The record-union., 1899-01-12
A FILTER FOLLY.

received a letter from San Francisco
firm engaged in the manufacture of
filters saying that it learned that Sac
ramento desires a system Of clear
water fer domestic uses. That the COM
pany believes it can filter the Sacra-
mento River water so as to clear
it of mud and sIckens. That the
water is nnobjectionable if thus cleared,
being soft, potable and free from min
erai substances-no reference is made,
however, to vegetable matter and the
results Of vegetable decay.
If the board would donate 81, 800 to
put up an experimental filter plant to
cost $1,000, the firm would give the re-
mainder Of the money, erect a plant
under supervision of the board and test
1t on the gravity system for. say thir-
ty days. If the scheme works the ap-
paratus is to belong to the firm. If
the city adopts filtration then in case
that firm is the successful bidder for
the contract" the s., 500 is to be de-
Quoted from the contract price. If the
test fails the city, it is argued, will
have advanced one step in the solution
OF "a most serious problem. For the
purposes Of the experiment the city is
to furnish the ground space and the
water"
Such is the proposition and the Trus-
tees have accepted it and appropriated
the money. Usually among business
men, when a person has a machine or
device to bring to their attention,
he presents himself with his machine
complete. 1t IS a most unusual pro-
ceeding to ask the business man to
pay half the cost of the machine for
the mere privilege Of examining 1t.
But waving that point, if the con-
fribution is conceded to be wise. then
at least the business man knows some
thing about the machine before he in
vests. He rarely buys a pig in q poke.
But in this case there is no statement
whatever what the device is except
that 1t Is to operate by gravity" and
the city is to furnish ground space
and water" This gives us a glimmer-
ing view of what is proposed, and for
which the Trustees propose to throw
away $500 1t would to better
purpose to cast the money into the
river, for 1t would then stand the
chance of being fshed out by some one
who really needs the coin.
fuH OF brains, that the river water can
be filtered Given, e big box, packed
With sand gravel. charcoal or other FL
teping substances. pour muddy water
IN at the top and it will flow clear at
tie escapes in the bottom. Such fill
cers are as common as dirt itself. There
are dozen of them on pretty large
scale in this city now, erected by the
late Matthew Cooke. and so constructed
as to be rather easily cleaned by agi-
cation But it needs no 1880 appro-
pr1eton to demonstrate that such FL
ters can be built for they have been
constructed for centuries.
But river sand filtration is a vastly
different thing. That means the pas
sage OF river water by gravitation-
now-through beds of sand. thence
into receptacles from which II NAV he
driven or drawn into the supply pipes
OF a city. This is achieved in two
ways; first where the situation is low
lying. the stream must be damned high
nd
veyed to the sand beds at a point where
II can flow through and reach the res-
ervoir from which it is to be lifted
Second. where the fall of the stream ;s
favorable, and the fluctuations NJ ire
rise between high and low water mark
are slight the sand beds are placed 90
tnat the water will flow direct into the
peds and percolating through be taken
up and delivered into the city pines
There is one other method. namely
intins the water from the river into
The filter and then taking I'D the ner-
Collation. and delivering it into the civ
pipes Obviously this latter plan Is
one extremely costly since it involves
oAAiSo u the wafer, TWO dis
tinct pumping Or lifting plants or the
exerfion OF double the energy OF one
plant
Whoever knows anything about the
river in front of this city knows that
ITS rise and fall fiuctuates from low
water mark to twenty flour feet above
II follows that it will be practically
impossible to plant sand beds In the
river or next to its banks in our soil
with water reached in a few feet. which
VIII cake the water at these varying
nights, and after percolation deliver
II into basin from which it NAV ba
hfted into the city pipes. At best the
sand beds would have to be placed at a
depth below lowest water, and the de-
livery reservoir below that level. IT
needs no genius to fancy what tha
cost Of such a system would be. 1t
would not probably be touched by a
million Of dollars, while even greater
cost would be involved in damning the
American River far enough up to bring
the water to the filters by gravity.
What the Trustees have agreed to
do therefore is that which every one
knows may be done, and to determine
which no experimentation is at all nee
sssaxy. Nor will the erection on stilts