REPORT ON THE WORKING OF THE KING INSTITUTE, GUINDY
The number of samples of water examined during the year was 1,104 (state
-
ment 14). The half-yearly routine examinations from Municipalities, Jail and
Railway station supplies accounted for 461 samples. Two hundred and eighty
-
one samples were derived from the experimental plant and 362 from the Madras
Corporation. The appointment of a water analyst by the Madras Corporation
and the completion of his training at the King Institute so that he was able to
assume his duties at Kilpauk was in part responsible for this decline. Further,
the necessity for intensive sampling disappeared as definite conclusions on the
Madras City water-supply were reached during the year.
It has been the custom hitherto in this report to give a review of the various
protected water-supplies in the Presidency which have been examined during the
course of the year. A study of the reports which have been written during
the past few years reveals the fact that there is a striking similarity between
them all. Certain installations always produce good or fair results. Others are
always unsatisfactory. The remarks made in this report year by year appear
to have little or no influence in producing any change for the better. The usual
detailed review is therefore omitted this year and those interested are referred to
appendix (Appendix No. 1) where a short summary of the behaviour of each
installation is given.
(iv) COMMITTEE ON WATER FILTRATION.
All the water analyses for the experiments carried on by this Committee and
the greater part of the administrative work is carried on in the King Institute.
During the course of the year the chief problem before the Committee continued
to be the best means of improving the Madras City water-supply. A comprehen-
sive report on the position of the Madras water-supply as it stood in April 1923
was passed by the Committee and forwarded to Government and the Corporation.
In this report the Committee pointed out that they had always been aware that
mechanical filtration had been the correct method of purifying the supply but that
with the slow sand filtration plant already in existence their experiments up to
that time had been directed towards discovering a method of making the existing
plant work satisfactorily. All attempts had so far proved unsatisfactory but the
possibilities had been narrowed down considerably and, should the experiments
then in progress fail to give satisfactory results, then no alternative would remain
to the introduction of mechanical filtration. These final experiments were com
-
pleted during the course of the summer. This want of success convinced
Mr. Madeley, the Special Engineer to the Corporation of Madras, that the Com
-
mittee's original opinion that mechanical filtration was the only method which
would give satisfactory results was correct and he placed a detailed scheme for the
modification of the present plant on a mechanical filtration basis before the Madras
Corporation in his note of November the 8th. This note was forwarded to the
Committee for their opinion in Government's letter No. 709-1, L. & M., dated
10th January 1924. A second report dealing with Mr. Madeley's note and giving
a complete summary of the whole situation with the Committee's recommendations
was forwarded to Government with the President of the Committee's letter, dated
13th June 1924. The arguments for mechanical filtration advanced in this report
are unanswerable. The problem of the Madras City water-supply so far as the
Committee is concerned, may therefore be considered as solved. It now remains
to be seen whether the Madras Corporation will act upon the advice given by the
Committee.
The experimental filter plant at the King Institute has been utilized in testing
the effect of a preliminary filming of slow sand filters with alum. These experi
-
ments are still in progress. The results available so far show that the method is
a promising one for certain types of water.
The orders of Government upon the Committee's proposals for
(1) a travelling inspectorate for the examination of the water-supplies in
the Presidency (vide my letter R.C. No. 577-236-B., dated 11th May 1922),
(2) experiments on sewage (vide enclosure to proceedings of the Committee
on Water Filtration, dated 5th November 1922), and
3