National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1885-06-04


EDuoR NATIONAL REPUBLICAN: Are we only
now getting tho water that escaped from the
canal through the weir Or what is the mat
TOR with the water, Mir Editor! IL Is infinitely
worse than when TIE REryBLICAS was deal.
ing its sledge-hammer blows on the District
authorities. Draw u buCketiul from u spiggOt,
MIR Editor, and let II stand Il little while and
then get your nose in the vicinity OF it, or bet
ter still, nut some of II In II kettle aud let II
boil, and try the same experiment. Really,
Mr. Editor the only word that Will describe
the present condition oil our water Is vile
The water We arc now drinking is undoubt.
edly from the polluted supply. II will take
some time for traces OF the filth TO be entirely
eliminated, but with reasonable precautions
no III results need ensuc from It's use. The
contaminated matter that has so long ilowcd
through the conduit aud distributing reservoir
must have deposited more or less of the foulneSs
In and about these works. As the improve.
mcnts for which THE NArloSAL REPUBLICAN
has been ContGndiug and which have already
been inauguratcd, become sanitarily effective
some turbldity of tho water will ut times
be noticed. Even this comparatively
triilug trouble will disappear when
the receiving reservoir shall have been
rendered III for Use by the exclusion
rom It Of the surface drainage OF the thirty.
sis square miles of country now tributary to 1t.
1t will then he really what 1t has hitherto been
uominnlly, a settling basin aud reservoir of
clear water, to be drawn upon when the Poio
mac water shall have become bccloudcd by
the wash of a rain storm about its source among
the mountains and in the upper portion Of its
course.
Filtration will remove q large portion Of the
clHyey mud during the ensuing summer
storms, while boiling and subsequent aeration
will substantially purify 1t from organic mat
tcrs with which 1t may BE- contaminated, pend
ing the tedious process of cleansing now In
progress by the constant change and current
rthc ever flowing supply. Tho aeration may
be effectively enough accomplished to render
the boiled fluid potable by simply pouring the
water from one vessel 10 another number of
times, taking care that It falls from a sufficient
height 20 DC mixed with the air, thus allowing
it to regain the air that has been expelled by
ebullition.
Filtration through fresh animal charcoal
will have about the same effect as the boiling
aud acraiion, but as few of the filters in com.
mon use include purified bone black in the
media through which the water passes, this
cannot be utilized generally. The addition OF
q minute quantity fpcrmnnganate ofpotash
to the water before filtcring has also the effect
of oxidiZing the organic matter II must he
used with care to prevent an excess OF the
salt Hndiug It's way through the filter, which
may be detected by the pink hue ofthc product
accompanied by peculiar and not very agree
I able taste. When Just enough has been used
| to remove the impurities and time has been al
| lowed for the reaction 10 take place
( recognized by the loss Of the pink color, the
| fluid turning first a brown shade and finally
| depositlng the result of the operation in thu
/ shape Of brown sediment then no trace o
| the chemical is found in the wster when de
Cantcd or filtered. II the process Is conducted
| with care and the skill that can be acquired
after few experiments there is no need of
/ litter, the clarified water being simply poureC
/ of from the sediment The red color whicl
the water takes on aftCr heavy rain will not
however, he apprecably altered by the per
mNnganatc process without the Use OF filter
Corn meal is used as popular clarifying
agent in some parts Of the west. but OF conrse
has no effect upon impurities held in solution
merely carrying suspended matter TO the bot
tom Of the settling vessel
A cheap and effective filter may be made b.
using suspended fiower-pDt filled with alter
nate layers of clean sand and fresh bone black
The first water which passes must be rejected
rs liable to contain saline matters from one q
both of the iilterlng media, and the material
must be renewed every week or 20.
The diaphram filters which are sold to iasie
on tho faucet are useful in their way toeNclud
the grosser portions of the suspended mattc
including small fish and animalcul,e, but hay
no virtue In removing ioulness.