The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1895-08-09
THE CITY WATER.
What Can Be Done to Make Il Bet.
ter

The FlRGINiAN announced yesterday
that DR.. +. s. Hope, Health officer for
this city; Mr.. l.. Q. Brinson, chairman
OF the Water Committee, and Chief
| Engineer ". L. Robinson would call
upon Mr.. Coleman, the superintendent
OF the water company, aud require
MIN 10 clean out tho reservoir in order
| TINT the water might be better. These
gentlemen met Mr.. Coleman md Mr..
| Ward. the president OF the company,
by appointment ut 80 p. N. yester-
day at tho water company's Office.
| Air. Brinson before going there. got
| the water contract and then consulted
! tue CITY Attorney in regard to what
the committee could do. After getting
advice from him the gentleman met
| the Water Committee as stated above
Their first request was that the
reservoir DO cleaned out. To this Mr..
Colemun replied that it could not he
done unless the city would take the
risk of fires for at leust sixty hours, as
1T would take forty eight hours to
pump the reservoir out and I fill it
again, and that it would take ut least
twelve hours to clean it.
| To this proposal the Chief Engineer
would not give his consent. The com
mittee then wanted TO know why
| similar connection could not be made
the same az there was before the reser.
yoir was built. MIR. Colman replied at
that time there was only about 3, 600
! gallons OF water used daily; now there
are over 300, 600 used. If the conneo.
tions were made the pipes between
Portsmouth and Suffolk would not
stand the pressure that would have
to be put on them, as they
are made of thin iron. but it ID the In
tention of the company to replace these
| the company would raise the pipe
through which the water passes from
them from the bottom of the reservoir
and ths same thing in the lakes and that
possibly that would do considerable
good. He further said that the water
III Suffolk was much worse than it was
| in Portsmouth,.
| Mr.. Brinson then asked what caused
1t. Mr.. Coleman said he thought that
1t was caused by tho decomposition OF
vegetable matter in the lake.
MIR. Brinson then wanted to know
why this had not occurl ed before, az
the city has been using the water since
April. 1883, and there has been no
cause for complaint. but on the other
hand continued praise. The company
could give no answer. He said
the company was willing to do
all they could to remedy the evil
but just where to begin they do not
know, unless the improvements men,
toned remedies the evil. They claim
that their stand pipe, one hundred feet
high, will be ready for use by October
Let, and then there will be no cause for
| complaint. That the water is pure NO
one disputes, but for the past month it
had tasted bad and had an unpleasant
| odor to il.
| The contract says that the water COM
pany shall furnish the city with good,
| pure and wholesome water from Lake
| kiiby, and that it shall be at all times
as pure as that in the lake.
MIR. BrinsoD will visit Lake Kilby to-
| day to get sample of the water and
bring it back with him, and if it ia
| found to be better than that furnished
the city the company will be required
to comply with the contract immediate.
| ly or forfeit the same,
The question OF the water ls stirring
the people up generally. q number be.
lievipg that 1t is unhealthy, and have
refused to either drink or use it, 1t lie
TO the company's interaat to remedy
| thls evil as soon as possible.
WHAT DOCTOR HOPE HAS TO SAY Apor,r
THE WATER.
| The VIRGINIAN representative called
upon DR.. f. s. Hope, health officer
last night to Gee what he had to saw
in regard to the condition OF the city
water. In answer to our question "a
to his opinion Of the water to the
health of the city he said that he did
not consider that the water wa, in.
Jurous to the health, but that il was
very unpleasant to the olfactory, but
there wa no telling what might come,
II he could trace one cass of sick
moss to it or if he should at any other
( time do 30 he would make Immediate
| demands that the reservoir should b..
cleaned and nll other steps that WAS
necessary to improve the water be
taken.
Ho hoped that the improvements
promised by the superintendent as
stated above, which will be made to
day, will have the desired effect, but If
that does not. then the reservoir will
have to he emptied and the city take
inc chan0es OF fires, etc., during that
time. He did not feel willing to issue
any peremptory order yet, because he
saw no cause for any alarm.
1t ls true. he said, the water is not
what 1t has boon. The company ad.
mits that and are willing to do all they
can to remedy it, said he. However.
am In the fight to stay, and if the
proposed imDroyemant, d. ~ -.