Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-09-29
THINKING WATER.

ton and sedimentation upon large scale
before determining what should be done
IN clear Richmond's muddy water was
or., suggested by the Dispatch, and Is
now generally approved, we believe
In the past we have had plenty or Ia
boratory experiments and an unifniteo
amount OF theori:eng, but IL the CITY
| Council will make the 5000 appropriation
| asked for by its Water Committee we may
eoon have n fund OF accurate practical
information that is in the possession Oh
| M man. or set of men, at this time'
| With 5000 in hand, and by using one
| of the basins of the New reservoir as
| settling basin. we may soon inform our
solves upon many questions as 10 winch
| there IS now great controversy. lha'
| something" can be done we are sure.
When James-river water Is muddy io'
weeks at a time IL would be an immense
reuof 81 our people could go to some
h,,drsnt In their neighborhood ana Ora"
water enough to serve them TOT piiI"e
/ and washing purposes, at least 30 IL
experimentation upon large scare s"ou'o
demonstrate the impossibility OF ciariiy-
inc orr entire water supply, why should
we NOT clarity a supply sufficient for the
purposes mentioned?
Suppose we had dozen Artesian wehs
here? What a great benefit they wound
be TO the public. We cannot nave them-
bnt We undoubtedly can have a dozen or
mora public hydran;s that Will furnish
filtered water. which will do just as we'll
OF course. If we can clarity our entire
supply. well and good; but If we cannot
our city should neyer-no, neVer-seop
short of clarifying supply for drinking
and washing purposes.
The water question will never be put to
rest until something is done; until some
Improvement is made, and so long as 1t
is unsettled Richmond will suffer In repu-
tation. Everybody doesn't know, as our
oun neople do, that when our water is
clear IT is excellent, and that 1t Is only
when 1t is muddy we complain.
In the discussion in the Academy OF
Medicine night before last something was
said about James-river water and typhold-
fever. OF course, ii is our duty TO pre-
vent city water from becoming contami-
mated. II Is pure enough now, and we
trust our authorities will remit no vigil
lance necessary to keep it in that condi-
ton. But we must bear in mind that
when the James river is muddy hunoreds
Of families here get their drinking water
from the numerous old wells and springs
within the city's limits. 1t is said that
most of these are contaminated, and are
likely 10 produce disease. II so, Rich
mond should have been very unhealthy
this season. Never before, so Tar as we
recollect. have so many Of our people for
so long a time depended upon the springs
and wells for their drinking water. Yet
the city has been quite healthy! We sus-
pect that the mortuary statistics will
show that II was a very favorable season
with us, and that condition continues.
We merely state facts as we under
stand them to be; we don't pretend TO
explain them. Nor would We encourage
our people to drink well or spring water.
Far from it, A we'll or spring that is
comparatively pure now may be In
dreadful condition few months hence
The leaks from the sewers are great in
some localities here.
Richmond must ever look to the James
river to supply her people with good
water; nowhere else can we expect to find
a sufficient supply for all purposes. There
fore, we should jeaiously guard the river
against contamination. Therefore, we
should search far and wide for method
of clarifying 1t when it gets muddy. as it
has so often done of late.