Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-07-11
FILTER BEDS WORK WELL
The New York Town of nion Has Them in
Full Operation.
The Town Given an Ample supply Of
Pure Water mt Very MOder-
ate Expense.


containing sand filter beds operated on the
continuous plan and with collection drains
similar to those used by one of the large
London companies, was put in operation al
the town of Ilion, NY. toward the close
Of last year. The system includes both
aeration and filtration. and the results SO
far achieved have proved eminently salts
factory in materially improving the condi.
ton of the water. The supply is drawn
from a stream having a drainage of -bout
six square miles, the territory containing
numerous barn yards and farm buildings
liable to pollute the water, 10 that il was
thought desirable to filter the entire GUAM
uty consumed. The construction Of the
plant was carried out by Mr.. J. W. Kistreli,
who has prepared description of the plant
for the Engineering News, from which the
following extracts have been made:
System of Aeration.
The water is diverted from the stream in
to an intake chamber by a low lam, which
was raised above the natural channel only
a little more than was necessary to turn
into the chamber an amount OF water equal
to the maximum discharge of the pipe line
connecting II with the storage reservoir.
This basin has a capacity of 15,ooo.o0 gal
Ions the water being conveyed from the in
take by a gravity main 5000 feet long
The usual discharge into the reservoir
takes place through fountain in the cap of
which are set seventy ring nozzles from
$40 men TO L. inch i'm diameter. The GEN.
trail nozzle discharges vertically, the others
being set in four concentric rings in the
order of their diameters. The maximum
discharge of the fountain is about 100000
salons IN the twenty-four hours. and the
maximum observed height by the center let
Is ninety feet The water discharged is
broken up into a multitude of small drops
ana falls into the reservoir in the condition
n ma rosr wl...@
complete.
Mr.. kittrell believes that water thrown IN
the air In such a finely divided state and
railing into the reservoir. the effiuent pipe
OF which is twenty-five feet below the sur
FACE, is bettered in condition, outside of
any direct advantage from aeration by its
larger proportion of dissolved oxygen. Elk
perIence with deep reservoirs where water
IS drawn from near the bottom shows thai
the greater the amount of dissolved Oxygen
the less is the liability of the spelling of tho
bottom water during its period of summer
staSnation. If it is trLe that such a foun-
tam increases the amount of oxygen held in
solution, it becomes a valuable adjunct to q
system OF continuous filtration since the
chemical publication effected by the filter
DEFENDS largely upon the amount of dis
solved oxygen in the water.
The Filter Beds.
Ihe bottoms of the filter beds are leva, ana
covered win six-inch layer of concrete.
masonry
faced with heavy rock-faced ashlar from a
point one foot below the surface of the
sand. Through the center of each bed are
'wo pilck walls eighteen inches apart in
side, blilt 10 the Level of the top of the
sand. Each of the channels So formaa &c
uNiled INTO two compartments by A hori-
-o!i1ai fartitioll The lower OF these COM
P3l tlhehts Is the main collecting drain, the
@ppsr being the distributing channel
sdhu Is that IN use in some OF the ullers I'm
London, and consists OF two courses Of
pflck lald dry. The bottom course is placed
END to end in lines at right angles 10 IN.
main collecting drain, win spaces eaI,aI -
me wldth OF brick between the iln.s
Inc channels 50 formed run through the
prick walls INTO the collecting drain and
are covered with a second course of hric;.
laid at right angles to the firs; ana aS
closely as possible. This form of under
draining seemed best adapted 10 securing n
UNIFORM velocity through the sand. ana by
making unnecessary the LAYERS of coarse
gravel and broken stone, permitted a con-
siderable reduction in the depth of fltering
material used in such filters.
Above the dry brick work was placed a
sM-lnch layer OF pea gravel, and above this
thirty inches OF sand OF as uniform a grade
as could be obtained. The sand was screen
ed and thoroughly washed with water unaer
pressure, winch removed the fine Particles
ana gave uniform condition as to size of
grain. Va
After passing through the filters the water
Is collected in "a clear water basin. from
which the domestic supply is drawn.
Cost Of the Construction.
The total cost to the town of constructing
The whole system, including the sixteen
miles OF pipe, hydrants and valves, was
$S2,ooO. This does not Include lands and
engineering and incidental expenses.
Inc cost OF those portions of the work
which go to make UP the filtering plant
was follows:
fitSr Deus proper ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. Sill
Gate npuse and connections ... 4 ~,
Clear water basin ................. & ~
There should be deducted from the above
total about Sl.+o1, which would have neces-
sarily been expended in the construction of
a gate house, with its accessories, IL the
Hltering plant had not been built This de-
duction would leave in round numbers Sl4-
900 as the cost of constructing that part of
the plant made necessary in order TO filter
the wateE The work was of the most sub
stantial character, but efficient plant