The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1898-06-21

one opinion on the part of every person
qualified to sit in judgment. Ii we
accept as authoritative the teachings
| of FARMLAND, Sedgwick, Weston and
Hill relative to the distance flow in
| ISOLATION and sedimentation upon sew
/ age contamination; and if the history
of typhoid epidemics the world over
has been correctly interpreted, shall
| be permitted to assume that we have
been for an indefinite period living un-
| der the constant and positive menace
| that attends the use of water grossly
polluted, and that we are to-day reap
ing a whirlwind which finds realization
in the terrors Of an epidemic.
| 1t may be laid down as a general
| proposition that there are two avail
able sources of pure water supply for
this city, and but two. These are.
| first, deep wells; second, Sacramento
River through the intervention of eff
ficient filtration. On account of finan-
cial considerations, I shall not consider
the mountain source, and only allude
to it to indicate that it has not been
overlooked
has been as thorough as could be, con-
subject is comparatively limited The
| following facts, however, are estab-
lished with tolerabIe clearneSs: over a
large area in the district lying east Of
| the city in the American River basin
| there has been shown to exist Subter-
ranean deposits of water. Explorations
over this district demonstrate that at a
depth Of from eighty to one hundred
and twenty-five feet there occurs wa
ter-bearing stratum of sand and coarse
gravel. This stratum is said to show
| a vertical measurement of from four
to five feet.
From ninety to one hundred feet be-
meath this deposit or at depth of from
one hundred and eighty to two hundred
and twenty-five feet a stratum of black
SAND IS encountered about nine feet In
depth, which carries a much larger vol
ume of water than the upper stratum.
| Most OF the wells now in use in this
| district have been driven with refer
ence to utilizing the flow from the up
per stratum, and the character Of this
water is tolerably familiar to major
ity Of our community. Moreover, it
has at various times been subjected to
analysis, chemical and meteorological,
| by competent authorities, by whom it
| is uniformly agreed that the effiuent
from this source is safe from a sanitary
standpoint and suitable for domestic
purposes. The faireSt and least preju-
diced analysis Of this water within my
| knowledge was obtained some time
since by the Buffalo Brewing Company
on its own behalf from a source that is
absolutely trustworthy. From the re-
port accompanying this analysis I
quote as follows: THE water is per-
fectly clear, and when left standing
does not form any noticeable sediment.
It is odorless and tasteless, and con-
tains only the average amount of mi
cro-organisms which are found in every
| good drinking water The report
states that it is we'll adapted for brew
| ing purposes in general and for boiler
use. The only unpleasant feature al
luded to was a considerable degree of
hardness which was exhibited by the
sample.
| In this connection however, attention
should be called to the fact that in spite
Of the foregoing conmendatory report,
| this water is found to be not well
adapted for brewing purposes, and has
been supplanted by filtered river water
by the Buffalo Company. The same
company were forced to discontinue its
use in their ice plant, for the reason
that perfectly transparent ice could not
| be produced from it. 1t is doubtful If
| this latter fact can be urged as an ar
| gument against the water, save on the
| ground of its unfitness for manufacture
| ing purposes. The only question which
| seriously affects this source Of supply
is the abundance of the flow. Upon
this point there seems to be some d.
versity Of opinion.
/ While this matter was being investi-
gated a few years since by the parties
who were then supposed to have a
valid contract to furnish the city with
! we'll water, one of the gentlemen inter-
ested, after some weeks of experimental
ton, told me in a private conversation
that the flow from the upper stratum
| was inadequate, and that in order to
fill the contract his company would be
| forced to sink another hundred feet. /
am aware that this sort of evidence
cannot be accorded much weight, and it
is given only for what it is worth
At the present time the Buffalo Com
pany is raising 100000 gallons daily
from this source through a four-inch
pipe, without perceptibly lowering the
| supply. The opinion is expressed by
| the chief engineer that probably a half
million gallons could be raised daily
| from the same well. Even larger guam
/! titles than this have been raised for
| limited periods from other wells in
| this district; but it remains for further
| and ng-continued experimentation to
| demonstrate that any number of wells
sunk within reasonable limits will fur
nish ten million gallons per diem for a
period Of months and years.
We will now consider briefly the water
| from the deeper stratum. All observers
i agree that from this source may be
obtained an inexhaustible and appar-
emily unlimited flow.
i It's character, however, is such as
should subject it to the closest scrutiny
| before it is chosen for municipal use.
| Chemical analysis shows it to be not
materially harder than the product of
/ the upper stratum, though its appar-
| ent hardness is much greater. 1t is
| known to be unsuitable for brewing
purposes, and at the County Hospital,
| where it has been in use for some time,
| it is employed under protest. I per-
sonally inspected a sample from the
| well at the Buffalo Company's plant
and found it to be slightly cloudy or
| opalescent. It possessed a slight odor
when first pumped, and in taste is per-
ceptibly brackish. For boiler use it is
| entirely out Of the, question, and for
laundry purposes it is decidedly objec-
| tionable. The bearing of this latter
statement upon the material welfare of