The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-01-31
THAT BAD CITY WATER.
What the Committee Wants To Do
About Il.
SUGGESTS MECHANICAL MEANS.
After a Careful and Very Painstaking
Study of the subject the Committee
Headed by Walter III. Barney, Tells
the City Council what 1t Knows.

The joint special committee of the city
council appointed to examine and report
at the earliest practical date, what meas
ures and precautions, IN addition to those
now in use. the city can adopt under the
present law, to prevent the introduction
Of disease germs into the water supply,
including the best method Of water fill
t%ration, last evening submitted a lengthy
report to the city council. the substance
Of which is as follows:
"rhe committee have given the matter
very careful consideration and fluid tn
pollution of our water supply to be of va
rious kinds aud arising from "A variety Of
causes.
"First-The discoloration in part
from mineral impurities aud In part from
vegetable matter in suspension. This is
the most obvious and the least dangerous
form OF impurIty in the water.
"Second-Vegetable growths, commonly
known as aegae, in nature allied 20 the
sea-mosses, not gen rally numerous in
the PawtuXet water, but when found in
considerable numbers, rendering tho
water disagreeab!e and unpala table.
''Third-MaLter In solution or in sus-
pension, giving off bad doors aud affect
ing the taste of the water, largely aris-
ing from organic matters and the pro-
ducts OF its decomposition IN the water,
both disagreeabie aud unwholesome in
character and furnishing food for bac-
terra and disease germs.
Observation-Disclosures and other micro
organisms, the results or accompani-
ments OF the decomposition of vegetable
or animal matter, and particularly OF
sewage emptled into the stream in large
proportion of a nature, but also
liable TO include the dreaded bacilli of
typhoid, ~diphtheria. cholera ana other
germ-produced diseases.
Disease Germs.
1.-THE greatest source OF danger is from
the introduction OF disease germs by the
admission of Sc wage into the stream by
the natural or artificial drainage along
its banks. What has already been ac-
complished by j. c. Butterworth, the in
spector, and by the commissioner of pub
lie works towards stopping this source of
pollution was mentioned. and tue state
ment made that much remained to be
done before even the easily preventable
of these sources OF pollution are re-
moved"
The committee recommend that pro-
ceediugs in equity b. commenced against
some OF the more prominent of those
who willfully pollute the stream. at the
earliest possible moment, The committee
state, however, tina when all has been
done that is reasonable in this direction
there is danger from other sources which
no care on the part OF the city can pre-
vent.
Regarding the proposed change of
source Of supply the committee says tina
IL would be the safer course. There are
two principal objections To this plan,
first, expense, and second. danger OF pol
luton. even If, as is proposed, the water
he taken from lie lac d waters of the
Pawtuxet, as the natural drainage would
carry, In time of heavy rains, much filth
from surrounding farms INTO tthe water.
Coming down TO the main object of the
appointment of tie committee, namely
filtration. the committee state that they
have given tue matter very careful con-
sideration and cite instances of the
different experimental stations and filter
ing works which they lave visited and
the attention which has been paid TO the
various systems of hltration, notably
that OF Emile Maertens of this city.
Natural Filtration.
The natural system OF filtration is de-
scribtd and mention made OF excellent
results from this method. The great eX-
pense Of this method which would be i'm
the neighborhood of 1915, 900 for the city
regardless of the cost OF the additional
pumping plant, and care Of filtration
bed, i, "A great objection TO this plan rs is
MS Wv MANAA - ~
caused by i'm perfect construction, over
flow, ana the imp ssibility OF thorough
ly cleansing the filter. Results in Europe
snow that there is danger OF the bacteria
working down into the filter bed aud
under drains so that the filter itself be-
comes "A source Of pollution.
Mechanical Filters.
Regarding mechanical filtration the
committee finds that sati sfactory results
have been obtained a. an expense both
less in cost of plant and in cost Of main
tenauce. and without the danger Of
''chaunelling," leaking aud the shaking
and accumulation Of filth in the body of
the filter.
There are two kinds OF mechanical fiji
tiers, namely: Pressure and gravity
filters. In the pressure filters closed
tanks are placed between the pumping
engines and the outlet, and sufficient
pressure is used TO force the water
through the flterinR material. The OBJ
iections 60 this method are that the pres
sure applied may force the polluting
matter through the filter along with the
water. aud tie inability to maintain a
constant supervision OF the working
parts.
Gravity system.
Under the gravity system" the water
is pumped into tanks and the head Of
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