National Republican., 1875-12-02
ash IN STATE Of decomposition in tn. reservoir

On the 2ith OF u ~ the water mains throu ehout
thoroughly flushed. Contrary to general expec-
! tation very few hsh were found, and they we're
alive
This flushing materially improved the condi-
tion Of the water, but In few days the hshy oior
| examined, and from these examinations an
convinced that the Impurities are not due 70 nsn
either In the reservoirs or pipes.
The water works OF other cities have at dtuer-
ent times been affected In q similar manner.
In 1854 the waters Of the Cochituate lake tsup-
and taste, and Professor Hasiord and DR.. q. I.
jackson were appointed to examine into the ma
after examinstions and q thorough analysis of
the water taken from different portions OF the
they SIrvse a. the nf q sqSe
from vegetable decomposition existing in the
The Cochituate water board also instituted In
quiries TO ascertain whether the deterioration oil
water was peculiar to the lake. or whether other
trouble they found that tn difficulty had been
by no means confined to Ooehituate lake. houad
pour d, near HayerhiIl; Jamaica pond. and sew;
eral wells near the lake and In other places mad
had their water affected In q similar m anner
In 1852 the water in Ridgewood reservoir
Brooklyn, became affected with the fishy odor anu
taste, and had to be cmptied to Obviate the dill
Guilty.
In the reservoir at Cohoes n. Y, supplied by
pumping from the Mohawk river, and in the reser-
voir at West Albany the water in the summer of
1865 possessed the same offensive qualities
lake and Bluker reservoir, supplying the city OF
Albany, were affected with impurities.
Common Council of the city OF Albany the super
intendent, MIR. George w. Carpenter, states THAT
there are two distinct causes leach impartng to
the water odor and taste peculiar to itsel that
have affected our reservoirs at different periods
during the past few years-the one giving the
water the odor and taste of fish, the other impart
ing to II a musty odor and taste sometimes de-
tected in dead wood"
In the former il is extremely difficult to satisfy
ems a. m EOlelY
to fish in the reservoirs, while in the latter they
are equally confident that the reservoirs are little
else than stagnant pools. The superintendent
further says: "Although sufficient data may not
yet have been collected to determine with abso-
lutte certainty whether the hshy odor and taste
hare animal or vegetable origin, from the OBJ
observations which have made am convinced
that they are due to infusoriG rapidly developed
under certain favorable physical conditions OF the
atmosphere and water. In what these conditions
exist how far their operations may be modnet by
count. racting influences under our control, why
they are not confined TO any particular period Of
the year, and whether they are climatic, are ques
tions which at present cannot be satisfactorily
Iong-continued observations and experiments
in the future may discover the true cause of the
evil, when remedy to lessen or remove 1t may DO
Very respectfully, your Obedent servant
THEo. B. SAMo,
Hon. James Harlan, Secretary Of the Interior
JUNE 10, 1875.
The disagrccable odor and taste recently no
of green cOnferva. one OF those plans which
seem TO make the connection between the vegeta-
bic and animal Kingdom About TINS season Oi
yelOpment. 1t spreads over the surface OF quiet
pOO,s Of clear water, and accumulates until 1t
forms q scum, visible, particularly, when the sur
face is broken by an oar.
The plant appears to need calm and warm
weather for its greatest development, and 1t pre-
walls SO as to be troublesome only at Intervals Of
two three years. think we escaped 1t last
faen nffh ha rd of Health which rode TO
the Great Falls. and found IL covering all the
bread, quiet reaches Of the Potomac as they went
up the river. 1t had caused much complaint for
several days. heavy thunder gust and rain
storm broke out that day, and when the commit
'pearcd and the water was puro and tasteless
again. l first noticed it on the aqueduct year
or two after it was opened, when the whole supply
Of water was derived from the reservoir fed by
Powder Mill branch A storm of wind and rain
broke up the scum afteT Ii had been troublesome
for some days; drove the green fbres upon the
Shore where they collected into a fringe of dark
green, almost black, as it dried up. 1t has ap-
pearcd Mt intervals since. reeollect three or
four seasons in which it has been troublesome aud
disagreeable 1t is by no means peculiar to the
Potomac: it ,thrives in the cleanest spring water
Il has made Boston unhappy by its presence in the
clear water of Lake Cochituate, a lake in sandy
bed fed by springs Of filtered water. The Croton
reservoir has once or twice been infested and Gov
cred with its green scum, giving the same disa-
grceable taste and odor of which we now complain
The Ohio has been covered with it, and the city OF
Cincinnati, whose water supply is pumped by steam
directly from the river, has suffered other cities
The evil is too extensive to admit Of relief ex-
cept by nstural causes. The first violent thua-
gust will probably relieyeus NJ. O. NJ.
On tho night Of June 21 the great mains were
thoroughly flushed" which uecessitated the
water being shut OF from all parts OF the Dis
tIict for several hours Thts operation Ia eIse OF
Tho flushing of the mains did not bsster the
condition Of the water, but abou. the middle Of
July the Impurities all disappeared.
1 annex hereto q statement OF property re-
cetved, expended and remaining on maud, to-
gether with estimates; also, map OF the city of
Washington, showing location Of dre- plugs, STOP
valves and water mains, corrected to date. Also
series of recommendations the adoption OF !
which would do great deal towards insuring
water and increasing tbs revenue of tots depart
meut.
In conclusion. 1 desire to make honorable men
Uon and acknowledgement TO the gentlemen COR
neeted with this ofiee for the falthful and en-
their respective duties and also to the Inspector,
Mr. Larman, whose technical and mechanical
Very respectfully, your obedlent servant,
TIMOTHY LuBEY, Water Registrar.
RECOMMENDATIONS TO PREVENT WASTE OF Po-
TONAc WATER.
]. Before any plumber shall perform any SER
vice in building whore Potomac water Is used he
shall he duly licensed, shall be citizen Of the
United States, twenty-One years of age residing
and doing business in the District Of Columbia:
shall furnish satisfactory certificates from two II
censed plumbers Of his regular, practical instruc
ton i'm the business; shall give bond for faithful
out notice TO and consent of the water depart
ment; shall make monthly returns of all work |
done calculated to Increase or decrease the water
rate of premises, and of all work put into newly
erected premises, and the water shall not be i
turned on until all the fixtures, pipes, &C., have
been examined and tested to the satisfaction OF tho
water department.
.. No class of fixtures shall be in use, no ma
terial or work furnished excepting such as the /
water department shall approve Of
3. Running closets and urinals be either alto
gether abolished or their character changed by
suhSfffutfnp Self-rlOSino
4. Potomac water used in hotels, restaurants
dye houses, breweries, livery stables, Sc, &c, be
charged by meter measurement.
A PROPER SYSTEM OF WATER TAXATION
Col. Timothy Lubey, water registrar, at the
request Of the Commissioners, transmitted the
following system OF water taxation:
GENTLEMEN: In accordance with the following
order: "ordered that the water registrar bs re-
sioners on the 18th proximo, q proper system or |
wster taxation" have the honor to state that
The i6. amended act Of Congress approved March 8,
was authorized to "Ievy and collect water tax
on al real property within the corporate limits Of
the city of Washington which binds on or touches
any avenue, street or alley In which main water
pipe has been laid, or may hereafter be laid by |
tne onitee Ststes OF oy INC corporation OF wash
sIble equal and uniform; may be levied on lots
IN proportion to their frontage or their Area, as
collected in not less than three nor more than five
ANNUAL ISsrALLNExTs,
Of which installments ALL after the first. shall
bear interest at the rate Of six per centum per an
mum, commencing from the date at which the |
first installment becomes due. but may at the on |
tiOn Of the owner OF the property taxed be paid
and discharged infull at any time after the same |
shall have been levied, which water tax shall be
as nearly as possible equal and uniform"
BY virtue Of the above, the late corporation of |
Washington passed the following act:
See A. ''TO enable the Water Board to defray |
the expense Of laying the water mains as author
ized in the preceding section Of this act there be-
and is hereby, levied q water tax Of seven-eights
Of a cent per square foot every lot or part or
lot which binds or touches any avenue, |
street or alloy in which n main water pipe has |
been laid or hereafter may be laid by the United
States or by this corporation, which tax shall be
collected by the Water Registrar, under direction
of the Water Boord, in five annual instalments |
TO be collected on the first Of July succeeding the
leyying Of said tax, and the first of each sue
ceeding July, until the whole amount of tax so |
levied shall be paid; Of which instaIlments all |
after the first shall bear interest at the rate of six
per centum per annum, commencing from the date |
at which the first installment becomes due, but
may at the option Of
THE OWNER OF THE PROPERTY
taxed be paid and discharged In full at any time |
after the tax shall have been levied Pro- |
d1 II