The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-07-26
THE CITY'S WATER SUPPLY.
Capacity of the Works Increased to
Twenty Million Gallons Daily.
The High Standard Given the Water by a
Chemical Analysis-A Dissatisfied
Consumers Statement.

communication yesterday and detailed TO in
quire into the quality of the water supply fur
Dished by the Indianapolis Water Company, and
report the facts:
To the Editor Of the Indianapolis Jouruali
at is not than two or three
weeks since drew glass OF water from the
tap supplying the office in a large and import
ant block in this city. 1t was fine clear day;
no fail or rain mad taken place in the city or in
the immediate locality to affect the river. Judge
OF my surprise to find the water run into the
glass posltlVely thlck, muddy ana warm. such
a aample OF water as that provided for drinking
purposes never saw before This morning, in
drawing water from the same tap for the pur
pose OF washing my hands, an animal an inch
or an inch and half in length made its escape
from the water-pipe to the wash-basin. 1t ap-
peared to be of the leach tribe, and as it laid
hold of the side OF the basin with one
end of its body, with the other 1t made
such explorations in its locality as
permit. Is this the purest and best
water that can be obtainedi What, are our au-
thorltes about to submit to the supply of
article of 80 much Importance to the health of
| the community, of the quality have described
Can nothing be done to compel the Water-wOrks
Company TO construct such works as shall ena-
BILE them to purify the commodity they sell un
der the name Of pure waler9 hold 1t to be the
| flrst duty OF the Board of Health to insist upon
| the water supplied to us being freed from all
impurities and pollution. We have every day
| alarming reports as to the ravages of cholera in
various parts of the world. Who knows how
soon it may visit usl Let us have pure
water. pure air, pure food, clean streets, etc.
| OF the cholera or any other epidemic visiting u.s.
| "SANITARIUS."
The reporter started out, and first met Dr.
Henry Jameson. "I like the water-works
water" said the Doctor, "and think it is the best
the city has ever had, SO long as the new supply
is furnished and no water is taken from the
river to oontaminate the mains by the occasional
pumping into them of that water. The new
supply is clear, transparent, sweet-tasted
ototNl
the water OF any city in the world, and contain
ing the minimum amount of inorganic salts
which render waters Objectionable for manufac-
turing purposes, 1t is as good water as can be
obtained in this part Of the country"
DR.. A. W. Brayton said: 81 consider the water
altogether unobecti0nable In every way. Its
purity is unquestionable Mr.. Hurry, however
| has made a large number of analyses of this and
| other waters IN this city, and you can get an
exact and scientific cpinlOn from him."
Ehls started the reporter after Professor j. N.
| Hurty, analytical chemist, who said:
81 have recently made four sanitary analyses,
| by the English method, which is considered the
| best and most reliable. These have all been
made since the washing up and cleaning out of
the mains, and after the completion of the new
| water supply After considering l73 analyses
| OF water In this locality which have been tabu-
lated and the figures carefully digested, the fol-
| lowing standard of organic impurity has been
arrived at for this locality: First-cass water is
to be called 25-100 degrees; second class water
4O-1O0 degrees; undrinkable water is water
| over 40-l00 degrees. The high standard of our
| Water Company's water can readily be seen
when it is known that it stands at 1900 de-
grees, and that it is allowable for it to contain
| 1z-lOV degrees more OF lmpuritY before 1t goes
out of the first class. There is no city of like
able with 1t: Huntsville. small city in Ala
high elevation. is furnished with a water
somewhat superior. Now and then sedi
ment will run through the taps,
especially after a high pressure, but while
| q a INT
detract from the purity Of the water any more
than it would in the case OF spring water that
has happened to be rolled. AS to a leach CON-
ing through pipe, that was rare and remark
able occurrence. It's not what we see, but what
we do not see that renders water dangerous and
makes It's correct analysis matter OF serious
moment"
The reporter next called upon General Thomas
A. Morris, president of the water company. 1--WE
| have endeavored to give this city pure supply,
and have succeeded" said he. 1--WE have place
on White river above the mouth of Fall creek
and above all possible chance of contamination
from any drainage from this city. We have dug
a long well Tor gallery over quarter of mile
| in length and fifteen feet below the
lowest water in White river This well averages
fifty feet wide on the surface, and is embarked
SO that no other water can get into it. This is
| the source OF our supply for the city. This
| water is all filtered through gravel aud is per-
thirty-inch iron pipe which takes the water out
of this well or gallery at point about eight
feet below the surface of the water in the we'll
This pipe is perfectly tight and carries the water
down to the pumping house of the company, a
distance of $500 feet about one and one-fifth
miles. We have inclosed the end OF the pine at
the pump-house with brick cistern laid in
cement perfectly tight, thirty feet in diameter
and built up so high that no water can get into
it from any other source. This pipe drains into
this cistern, and from this cistern we pump that
water into the main pipes of the city. There is
no other way to get any water into the pipes
in this city except the filtered water that comes
through the pipes into this clstern out of the up
per gallery.
''rnere are some fish in the gallery at this
time. They were introduced there last sprin g
by the high food. which came before we had
time to raise the banks above it. Those fish are
of all sizes. We have screen over the mouth
of the pipe so that no fish above threesixteenths
of an incn thick could get through.
"rhat water has another source Of being kept
pure. Our machinery empties that entire gal
lery three times in twenty-four hours, that
the water is renewed just that often The water
Is not only purer, but colder, than water fur
nished in other cities. 1t IS not a surface bed
supply, but fed from spring sources. 1t is q
mistake to call it water from the river; it does
not come from the river, but from the other side
the land side. 1t is the identical water that
our wells would produce If uncontaminated. We
have been determined to give the city water
that could not be complained of. AS to the few
fish in the well, there is no impurity about fish,
they are frequently put into cisIerns with the de-
sign to keep the water fresh. We tried TO seine
the fish out, but the bottom of the gallery was
so irregular they could not be caught. But the
water is so cold they will not breed"
what has the new water supply cost, Gener-
al?' inquired the reporter.
81 cannot give you the exact figures, but il
you call at the Office they will take pleasure in
giving them to you, and any other information
you want"
Mr.. Chris. Hickman, superintendent of n.y.
drants, furnished the Information that the COM
pany had ordered two d0uble Haskell prmps
which will each have a capacity of 5000, 900
gallons day, and they will be here and in work
ing condition on or before the LIST of next JaDu-
airy. These, with the present pumps will give a
total apacIty of 20,000,000 of gallons daily,
which Will be far beyond what will be needed
TOR some time, the average daily use is now
between 100000 and 100000 gallons,
but it is wise provision for the future The new
pumps will be run by water power; the present
pumps are by steam.
At the water-works office the reporter was
frt8nished with the following figures: The cost
ofthe gallery, or receiving-vell, is $32, 518 Sc,
and further expenditures for rip-rap work, grad