The record-union., 1899-10-21

The Citizens Water Committee is be-
ginning to get little light on the
subject of a supply of pure water Tor
the people of Sacramento. They nave
been holding meetings for long Whlle
and listening TO one anOtheTs opinions
on a subject that can be grasped only
by men trained in the science OF water
supply and it's publication for domestic
purposes and naturally some OF lis
members have been ready to drop the
matter and try and grope their way out
of the quagmire in which they were
fioundering.
But at last nights meeting of the
committee all those pesent learned
some things of interest from rudolph
Herring, the eminent New York civil en-
gineer, who has been in San Francisco
consulting with the authorities there
in reference to a new sewer system for
that city and who was induced TO come
to Sacramento and look into the matter
of our water supply. Mr.. Herring is an
authority on the sanitation Of cities,
and as consulting engineer has been
interested in the drainage, sewerage
and water supply system of the leading
sewerage system now being constructed
in Honolulu is under his supervision.
Mr. Herring recently completed plans
for new water works system for Phil
adelphia, which is to cost $12000,000,
and was consulting engineer for Chi
cago in the matter of it's big drainage
canal which is to carry the sewage
of that city into the Mississippi.
T. b. Hall explained that several
members Of the committee had shown
Mr.. Herring about the country in the
vicinity Of Oak Park and Brighton, SO
as to give him an idea of the lay of
the land. and had given him all tie in
formation possible concerning the ex-
periments made by the Chamber Of
Commerce. Captain Hall also ex-
planned that Mr. Herring had taken d
look at the Sacramento and American
Rivers. at their point of confluence.
General Tozer who was in the chair
stated that only three propositions
We're being considered-namely, the we'll
supply east of the city. filtration from
the river, and the north fork ditch prop
ostion.
Mr.. Herring. being introduced, at re-
quest of General Tozer plunged into the
matter before him, and gave much
valuable information. He supple
mented his remarks by saying that he
was in the city to learn and gather
information. From what he had learned
he thought there was little need of the
committee carrying its investigation
much further. The only source of water
supply. he said, was the rainfall, and
where water below the surface was
covered by a more or less impervious
substance the first thing necessary was
to determine the source of supply.
Rainfall, he said. supplies the wells
east of this city, and the source of sup
ply would have to be sought for to the
east-toward the mountains 1t would
be necessary TO find how much water
sinks into the ground at the source and
flows this way. Many cities, he said,
are supplied by ground water, but be-
fore they procured that supply it was
necessary to ascertain whether or not
they could get enough.
Mr. Herring said that first of all it
would be necessary to have continu-
Gus supply of water equal to the con-
tinuous amount necessary for use 1t
was impossible to outline the watershed
supply east of this city, inasmuch as the
geological structure could not be seen.
There was only one way to proceed, and
that was by an actual pumping test
To do that, a certain number of wells
should be bored-enough to raise the
supply necessary for the city the
pumping might be done with centrifu-
gal pumps. as all that was required was
TO measure the water and let it flow off
on the surface. Pumping should be
continued two or three days.
In order to determine the source Of
supply. he recommended the sinking of
a number of two-inch tubes in the di-
rection Of the mountains When the
pumps were started the water in tubes
should be carefully measured. If, when
the wells reached a stable condition.
and no variations occurred in the
standing of the water, it was certain
thatthe supply would prove exhaustless.
provided the test were made in a drv
season Of the year, or the season VIXEN
there was the least quantity of water
In the ground If the water stood still
at that level. no doubt would exist as
TO the continuation of the supply. If.
after a days pumping, the water con
tinued TO fall. it would be an indica-
tion that the supply was being ex-
hausted.
The tendency all over the country.
Mr.. Herring said, is toward filtration,
provided natural pure supply cannot
be secured In order to secure proper fill
tration, a settling plant would be neces-
sary. SO that the suspended matter
would not clog the filter It has been
shown by actual test that, to allow wa
ter TO stand twenty-four hours. from 80
10 80 per cent of the suspended matter
would be precipitated, and only from 1G
TO 40 per cent left for the filter TO
handle. He was inclined to believe that
the sediment in the river water would
settle rapidly.
BY utilizing settling plant the filter
would work much longer without wash
ing. Filters used in connection with
settling plants had been run three