Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-09-09

|
lutelv settle the merits of the respective
methods Of filtration and sedimentatlon
| We therefore. ask that further ume Dc
| given for a full and thorough report, anu
| that a sufficient sum be given TO carry
| ont necessary experiments ana lnNesu-
| ga tons and recommend for TINS purpose
! the sum Of 5000
SRcspectfullv submitted.
CHARLES r. BOILING,
superintendent.
WHY THE APPROPRIATION IS Ne
| CESSARY.
I think this appropriation is absolutely
| necessary. In the first place, We Cor
! definitely settle the question whether our
| water can be furnished clear ana Boou
| bv what is known as the natural san,
| filtration process, where tne sdH ~ .
are constructed, generally lloiA "
| feet deep. and the water is admitted 20
Gite,s downward through the tilter-beu' 4
| and flows off through drain-pipes uhdyI-
meath the bed to a Well OF IeSe'' WIZ
| from which it can be pumped ...,,,,,.,,,
secondly. by test 10 experiment
with mechanical filters, where nj
tration is carried on mu ae6 .,,l nTts
rapidly, by using coasuiaijIcsil
and employing a simple and ecohoIulGia'
| method of cleaning out the inter DIS
| which are confined in tanks, ana ESP
cially TO ascertain the character anu In,
dition Of the filtered water Dy Cd ISiui
| analyses ana 10 hllOW II N4Ai.'
| water is healthy and pure, ana contain
any of the chemical agents USED Tor CO.
aeitIation and the cost OF the sahe 40
| applied 70 our daily consumpuoh' anu ~
| examine such filter plants as are no" III
| onera tion in other cities. LdStlI' ~
| make a thorough trial and test OF the
wafer both as TO color and condltloh, 10y
sediInenration, examining dalIy the SUI
water at all its different depths; chellli.
collv and bacteriolOgically. rms can
h.
romnartments at the New Reservoir,
which i'm a muddy condition OF the IlNei
can easily be filled, and then cut OIL %
that no water will flow In or be Drawn
out and full and complete eAdiill, ,''i
and test made of the water for any iensth
of time which may be determined upon
and thus learn the exact condluoh OF llle
water that goes to the consumer III Wv
Of the fact that If we adopt any hetuou
Of clearing water. il will involve an out
Law of two or three hundred thousand
dollars TO carry out the plan, l deem IL
important that we should make TINS oul-
Law. and fully determine the best method
of treating our water before making th7
outlay Of so large sum OF money
HOW SUPPLY is OBTAINED.
The question of furnishing the people
Of Richmond with clear water mas Deeh
a subject uppermost in the minds or many
i'm the last few weeks, when the water
was very muddy and unsightly Tor a mucn
longer period imam .lOl S0lllH eNth-tf 'N.-N
there have been several letters in the
papers from men of prominence whlch
deserve some notice, and as some nave /
criticised the present method OF turnisnins /
water | think IL but right 10 explain now !
our struplN is obtained. and whether any
examinations have been made TO find out
whether our water is healthy or llaDle 70
cause sickness. Richmond Is divided, III
her water supply into two districts Inc
New Reservoir supplies the upper or |
OH fatfp
of its area: the Old Reservoir, the lower |
about one fifth Of the area. The New !
Reservoir is filled with water taken from |
the canal or fOrebay at the New Pump |
House the Old Reservoir from the river |
at the foot of Hollywood. The canal eN-
tends from a short distance above
BOsher's Dam TO the pump-house, a dis
lance of six and half miles. The guam |
tity of water taken from the river apoVe
the dam each twenty-fOur hours amounts |
TO "a 200 gallons. Several SINAI! |
streams flow into the canal, between |
BOsher's Dam and the pump-house' |
amounting in volume to lOA2s'SJO gallons |
or about 3 40 per cent. or the whole !
volume The velocity of the water in |
the canal is mile per hour: therefore, |
1t is In no sense stagnant. Twice In It's |
flow TO the pumps II passes through gates,
where one surface is higher than the |
other, and is tossed about and whirled |
around, receiving the same kind OF aera- /
ton it would get in tumbling over the !
rocks in the river bed. Except in cases |
of freshets in the river the water in the |
canal taken in above Bosher's Dam |
would reach the pump-house in one half |
the time of that flowing in the river.
WHAT SCIENTISTS SAY.
This water has been examined by |
scientists and pronounced good ana
wholesome water. Comparative eXami-
nations of water taken from the forebay |
or canal at the pump-hOuse and that OF
the river have been made showing the
water in the canal TO be equally as good
as that in the river. In sucn seasons OF
drought as we had last summer and sum-
mer before last no water flowed over |
Boshers Dam for many days ana mad
our pumps been connected with the river, |
as has been suggested, we would nave |
had no water 10 draw from. The sources
of contamination along the cahai-and
the same kind exist on the south side u
the river-are few and far between, ana
the CITY by act of Legislature. has
right TO prevent contamination OF It's
drinking water, and exercises that right.
Constant inspection is carried on.
For a period OF twenty-five years past.
our drinking water has been analysed
by scientists and pronounced healthy
water, and in the last few days our people
have had the advice of Or. Mallet. a gem
tleman OF highest skill. who has repeated
ly examined the water. Not TO drink OF
the water of the various OLD weiss ana
natural springs scattered within the city
limits Better swallow any amount OF
good honest red Virginia clay than the
water, though clear and sparkling, which
comes from the inevitably polluted-ofren
foully poluted-soil underlying any large
city"
Another scientist, DR.. Taylor, who for
years has given the water of James river
most careful investigation, says In his re-
port, made few years since; THE sam
pie was taken on the llth instant from
hydrant in my laboratory, and is conse-
ouently not the Hypothetical water OF
river or a creek or mine. but the actual
water we drink In respect to
freedom from harmful substances. this
Is the best sample OF water ! have ever
examined The results of the analysis
are very satisfactory, and ought TO dispel
The delnsiua annreheusinn which some OF