, hydrants and service lines was begun. The water department was established in 1876, and the initial construction program was completed the following year.

The main water supply is obtained from five canyon streams arising in the western slope of nearby mountains. The headwaters of these streams vary in elevation from 7,000 feet to 11,000 feet above sea level, and include an area of 186 square miles of watershed land.

In 1934, the most serious water shortage occurred, and drastic restrictions were placed on the use of water. As it was determined early in the year that precipitation and snow cover would be very deficient, a program of deep well drilling was begun to partially relieve the shortage. In all, seventeen deep wells were drilled in various locations.

Three of the wells were complete failures, but the others were all used on an emergency basis during 1934. Since that time improvements and changes have been made in all installations, and only five of the best wells are now operated as part of the normal supply to meet high summer demand.

Vocabulary:

to divert – отводить, отклонять

irrigation – орошение

to dip – черпать, погружать

ditch – канава, ров

waterworks – водопроводные сооружения

valve – клапан, вентиль

hydrants – водоразборный кран

slope – наклон, склон

headwaters – главный водосбор, воды с верховьев, истоки

elevation – высота, возвышенность

watershed – водораздел, бассейн реки

drastic – решительный, радикальный

precipitation – осадки

deficient – недостаточный, неполный

to drill – бурить, сверлить

2 Answer the questions:

1 How did the original settlers of Salt Lake City get water?

2 When was a waterworks system built?

3 How is the main water supply obtained?

4 What measures were taken to partially relieve the water shortage in 1934?

5 How many wells are now operated as part of the normal supply to meet high summer demand?

3 Define forms of the verbs in each sentence and explain their use.

Text 35. The first water-supply systems

Working in pairs, dwell upon the information presented in the text. Use the vocabulary given below.

The first primitive water-supply system was built nearly 3000 years before our era. In Ancient Egypt wells were dug and water was extracted from them by means of devices similar to "storks". In Ancient China water was extracted from wells by means of winches arid pulleys. In Babylon water was extracted and raised to a high level by means of pulleys and chain bucket elevators. Earthenware, wooden, lead and copper pipes were used to distribute reservoir water.

During the Renaissance period in Ancient Greece and in Ancient Rome whole water supply systems were created. In order to transport water self-running canals were built, which spanned valleys and gullies in the form of special bridges, called aqueducts.

The first water-supply systems in Europe (Paris, London) were built in the 12th and 13th centuries.

In 1960 over 1300 towns and cities in the USSR had a functioning water-supply system. At present actually the whole urban population of the country is supplied with centralized running water.

The high quality of the running water testifies to the perfection of the water mains built in the USSR.

Vocabulary:

ancient – древний

to extract – извлекать

"storks" – «аисты»

winches – рукоятки в виде ворота, кривошипа

arid – сухой

pulley – шкив, блок; ворот

elevator – грузоподъемник, лифт

earthenware – глиняный

lead and copper – свинцовый и медный

Renaissance period – эпоха Возрождения, Ренессанс

to span – перекрывать об (арке), соединять берега (о мосте)

gully – глубокий овраг, водосток

aqueducts – акведук, водопровод

to testify – свидетельствовать

perfection – высшая ступень, завершение

main – магистраль