The Wilmingtonian., 1885-08-15
OUR FILTHY DRINKING WA
TER

plants from every direction are so numer-
GUS that further silence upon this matter is
highly culpable and some investigation, in
the interests of those who pay heavy taxes
for water service, and are served SO badly,
is Immediately necessary.
Some help to public investigation may be
gained by a perusal of the recent report Of
the Chief Of the Water Department
In providing water for this community
the two large reservoirs at Cool Spring have
been constructed for the special purpose OF
settling basins. 1t need not be stated that
| intention Of settling basin is fof the simple
but primary necessity Of LA, ing at s@sand a
supply of water, of more or less volume, So
separated and protected from the %ccident
Of disturbing influences, that the ordinary
floating matter, mud, weeds and other sab
stances coming down from the sources uf
supply, may have an opportunity of settling
or falling to the bottom of the basin, there
by allowing measurably pure flow Of VIA
ter for the supply pipes for the daily use OF
the citizens.
Now, if the settling basin does not COM
pass this cad tn structure is entirely use
less. We are not prepared to state that the
structure is bad one, but the fact is letter
ated that water flowing from the Cool
Spring Reservoir is at times 50 vile, putrid
and iilthy that its condition is al times suifi-
cientiy bad to secure glounds for action by
the citizens against the Water Department
for breach of contract, in their enlightenment
to supply decent water to the people of Will
mington. IL is matter OF TACT that The Cit
izens might just us well take their water
direct from the BrandyWine river as from
the Cool Spring Reservoir, So far as there is
any advantage in the latter as a settling
basin.
The question for which the citizens OF
Wilmington demand satisfactory explana-
tion is, why, with such settling basin as
that at Cool Spring, can the people not have
reasonably continuous supply of fairly
pure water, why is it that such vile stuff is
supplied as is SO often seen coming from the
| faucets.
| The Cool Spring Reservoir is calculated
for capacity Of from 10000, 900 to SO, OOO-
900 gallons Of water. Estimating tle popu-
lation of this community to be fro|n $4,000
to 90, 900, there is a supply Of 600 gallons to
each man, woman and child in the city or at
the rate conceded by the Chief Of the Water
Department, Of 80 gallons to each indiyd-
ual per diem, there is six days supply, al
ways on hand, in the reservoir Of fairly clear
water, sufficiently purified for usual house
hold needs.
Now, it is matter Of notoriety that with
in half an hour at the outside, of the most
ordinary rains tile water in the city mains
are filled with a most repulsive, muddy,
fluid, from which we are necessitated to
turn with disgust when needing water for
washing or drinking purposes. Why should
there be such bad water? Surely the city
has gone to sufficient expense in equipment
machinery, the structure Of reservoirs, etc,
to ensure ordinarily pure water!
If the Chief Of the Water Department as
sures us that he has several days supply of
water always on hand, why, i'll the name of
ordinary common sense, does net the Chief,
Immediately on the occasion of a freshct in
the creek, stop the pumps for few hours,
or even two days--he would then have a
margin of from 5 to 4 days supply of clear
water in the reservoir? What is the use of
continuing to pump millions of gallons of
filthy, muddy fluid into the clear, settled
water of the basin, while the creek is in
sach turbid condition.
Yet it appears that this is the custom, rea-
sonably enough accounting for our filthy
water. If this be the case we can see moth
ing but the grossest mistnanagement, IN
competence, OF indifference to duty in that
branch Of city government The 'iesponsi-
bility for this condition of affairs rests en-
tirely with the Water Department and their
Chief Engineer.
The citizens are tired Of hearing, day af-
ter day, the most trihing excuses trumped
up on each occasion Of freshet in the river
followed by putrid water supply. The
city has gone to great expeuse in furnish
ing increased water power, fine mechanism,
and an extensively constructed settling ba-
sin for the sole purpose that the tnrbid
Brandywine water can settle and come,
pure and clean, to the citizens houses.
Every convenience of equipment has been
placed in the unrestricted han OF the
Water Department. and yet with these ad-
vantages, at the first heavy dash Of rain
every water-man is filled with disease breed
ing filth IN the place of pure and wholesome
water.
We all know the nature Of the surround
ing country which is drained by the Bran
dywine. For hundreds Of square miles
above us these fresheGs. sweep the surface
,lrsinaua nf every farm the sInnin0 hilIe and