Sacramento daily record-union., 1881-11-05
RIVER WATER.
Is II PIT FOR DOMESTIC USES =
WHAT PoLLUTEs If7
Eject of Mining on the River Water
Analysis Of Sacramento River
Watsr-cesspool System

The following paper is by well known
chemist of this city who has given several
months of study to an analysis of the waters
| of the Sacramento river:
Last winter, in the month of February,
| when the river was very high, chemical
analysis was made Of the Sacramento river
water which supplies our city, and this anal
yss was published. Having decided to take
| another analysis when the river was very low,
| in order to compare results of high and low
water, I commenced the work August 15sh,
at 9;45 a. NJ, by taking the specific gravity or
| density OF the water at temperature OF
| 19.5o g. t671' FL, and found it to be
| 10001S14, taking pure distilled water as l.
| The specific gravity of the previous analysis
showed 1000068, which, on comparing, will
| be found somewhat less on removing sus-
pended matter. The reason of this was
| explained, for although the water held mo;e
| foreign matter suspended, it was yet less sat
urated, or more diluted when comparing
auantity, than in the present instance of in-
vestigation This refers TO the salts that any
river, spring or weli-water may carry IN solu
ton, and which cannot be freed by filtration,
but may be removed by precipitation with
other bodies if it becomes necessary.
OF THE SUSPENDED MATTER
OF two samples Of one liter each 4 coo cubic
centiueters), taken at an interval OF about
ten dsys. there were found O. 1412 grams and
O 1850 grams, the average being 0 1881 grams
| or 0 5593 grams per gallon-9.6S2 grains vs
50 1856 grains of tolerabie clear water. IN last
analysis one sample even of moderately pure
water producing S73 013 grains per gallon.
In this attempt, third liter. a few days ago,
showed somewhat higher results again, going
up to 0.l523 grams of suspended matter In
the latter, the solid matter (debris) as cherlic-
slly examined and after lesching out the
| large quantity of iron IN stats OF ferric OK
! ids (Fe2O3) It leaves only whitish gray
powder, very finely divided, which may con
Sist of silica (SiO2), Eme (CaOl, alunina
| (Al2O3l etc. In the previous at
tempts the salts in solution and the
suspended matter We're both calculated as
solid matter, but In the present analysis e
separation has been effected, and there was
found in one liter of water 0.1S0 grams tls0
milligra,ns) of Salts heating them previous
70 weighing to 1l0' q (230' f The 0 $50
grams per liter = II 647 grains of dry salts
per gallon, being now 632 grains + IL 6i7
grains = 2l.279 grains against 3S 196 and
373 023 grains lslumgulHon) of last winter.
There is no doubt that although the sus-
| pended matter has been diminished for rea-
sons well known, the salts in solution have
lnCT6asCu. tOE IlOTc tlliiC 10 SisOh w L8fAC
the salts from the earth. as now the water
correspondingly passes over it slower Not
| only does the ground give up its salts to the
water, but as
THE VOLUME OF WATER
| Is now far less than last winter, any foreign
or organic matter derived from man or beast
finding its way into the river, will compar-
atively be adding much more dangerous ma
terial than at high-water mark, even il the
quantities of such reflections were of the same
all the year round. That some such material
finds its way into the river may be looked
upon as positive fact, as Che analysis will
show. Whether all derived from that source
is the question, and one that concerns
| almost every person who uses the
water. There may be time when there
is far more danger lurking in glass of water
to the so-called temperance man +" than In
glass of beer. The latter beverage has been
subjected to heat of 2l2' f. for some time,
and thereby all organic germs destroyed, and
much of the solid matter precipitated while
in the act of boiling, while in the much
praised and apparently pure water all the
dangerous material remains to act upon the
system, and in cholera time, or during similar
contagious epidemics, when the human re-
iections find their way into the rivers
used by cities as drinking water, much
reliable authorities the past informs us.
AS long as hydraulic mining pollutes our
drinking water it will not oaly give US the
usual quantity of ths so-called slicbens, :"
which after all can be separated by filtration
or partially by settling, but it must be clear
to any person of ordinary intelligence that
when virgin soil, lying inactive for centuries,
IS VIOLENTLY DISTURBED
By water as in the act of hydraulic mining
the salts that the ground holds will be taken
up by the water, or in other words, the earth
be lixiviated of its salts as the water finds
the lower levels and finally the rivers.
Therefore, just as the mining interest
would extend itself in that branch, just SO
would the salts in the rivers correspondingly
increase in proportion, until We may have
mineral water right at our doors, only not
exactly of the kind to restore health, or de-
sirable for everyday purposes. This refers
entirely to the solution or salts, not the pre-
cipitated or filtered off earthly matter.
THE ANALYSIS.
There has been found in the water under in
vestigation the following Chlorine (Cl). sui
acid (CO2}, lime (CaO), magnesia oxide
(lIgo), silica (SiO2), iron either as FeO or
Fe2O3, tsrace). nitric acid (trace) (N2O5),
nitrous acid (trace) (N2O3) ammonia (Nh3)
(trace). sodium oxide (Na2O), potassium
oxide (K2U(. The ammonia and nitrous
acid did not show themselves constant, but
sometimes gave traces, and at other attempts
not. As the reagents for nitric and nitrous
acids and ammonia are exceedingly sensitive,
| particularly Nessler's reagent for ammonia.
where one drop in gallon of water would
produce immediate ooloration in test-glsss of
80 &C, it is necessary to carry on the expert
ments in an atmosphere where no ammonia
can be found, in order to be quite positive.
The last three chemical combinations having
their origin principally from organic matter,
are consequently
NOT DESIRABLE
In any good drinking water, and special atten-
ton must be paid to them in all water analy
sis of this class and looked upon as injurious
The acids in this analysis have been noted
down as anhydrous, the metals as Oxides
and chlorine, ammonia and carbonic acid as
gases in free state there may be added
nitrogen and oxygen as common air, and
probably carbonic acid to a certain extent
These bodies are, however, not thus found,
but having ascertained chlorine, for instance.
it is to be associated with sodium if also
found iu it. The surplus of either is by
atomical calculations annexed to another
| oxide or gas which stands next in order or
has the most affinity for it. Say sulphuric
acid is discovered and lime, forming new
sulphate of lime (gypsum). If there is an
excess of sulphuric acid STILL or of lime, it
may. in the latter case, be related to chlorine
as chloride, or to carbonic acid as carbon
| ate. Sometimes the association is somewhat
perplexing and not in all cases may one be
quite positive. Chlorine associated with
sodium and potassium, sulphuric acid in asso-
citation with the same metals, phosphoric
acid annexed to sodium, ammonium, calcium
and magnesium, are all found, with other
matter, in the liquid rejections of the human
being as well as of the animal. AS the
analysis has been frequently made, the guam
| titles of these excrements are well known
therefore, of late, chemists desiring some
knowlege in regard to
POLLUTION OF DRINKING WATER,
From the source mentioned, simply ascer.
tain the quantity of chlorine the water holds
1 - o1,,{,p 81 ~