The record-union., 1899-09-27
MORE ABOUT WATER SUPPLY
ENGINEER sCHUssLER GIVES
HIS VIEWS.
He Thinks the East Side Well Sup
ply Comes From the Ameri-
can River.

|
day, the guest of the Citizens Water
Committee.
In the evening the committee met in
Mayor Lands office, and for over three
hours listened to Mr.. Schussler explain
matters pertaining to water supplies
for cities. He, by the way, has been
engineering head of the Spring Valley
Water Company for thirty years and
spoke from practical experience
Mr.. Schussler said to start with, that
he did not believe a system of rapid Ill
! tration would bring the best results
/ from the water of the SacI amento or
i American Rivers, for the reason that
! the sediment would soon fill the pores
and constant securing and cleaning
would be necessary. The sediment OF
| the rivers, he said, differed materially
from that of most rivers, being of a
much finer character and capable OF
being suspended in the water for
longer period of time.
Mr.. Schussler was informed that riv
er water if allowed to stand would
leave layer of silt on the bottom of
a tube in twenty four hours. He rea-
! soned that the heavier silt would set
tie first, and that the process would
continue until the water was practi-
cally clear.
He thought that 100000 gallons
daily ought to be sufficient for local
consumption, and he thought that if
1 filtration and settling was adopted two
tanks should be built for the latter pur-
| pose, the supply to be taken from one,
while the silt in the water in the other
was settling. AS specific gravity would
insist upon the clearest water being
nearest the surface, he advised skim
ming the water from the surface, using
floating barges for the pumps.
Mr.. Schussler said he knew nothing
of the purity Of the water of the Sac
ramento or the American Rivers, but
If the plan of filtration was adopted,
he would advise running T-pipe- to
the American River, so as to get the
supply from that source in case the
| drainage from the tules at certain sea-
sons Of the year, gave the water from
the Sacramento tainted TASTE
He explained the process of exposing
the water to the air after settling and
before filtering, and said that process
alone would do away with at least 80
per cent. of germs, or bacteria
DIR. Power informed Mr.. Schussler
| that several chemical tests had shown
the water from the Sacramento to be
remarkably pure, aside from the ques-
tion of silt, and the latter said the city
| was to be congratulated because of
the fact.
Mr.. Schussler spoke of the water
supply of Hamburg, Germany, and said
the supply was pumped from the river
into settling watts. He had looked into
those vats and they resembled wonder
full aquariums, being alive with vermin
and animal life. The water went
through the process of sand filtration.
the sand being only secured once in
thirty days. Such process would
not work with Sacramento or Ameri-
can River water. because the silt
would fill up the pores. The straining
process, such as he had used in San
Francisco, would do better. He looked
upon rapid filtration as poor filtration.
at the same time saying he wished to
say nothing in opposition to the filter
companies. He said that in Ham
burg the Germans had not made a.
chemical analysis Of the water they
| used IN ten years, one of their experts
having told him that they would not
dare to do so. Some of the people in
Hamburg, he said. drink wateu and
with no bad effect
In the matter Of sewage which flows
into the river from Red Bluff, Marys-
vile and other cities above Sacra-
mento, Mr.. Schussler said it amounted
to practically nothing, as all the water
1 m 1r-n11 11<.<
air over and over again before reach
ing this point, and by skimming the
water from the surface, which would
be child's play, a remarkably pure sup
ply ought to be had, particularly if
placed in settling watts and passed
through the straining process.
Being questioned concerning water
mains, Mr.. Schussler advised LAYING
large MAINS five, six or seven blocks
apart, and parallel, and then to get an
equable pressure, place pipes connect
ing the mains proper at intervals of
| four or five blocks. Such a system he
explained, would allow a pressure in
| any direction, and would give a gen,
/ erous supply to any section of the city
| He suggested beginning with one or
/ two big mains laid on parallel streets
| four or five blocks apart, and connect
| ing them with cross pipes; then, as the
expense might be stood, similar mains
| could be laid on other parallel streets,
and in the course of few years ample
mains and an equal pressure at every
point in the city. He advised large
mains being run to the eastern end Of
the city, SO as to give the desired SER
vice He advised allowing the mains
now in to remain in use until the new
| system might be completed Instead of
| one 40-inch main, he advised two ~
| inch, parallel and four or five blocks
apart, connected by 12-inch pipes every
six blocks.
Mr.. Schussler said for city purposes
he preferred cast-iron pipes for many
reasons, one of which was that such
a pipe could be tapped at any point
while the wrought-iron pipe could only
be tapped by first banding it. Again
the iron pipe, if properly treated in the
mills. would resist rust much better
than steel, and iron pipes laid by him
| thirty-five years ago were still service
able, while all that was left of the
steel pipes was a string of rust.
| Wrought-iron pipes he thought, were
better for country purposes than cast.
iron, but not for city purposes.
Mr.. Schussler said that the system
| of mains he spoke Of could be used
equally we'll with water brought from
wells or from the mountains, SO that
there could be no loss to the city,
| In relation to water from wells, Mr.
Schussler advised first knowing the