The age-herald., 1897-11-24
BETTER AND
 CHEAPER WATER The Water Company Agrees to Arbitrate
 With Aldermen. PROPOSES TO DO JUSTICE And Satisfy the People in the Demands
 Made. A COMPLETE ANALYSIS OF WATER Made Through the Agency of the Age Herald by Professor B. B. Ross, the Eminent
 State Chemist-What the
 Analysis Shows.
PROPOSES TO DO JUSTICE
A COMPLETE ANALYSIS OF WATER

At the regular meeting of the Blrming- ham Water Works company held yes terday among other things the matter of the recent report of the special com nrittee of the board of aldermen was discussed
 The largest owners of the water works securities were represented The meet ing lasted for some time, ard of course was an executiv session. However, yes- terday afternoon tha following state ment was given to an Age-Herald re- porter by one of the directors, as repre- senting the views of the committee:
 We are willing and anxious" said he, ito meet with a committee of the board of af1.rmen and thorougly dis cuss with it the matter of Birmingham s water supply and the rates charged. We realize that there has been much com- plaint on the part of some of the citi- zsns ais to our water mates. These citi- gems must remember that it was very difficult to get an ample supply of water for Birmingham. We were compelled to tunnel through a mountain and lay water mains nine miles in order to get a sufficient supply. We are compelled to raise thls water by the use of pumps, 425 feet high in order to get it into reservoir sufficiently elevated to provide the needed pressure for Birmingham. This of course, involved a very heavy expenditure in the way of ths most pow erful pumping machines. It is likewise expensive to operate
 'If our supply of water after full and thorough examination is not found to be as pure as 1t should be, we will provide the necessary apparatus Ito make it so. We, however believe that 1t is pure and is as good as that furnished any other city in this section of the country, as has been indicated by an official report of the board of health giving the death rate of Birmingham. However, we are anxious to please the people and will do what ever is necessary.
 'Tn regard to the charges that our rates are excessive, we desire to discuss this matter thoroughly and frankly with the board of aldermen and give them every opportunity ito suggest a better and more satisfactory systsm of charges JO De lllduS uldIeu. we nave dIlNCSlCu d large sum of money in supplying Bir- mingham with water. We ask nothing more than reasona ble return upon our investment. No just man can object to this.
 ,tWe are prepared at any time ito sub init all the facts in the matter to the board of aldermen in their capacity as representatives of the citizens, and to ad- just the rates on basis which would be satisfactory to every one.
 "There is no reason why politics should enter into this matter It is nothing more nor less than business transaction and should be arranged on strictly business basis"
 WATER ANALYZED.
 The Age Henalld has received from Prof. B. B. Ross, the eminent state chemist, an analysis of the water used in Birmingham and supplied by the water works company.
 In October a sample of ths water from the pumping station at Cahaba river was sent to Professor Ross. He anal- yzed it and sent this reply: FIRST ANALYSIS.
 q find on examination that the sample of water received contained quite a considerable amount of suspended mat ttr and not being certain as to whether or not these suspended particles were normally present in the water, I filtered it through filter papers and tested tine filter:H water.
 'sThe amount of water sent is not srf- ffcientIy large for a satisfactory analysis but have nevertheless determined total solids and organic and volatile matter with tf1s small sample at hand.
 'T find in this water: Total solid matt ter, 10.47 grains per gallon; organic and volatile matter, 3.49 grains per gallon.
 'I also find that the organic matter requires GA parts of oxygen per million parts of water for it's oxidation.
 'These tests indicate that the organic matter is somewhat above the limit of that allowable in good potable waters, but this amount of water is an extreme ly small quantity to draw definite or satisfactory conclusions from, and 1t