Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1890-10-23
OUR RESERVOIR WATER.
Views Of Professor Charles R. san
ger. Chemical Laboratory. L. 5.
Naval Academy.
20 the $50 CArITAl.

1
For the RvESIsG CArHTAs
Two Of the recent communications L
your paper on the water question hav,
greatly interested me and ask the us.
Of your columns 10 make few remarks
concerning these as well as the question
itself. The article of DIR. Wells of Oct. 2I
is statistical and instructive but merels
directs attenfiOn to methods Of purifying
a water supply. DR. Worthington letter
Of Oct. 20 Is more 70 the point and can
fully agree with him in his opinion. The
city Of Annapolis is not dependent on a
water supply which must be purified by
elaborate filtration which is the case in
many European towns. as DIR. Wells
quotes, but it has supply which in itself
is excellent but which is in its present
condition purely through the neglect OF
the water company. can well under
stand that when the supply was first used
the quality was good andI am given to un
derstand that my predecessor, Professor
MunFoe. made an analysis, seyeraly ears
ago which showed this TO be the case.
The water as il comes to the pumping
station and reservoirs is clear whole
some water much resembling the water
of the artesian well in the Market Spacg
Il has during its course through We
brooks taken up some vegetable mater
as all natural waters do But as soga as
II reaches the reservoirs il stands il con-
tact with mass of decaying vegetable
matter. leaves, sticks. etc, wkch fall
into the reservoirs and are not removed.
This vegetable matter is now con-
veyed TO the water in two Ways; either TO
lesser degree in soluble form or to
greater degree ia the yalrbidity arising
from fine particles. The former is not
noticeable as the water is clear but
chemical analysis shows it at once and has
shown IL every time the water has been
Analysed in this laboratory during thepast
four years. As the deposit on the bed of
the reservoirs increases the trouble grows
worse until at every period of disturb
ance, as for instance by rains, the water
becomes charged with tine particles of
vegetable matter.
The mere turbidity of water does not
imply anything injurious The region
about contains much iron which the wa
ter, owing to carbonic acid gas in it is
able TO take up As soon as the gas is
either on standing or by rise
in temperature the iron oxide is deposit
ted as is well-shown by the deposit Of
trust" on the fountain in the Market
Space. But our water should show COM
paratively little turbidity from this cause
when we are supplied with a water posi-
lively muddy, with nasty scum on it
and bad smelling, 1t is time some action
were taken to compel the water cnmpany
to remedy it thus.
The difficulty grows worse from con
tinued neglect and is two-fold First we
have the natural deposition of the oxide
Of iron in reservoirs, supply mains and
street pipes and second the mass of de-
eaying leaves, ect. The latter source of
can be removed by fire.
luent and thorough cleaning of the bed
Of the reservoir. The first if allowed to |
get a foothold in the pipe gains head
way and collects on the walls of the pipe |
N hard compact crust which grows so
.hick as to materially reduce the bore of
he pipe thus leaving less room for depo
sitfon. Many of the mains laid in the
streets are too small for car
Donated iron water even if the system
we're often flushed but as matters now
stand, many of them are totally made
luate.
can say therefore with DIR. Worth
ngton: Clean out the-reservoirs and |
before the pumping station and |
10 not let them become foul again. Turn |
On the water from the fire plugs and let
he increased flow sweep out the worst |
part of the accumulated filth from the |
pipes. Wherever it is known an old pipe |
exists, replace il by larger one and see
o il that the water is kept in active cir
'ulation through 1t.
The theory of algae quoted by DR.. Wells
), admits tenable one, because the wa
er supply of my own native city. Boston,
vas some years ago made foul by these
1lants. But until the existence of them T
n our reservoir is proved, should pre-
er TO ascribe the source to what is more /
obvious. AT any rate it can be said that
III lower forms of plant. life-like dirty
Saterl If anyone doubts the presence
IF decaying matter in the reservoirs, the /
simple experiment made by
ne two years ago with Drs. Walton and /
Anzel of the Navy should convince on
hiring up the thick mud of the chanel /
More the pumping station, bubbles of
karose in quantity which were collec-
. And tested. On applying lighted
I AZ the gas burned with smoky |
Moving it to be marsh gas, always
tahl. Yet Of the decomposition of vege-
tter under water,