Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1899-01-27
ALEXANDRIA, Va. Jan. 81. 1899.


ALEXANDRIA, Va, Jan. 81, 1899.
To the Honorable George l.. Simpson, Mayor
OF the city of,Alexandris, Virginia:
The undersigned ha ing been appointed By
your honor committee TO investigate GER
tzia rumOrs shout the condition OF the water
furnished 10 the city, and 10 make such rec
concentrations as may be necessary 10 protect
the health Of our people, called upon the
President of the Alexandria Water Company
for information and permit ) on TO inspect the
power-hOuse aud pumping station of said
company. B9tn requests were cheeIfully
granted. The President of said company,
upon being asked whether the Alexandra
Water Company ever pumped water out of
Hunting creek to supply our city, stated very
emphatically, that such had never been the
case; that said company hsd no facilities for do
ing so, IS they had no suction pipe running
20 Huating creek, and that all of the water
furnished is taken out Of the mll.rsce by al.
lowing ii TO run into we'll adjoining the
pump house, from where it is forced into the
reservoirs. The resident stated further, that
he quantity OF water in The mill-,ace ex-
ceeds the quantity required for the city, not
withs:sndng the fact, that the water supply
N sad race had greatly diminished during
the las. few years. When asked whether il
.urnish water enough 10 supply the pumps,
he stated that such was the case only during
! long period Of drought and that the two
reservoirs and the large mains in the streets
ii Alexandria contained nearly 20 millions
OF gallons OF water, supply fully ample 20
asst during dry spell OF weather. When
this committee called his attention 10 the
fact th&t 3 archaeological examination made
by the surgeon Generals Office of the T. 5
Government. on October 10Th. 1897. showed
our water supply to be polluted by sewage,
aad asked the question what had since been
done 10 remedy that condition, he admitted
thsi practically nothing had been done, and
that his company had no examination of our
drinking water made since that time, but he
contended that the samples then taken were
not fair ones, on account OF having been taken
directly after the pipes had been flushed for
the purpose OF cleaning, and consequently the
water WAS muddy. On this point your com.
mittee cannot agree with the President of be
water company, because the accompanying
report Of ssid examination shows thst at that
time six samples were taken. two from taps.
two from small reservoir and two from large
reservoir, each and every sam lle showing the
same contamination by sewage. Upon furthe.
inquiry Mr.. Wheat explained that the much
talked OF suction pipe running towards Hunt.
ing creek is only waste pipe, connecting
with the main supply pipe, which lesds from
the pumps 10 ihe reservoir, and that SAID pipe
is only used 10 allow the emptying of the res.
eryolTs, in case they need cleaning or repair
ing He stated furthermore that said pipe
does not extend 10 Hunting creek, but terni-
mates within 20 fee. OF the south wall of the
pump house On November 29th, your com.
mittee, accompanied by the City Engi.
neer, visited the pump house of the Alexan.
dria Water Company, Tor ,hs purpose of IN
spectlon, and were met there b. the superin.
tendent Mir. E. Power, and Mr., w. Roberts a
member OF the board of directors of said
company, who willingly assisted III this work
by giving the committee all the informstion
II asked for. After careful inspection your
committee found everything as represented
by air. Wheat during the conference held Oh
November 18th. ana became thoroughly con.
WINGED that there is no connection between
Hunting creek and the pumphOuse whatever,
and that al water Is supplied fiom the mill
;acs. The pipe or Pipes which were sup
posed 10 b. suction pipes are terra COTS drain
age pipes with Iron end pieces 10 protect them
against injury, and said pipes enter into
Hunting creek above high water marx and
were laid by Mr Roberts FOX drainage pur-
poses. Therefore, 1t being evident that our
wat is lot polluted from Hunting creek, |
bu;, according to III. an.lsss OF October 10TH |
1891, such pollution exists, and believing |
that, for sanitary reasons, 1t is absolutely ne
Cessary 10 know what water We are getling |
the committee decided TO have several bac- |
terio ogical and q chemical examinations of |
our water made by men who stand high in |
their profession. and enclosed you will please |
find results Of such examinations. While the |
- ~. 81
the presence IN each and every sample of an |
organism called the coli CON.
n mis-" 2 bacteria contained in the human |
as well IS in those of ali domesti. |
Gated snimalG, viii, q, besides being disgust. |
lag can endsnger the health of all people. |
because il IS a putEeiactive bacteria, your |
committee is glsd to repor. that the analysis |
/. had made by DR.. SchweiniU, Chief of the |
Bloch .mical Division OF the Agricultural De- |
psrtment, elbows the sb.ence of this pollu. |
ton, b1t 1t shows also that our water. in |
other respects, has deieriorated, while the |
first analysis only showed the presence of II |
bacteria per cubic centImeter equivalent 10 |
about 14OO bacteria to Z cubic Inch, as one |
cubic inch contains about 10 cubic centiue. |
tersl, g very good showing indeed because |
the presence of 100 bacteria per cubic cen. |
term ter is considered fair average water |
The hrs: analysis by DR.. Schweinitz shows |
142 bacteria per cubic centimeter and the
second $40, making So average of 25S, |
which Dr.. Schweinitz says is more than SAM.
tarians would commend and could be cousii. |
ersbly reduced sail, the absence OF this |
pollution shown by this analysis is not sur |
prisDg, and J. e Hill, an eminent authority |
on water supplies, says that results attained |
at one time are lot verified by subsequent |
tests. Changes are going on constantly and |
the water supply may be good at one time
and badly polluted at another and there IS
where the great danger lies he states also |
that furnishing polluted water should be
punished rs 8 crime. The chemca exsmi- |
nation is, as shown By this enclosed letter,
very satisfactory indeed, showing but very
little organic matter.
For the purpoe of gaining additional in
formation youf committee had another BAG.
Pathological examination made By DR.. w. e /