The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-06-29
THE SEATTLE WATER.
It's Purity as Compared With
Other Cities Supplies.
ANNUAL COST OF a TINY LEAK.
Comparative Value OF Lake Washington
Water In the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
From Vegetable Matter.

The enormous quantity Of water wasted IN 81
sttle compared TO that utilized is attracting ene
serious attention of the authorities IL Il pen
tiful enough around the city, but the cost %
conveying IL on account of the height "
overcome between the source OF supply anu 'Ne
point of delivery Is 30 great IS TO si.aea :.
appreciable value 10 every gallon JOB onts =
there recklessness In using but faucets are a.
lowed to run, pipes TO leak and breaks 70 ~ ~,
repaired Millions of gallons are thus aito"e1
70 run to waste every year stream 1919 - :
through q hole in pipe no larger 'nan ..S
point Of . cambria needle, amounts 70 $500
dollars value In year. nsn-incn PIP i1H |,
ming twcnty-four hours, through IIieIo. -
"a feet. discharxes I5,6o9 gallons OF water.
Azn;na under the same conditions Of the Sc
sttIe average pressure discharges z2,2ef gallons
ancb wsste IN very frequent, and against which
eve-v water department in the Union has TO
wage q continuous and stringent warfare
Much discussion has arisen, especially since
the Cedar river idea was first conceived, regard
fne the purity of Lake Washington water. II 10
noticed in the water department that all such
complaints come from consumers living at the
outlying points of the distributing system A
complain. from q consumer that the water he
drew was o horrible mixture OF animalcuia,
was once made TO the late Spring Hill Water
Company. The consumers service was tapped
about twenty feet from 'dead end" two-ineh
flushed, the odor being suspiciously like a
Chinese stink pot. So the cause Of the trouble
was .no circulation" II was no fault OF the
water but merely the result of stagnation- Any
weter. however chemically pure, under the
same conditions, win become impure. Lake
Washington water was analysed by an analy-
teal chemist, who stands as high IS any IN the
United States, with this result. The waters
supplying San Francisco vary from bad 10 ex-
ceiient, but Lake Washington water surpasses
San Francisco's finest. The analysis showed
very small proportion of animal matter or
ammonia In every lake or mountain water GER
tain proportion Of vegetable and animal matter
il found, which, If allowed to stagnate in the
pipes breeds baeteria. But this is the natural
quality of all water, from the questionable kind
OF Lake Michigan to the soft and sweet water OF
Loeb Katrins-
About ten years ago the Spring Hill Water
Company put in plant, anticipating its ability
to supply the city much greater time than 1t
did. But the calculations of the most diligent
rnathematicfans are oyerthrown BY the growth
of Western cities. Such was the case with
Seattle. She sprang ahead with such phe-
nomenal alacrity that as If at a touch OF Alad-
din's lamp, districts were populated far beyond
the corupany's lines. Radiators Of two-ineh
pipe were extended block after block to supply
the immediate necessities OF a clamorous popu-
lace. Consequently there were great many
dead ends, and circulation, which is 30 essen
tiaI to good water, was impossible. It has been
the aim of Superintendent Chalk TO do away
with all dead ends, and now the pew mains are
being laid the evil of stagnation is being over
come, and before very long will be entirely
eradicated, and the water supplied TO every in
habitart be as clear as crystal and sparkllngly
pure as when IL dances in its virgin sources in
the rocky ravines OF the Cascades, previous TO
flowing 10 Lake Washington.
Housewives may be interested to know that
any brand of tea made with Lake Washington
water tastes entirely different to that made with
West Seattle water. Tea merchants require q
knowledge of the local elements in the water of
the country TO which they ship their goods, as
the degree of tannin in the tea depends on the
assimilation requirements of the water.
The average Seattle laundry uses on an aver
age say 500 pounds OF soft soap per week, which
Is sold wholesale at 2 cents per pound. Thus
500 pounds, at g.. cost Of s6i, are required per
month. Now, all water contains more or less
minute qualities of carbonate of lime, alumni
ium, magnesia and iron. One grain of any Of
these salts per gallon, producing l degree OF
hardness, will neutraiize the action OF one
quarter of soap; and no useful effect can be OBJ
tanned until this amount OF naturalization
waste" has been expended. The average Seattle
laundry uses 100000 gallons OF water per year
and S, 400 pounds of soap, worth sos. OF this
amount 7,l4o pounds, $40. 50, is wasted in neu-
tralizing the hardness of the water. The follow
ing table, prepared by Mr.. Alfred Williams,
shows the comparative qualities of water. taking
the relative quantity of soap wasted in neutral
ization per 100000 gallons, before effect OF
cleansing can be produced:
City. Soap, lbs. Cost. Deg. p. c
Edinburgh Clock Ka-