National Republican., 1875-12-02
0NF YEARS WORK.
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from the large mains on Bridge street. In addi-
tion to this we have in use pressure engine
fcS IN ne abatment of Rock Greek bridge, which
is at times of the utmost service in keeping up the
ii Is only by constant repairs we able to keep
It N use. new pump, Of greater power and ca
All that part of the city below the leveTof 100
feet is supplied direct from the II and 3onch mains
in Bridge street
y HON no wa er rents are paid.
Tho mains in this city were laid under an ordl-
nance Of the late corporation, approved May O.
1854 which provided Tor the leYying of water
tax as follows:
See 8 And Dc IL further ordained That to
cnablc this corporation to redeem said stock, and
ray the interest," thereon, and 10 pay other expen-
ses attending the introduction and maintenance OF
the water es ablishment, there be, and is hereby,
levied water tax OF sixty cents per foot on every
front loot each side of every street lane or alley
through which the water mains have been or may
he laid hereafter: and that said tax shall be col
leeted by the collector Of this Corporation under
the laws areagy & sI ] ioI owt Dn =, S,uri5 r
annually. commencing the lst dag of July, 1872
via: He shall collect JfieoH cents Ofthe above tax
in that year, hiteen cents ~ 1850 hteen cents IN
the year ls5 and fifteen cents in the year ls9Z;
and he shall pay over in tho clerk OF this corpora
ton such sums he collects. retaining three per
cent as his compCnsa,; iur collecting the same;
and the clerk shall place -aid funds as ne receives
them TO he credit 81 itae water und, aud the same
are hereby pledged fer the payment of the interest
and fbe reiempfion of the principal of all the
stock that shall or may he issued under the au-
fborit- OF this ordinance.
In addition 10 the foregoing, appropriations wero
made. from time to time. out Of the general fund.-
for repairs, hydrants high service, &e., &c.
During the past few years these expenses have
been psld OuI of the water fund of Washington
city and as matter of justice should be refunied
10 the same 1 annex herewith a statement IN
detail Of these expenses, amounting TO slODSS.s9
1 see no good reason why the water system oi
Georgetown should not bo placed on inc saine
basis as that of Washington city and recon-
mend Legislation on the subject
IMPuRE WATER.
In Tune and July Of this wear. the Potomac
water became offensive both 10 smell and tas.e,
aud so continued for period of over thir ty days.
The river al the head Of supply (Great Falls)
and 50 far down as Fort Washington, was SO i'm
pregnated with matter as to be almost UNFIT for
drinking and culinary purposes. Various theories
were advanced and arguments made as to cause
and cure The most prominent argument was
the necessity for hltering the water before 1t ent-
eTs the great mains.
so little information is within my reach, that
cannot enter lnto any extended remarks on the
subject with the intelligence would desire.
Filtration on great scale Is based on the same
principle the small filters used in houses, the
water being strained through some gravel, char
coal or other Ingredients; but when this is aP-
piled to the filtration of millions OF gallons in
stead Of pints. the difficulties are increased, and
altering becomes an elaborate, expensive ma
chine To filter the water supply Of this District
would require an enormous outlay and the cree
fion of numerous reservoirs and hlter-beds; and
even tnen il is qut stionabe whether the remedy is
reached for purifying water from the taste and
odor peculiar to Potomac water last June and
The honorable Board of Health, ofthis District,
gave the subject of impure water good deal of
attention at one of their meetings. \ report
the subject was made 10y their president, the
principal points of which quote below:
~ am inclined to refer it rather to the sudden
decay of minute animal organisms produced by
sudden elevation Of temperature during the hot
sSThe Potomac water which VIC use in our houses
for drinking and culinary purposes has been, Tor
some time dis .urbed and charged with offensive
organic matter as TO produce widespread COM
paints. thus inviting inquiry the part Of the
heard Of Health as to the cause Of such persistent
turtidity and impurity. and the proper remedy, IL
y any Accordingly letter was addressed to the
chief engineer OF the Washington aqueduct, and
prompt reply returned by that officer under date
- Sfhe muddy state of the water he refers to
the condition of the river at the Great Falls,
whence our water is derived in consequence of the
heavy and frequent rains falling in that region,
and secondly. the small capacity of the distribut-
ing reservoir in proportion TO the amount OF water
consumed. recurring a constant influx from the
river 10 preserve the level of the flow line A res
eryoir OF large capacity would allow the water to
deepening and extension of the reservoir and the
use Of meters are alluded to among the feasible
means Of correcting the existing nuisance; the
former by giving the water time TO settle before
entering the iron mains. the latter accomplishing
the same object by reducing the water waste, and
thus ebyiating the necessity now existing of keep
ing the reservoir constantly flooded to the flow
line
test and also a corrective OF impurity in water.
In the report epidemic cholera. (eireular No. s.
issued from the Surgeon Generals Office is II
brief but il structiVe. contribution from Dr. Craig
the accomplished chemist to this board. A num-
er n wttr Il 6Tctf5 f6 Stifftit 81 usesG! r. as
or 10 produce any of the ELECTS which arc com,
monty attributed to its bad quality. As standard
ofcompaTisOn he selected the water supplied from
the Washington aqueduct. which he says, is
decidedly impure water, containing moro organic
matter than that supplied TO London from the
Thames He then gives in grains and decimals
Of grains the amount OF pcrmangsnate of potash
required to purify each gallon of the offered sam.
piles Of water. Ufthe five specimens Washington
aqueduet water indicated less degree of purity,
requiring O.5IO6 grains and was inferior only TO
certain Specimens from New York haFbor. pro-
nounced unsuitable for drinking purposes in their
The quotation from DR.. Craig's report created
in this community certain alarm, as for the first
time, the people were informed that the Potomac
water was decidedly impure. and contained more
organic matter than that supplied to London from
the Thames. An inquiry on the subject brought
WAR DEPARTMENT.
SURGEON GENERALS OFFICE,
WASHINGTON. October q, 1876. y
y Lubey, esq, Water Registrar, District Of Co.
DEAR srR: The water Of which spoke in the
report TO which you allude as Washington aque-
duct water. was taken from the water tap In the
Water was understood az that time TO come from
the Powder Mil branch altogether or in large |
part. When the water supplied to London IRON |
the Thames Is spoken Of as q standard OF compar-
tson IL is 10 be borne in mind that this water is
taken from above London, and is passed through |
filter beds before entering the supply pipes, so
that the idea Of great impurty, which is ofcen |
connected with the Thames water, does not prop
erly belong IT, 1t is purified more or less tnor.
ouehIy BY the different water Companies aud |
may be taken as example OF an average drink-
ing water, not Of the best quality, but not danger
ously bad.
Yours truly, B.F.CnAIs.
II IA proper here to state tha. the wate. |
snalyzed BY DIR. Craig was not Potomac water,
but came from the receiving reservoir then sup 4
piled by Powoer Mill branch, which drains 4,O0J /
acres OF the surrounding country, and at the date
Of his report August, 1896, no Potomsc water was /
supplied 70 the District. desire also to add 70 i
this the following extracts from q letter OF Prof
John ToIrey, d. D., to Lieut.. Meigs, dated Feb
"KIl the Gsters are soft and very good, both |
for washing and for drinking. There Is no hurt
free carbOBic acid which they contain & from two
TO three cubic inches TO the gallon of solid matter
left BY evaporation. There was in no case more
than fraction over five grains TO the gallon
OF this RESIDUAL matter the quantity Of salts sOlu-
chiefly OF chlorides Of calcium, sodium and mag
nesium- The salts insoluble In pure water and |
undoubtedly held IN solution BY the water ex-
carbonate Of lime and maguesIa, the Quantity
varying in the different froG three co four
greiDs In the Eailcn. or sulphates we could hnd
only trace. Organic matter was present but
lets than half grain to the gallon. Oar chief
dificu!ty in aualyzing these waters was their
purity and the small Quantity submitted to ns
for eKamipaiior. Several Of the constituents
were only 10 be estimated approximately from
-FfBaily / would say that the waters sent rs
exhibited q great uniformity OF composition, and
are all sufficiently pure for drinking or manufac-
turing purposes; indeed they are superior TO the
SiIlimRu.
Il would not be willing to undertake a now
analysis, except on larger quantity of water or
what would amount to the same thing on a guam
iity OF solid mntter obtained by boiling down at
least twenty gallons Of each variety of the water
to be examined. We have now our processes SO
perfected that a reInalysis would take compare
lively little time.
Il an, dear cir, yours respectfully
"JoHN ToREEY.r
NoTR---The waters subEitted to Prof Torrey
for examination were:
A-TEo gallons taken from the Potomac at
Great Pals.
B-TEo gallons taken from the Potomac at
Little Falls.
NC-Two gallons taken from the Potomac aoo
feet below MasOn's foundry. above Georgetoyn nj |
high tide, . p. m, November g. 1852. |
D-TWO gallons taken from the Potomac 4lo |
feet below MasOns foundry, taken at low tide s:3o
q. m, November 6, 1852. |
E-One and half gallons taken from Rock
creek, on Hoyle's farm. November 25, 1s52.
NJ G.. MEfGa.