The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-07-05
Camnlitss Bsllsss That Sl76,oo0 WIN
0etriy the Cesi eta PIaat
TO FILTER 2O,ooo.ooo GALLONS 4 DAY
The Appointment Of q Commission 10 AscsrlaIa
Prsbabs Cost 10 ihs CIy Of Going 10 ne
Head Of raw uxsi RIG.

Tho report of the joint special CONF
mittee OF the city council upon the need
and advisability of constructing system
OF filters for purifying the city water sup
ply has just been completed
The report makes two important rec
concentrations. one for an appropriation
of s176,Vv0 for the construction OF me-
chanical filters at the Sockanosset re-
servoir. in preference to the natural sys-
ITEM. and one for the appointment of
commission TO inquire into and report
relative TO the city water supply.
FOR MECHANICAL FILTERS.
At a meeting OF the COMMITTEES held
mending a natural or mechanical system
OIL nltrstion was discussed, and II was
voted that the committee recommend
ioiio%1g a 1'p resolution @ providnx pro- % Tor r. the the
Installation OF a suitable system of me
cEanicai gravity filters at Sockanosset
TWO Mo Of the 4 ., me-
Love-. voting In the negative. namely:
Resolved, That the commissioner of
public works be and be Is hereby d.
rrcted to contract for suitable system
of mechanical gravity filters at Sockan-
osset reservoir, capable OF hltering 2U,vte.-
ooo gallons per day. together with suit
able foundations and buildings therefor.
and all of the necessary steam boilers.
pumps. conduits, piping and machinery.
provided the cost OF said filter plant COM
pletely equipped and connected ready to
operate, shall not exceed one hundred
and seyenty-sfx thousand tSl76.O00) dol
lars. which sum or so much thereof as
may be necessary Is hereby appropriated
therefor: and be II further
Resolved. That for the purpose of car
Tying the foregoing resolution into effect
thousand l$l76O00) dollars is hereby added
10 the appropriation tor the construction
OF the Providence water works. and the
OF the Joint standing committee on
finance. is hereby directed to hire the
same"
COMMISSION RECOMMENDED.
The committee also. submitted and rec-
commended passage of the following reso-
luton providing for the appointment of
the estimated cost OF going to the head
OF the river for city water supply.
namely:
be and he is hereby requested TO appoint
commission of three persons to ascer-
tain and report the probable cost AMI
the estimated damages of riparian OWL
ers of mill and other property along the
Pawtuxet river. and wherever possible. to
secure agreements from said owners, pro-
viding the. city should go to the head of
the river for city water supply"
The report, which Is very voluriinous,
goes into the history of the question
from its inception here, giving much val
One of the most interesting results OBJ
tained by the committee is the follow
ing report submitted by the secretary OF
war to the United States Senate. from
the chief OF engineers Of the United
States Army:
THE AMERICAN SYSTEM.
These investigations have continued
during a period of nine months. During
this period the Potomac water has
passed through extreme stages, from clear
to very turbid. With the exceptions OF
few days, the water has been very tur-
bid from Dec. %, 1899, to March l3, 1900
During this period the English filter has
either as 'i' to turbidify or bacterial cffi-
cheney. During the same period the Am
erican filter has furnished an effiuent
10 tnrbdy and tSc numsers
present. At no time has there been any
indication OF sulphate of alumina present
IN the effuent OF the mechanicsi iiter.
the period of greatest turbdity and ac-
companying bacterial danger, the English
filter will not furnish satisfactory ef-
fluent, while, on the contrary, the me-
chanicaI filter during this period will
with proper attention, furnish an entirely
satisfactory eff1uent both as to turbidity
and sanitary considerations.
I'm view of the above facts II is rec
ommended that for the filtration OF the
Washington water supply the American
adopted"
The committee. Of which DIR. Gardner
T. Swarts Is chairman. believes that III
tration of Pawtuxet water will prevent
typhoid fever outbreaks and they believe
the construction OF sand filters would not
cost from one-uuarter to one-third more
than mechanical. W.
The committee IL also OF the opinion
that the lower waters of the Pawtuxet
Will In time become undesirable for use,
even when filtered. hence the advisability
OF making change now and going to the
head waters
IL will be seen that the committee SUBJ
stantiates the claims made a few years
ago by Mr.. Il. Il. Weston. then OF the
city engineers office.