The St. Louis Republic., 1900-11-18
WATER SUPPLY OF ST. LOUIS
AND ITS COMING NEEDS.
Paper Read by Water Commissioner Flad
Before the Commercial Club.

N-. Edward Flad. Water Commissioner. read
!,nfore the Commercial Club last night c"1nire-
heasive paper on the water surrlr oS 81 LOUIS.
With the permission Mr.. F!ad and OF the
Commercial Club. The Republic - able TO pre-
sent the paper this morning. The sahjec; Is be-
coming OF the principal features y; our local
government.
: Since 1885 all of the water supplied TO the
citizens by the st. Louis Naterw"rhS mas
been taken from the Mississippi River nj
the Chain Of Rocks. about seven miles ABOVE
the location OF the former intake. at the
foot Of Grand ayerue The Inlet tower IS
located at the edge of the low-water chah-
mel. about 1850 feet from. the shor" tns, NJ
a medium stage uf water. Gates are piace"
on The Siies; of The tower at 1--WE nlleVttll
elevations. As FAR as pra",icah!". Inc water
is taken in just below the surface. After en-
terins through the gates of the inlet tower
the water drops vertically through the IN
take shaft and passes into a tunnel HriNeh
through solid rock forty tn fifty feet below
the surface. This tunnel IA seven ieet III
diameter After passing through about -."'
feet of trnnel. the water reaches the screen
chamber, where drift and vegetable fiber are
Intercepted. ind then PASSES Oh TO the low
service pumps. which pump the water into
the settling basins located at the Cham oil
d Rocks.
The casual observer not knowing or for
Getting the condition OF The water in The
the wafer as drawn from the faucet was
not different from the water in the river.
l. is true that at certain seasons Ne.y
substantial color may Stlll 10. observed; IN
our wafer. The stranger WITHIN our gates
Is apt to gaze with astonishment al tEe
courage of the ''uii citizen VINO StlpS
down the serriliquid with 4 satisfying
smack or pluu2cS with .rnDuuitE into a path
OF the chocolate Coi"red water. Let IL 10
remembered. however, that much oil the
matter in suspc'ls ion IS removed ny mans
al the settling basins. During the last
fiscal year &1."1 cubic yards OF sediment
were removed from the basins. this would
cover q block 4r9 feet square 10 a depth OF
So feet. About 30 per cent OF the matter
in suspension and about 80 per cent of the
bacteria rGmnrrd ia the setting basihs
After leaving the settling basins the wa
ter enters the conduit in which II flows
by gravity 10 the two pumping stations. the
first pumping station being al Baden, about
four and one-fcarth miles by conduit from
the Chain o: Rocks. and The second ut
Bssclls Point. The conduit has fall of
one in 1a0Gl. cr about SIX inches per mile.
II Is huilt of brick and concrete. The sec
ton from the Chain NJ Rocks 10 Baden has
crnss-aecuon IL feet wide and ? feet high.
inside measurements. and is calculated TO
deliver l0o.@0Gea gallons per twsnty-four
hours. The section from Baden To BiSsell's
Foint has crcss-section feet wide ard
=. feet high, inside measurement, and is
calculated 20 deliver 65.oo"-tD0 gallons per
twenty-.our hours.
The Baden pumping station supplies water
\ 10 the high-level district. which embraces
Narproxhnately the following territory: West
Is Kings highway and north of Forest
Park
The high points south of Forest Park
and west Of Kings highway. including Gift
ION Heights. North Benton and insane
Asylum district.
South OF Shaw and Lafayette avenues
ai'd west 6f jefferson avenue as far south
az osceela street.
Between Eighteenth street and jefferson
avenue. Shenandoah avenue and Arsenal
street.
Between Beaumont street and Spring ave
liue. Easton avenue ami Pine. street. known
sS the Garrison, Avenue District.
Several small Ieads supply isolated
The pressure at thu pumps is about Ia
pounds 10 the square inch, which is suffi-
Gent TO bring The water TO the elevation "r
the overflow in the Stard-pipe at Compton
level
No storage OF water is provided for the
h'gh-ievel district. so the pumps at Eaden
are required I" pump at ali times: day and
ssupfly the district servec; from this station.
Whenever the consumption is less than the
amount heing pumped the surplus spills over
Compton Hill Reservoir, whirl, latter is
connected with the mains which supply the
1ow-level district.
supplies water to the !nw-level district. The
pipe system of this district IL connected
with the Compton Hill Reservoir. which
either aesorbs the surplus water delivered
by the pumps or supplies. the deficiency
whenever the consumption is greater than
she amount being pumped.
Extensions.
AT the Baden station We have just COM
menced the erection of the last two Pump
ing engines contemplated for this station.
Al Bisselts Point the three old engines
which have had about thirty years service
will be removed and replaced by three mod
eTr engines Of a capacity each of a1gJ00l0
gallons per twenty-four hours The new
engines will pump a given quantity of
water for about one-third th: coal required
by the engines which are being removed.
The contract for these three engines has
been let and the construction is under way.
The five engines now under contract are es-
tinated TO cost S6To.000
Some few months ago the Board of Pub
Bars are showing handsome lines Of new
goods for the Fail and Winter of 1890. Every
department has made extra ordinary efforts