The age-herald., 1901-12-10
Dr. LeGrande Says the ReSer- voirS Are Mere Ponds
 or Lakes
MAKES RECOMMENDATIONS
Doctors Ask for Filtration, But Will Proceed Cautiously In Order Not to Hurt the Reputa-
 ton of the City.

The Jefferson County Medical Society last night indorsed the position taken by the Sanitary Commission in its efforts to improve the water supply of Bir- mingham and recommended that the Wa ter Works Company be requested to line all of its reservoirs. provide proper means for filtration and run the water from Five Mile creek to the North Bir- mingham reservoir through a pipe in stead of an open ditch.
 Dr. J. c. LeGrande chairman of the committee appointed to investigate the water supply, made an exhaustive report, going carefully into every detail to show the probable source of pollution. In con clusion he suggested that the idea of the Sanitary Commission which contemplated bringing an expert engineer here to more fully investigate the matter was advisa- ble and for the best interests of the cit- izens and the Water Works Company.
 Says 1t Is Mere Pond.
 Dr. l.. C. Morris, who is a member of the committee of which pr. LeGrande is chairman, reported the result of his in- vestigation of the methods used In pumping water into the city from Cana ba river and the reservoirs on or near Red Mountain.
 q found the reservoir to be mere pond or artificial lake,, said Dr. Nor ris, which at the time of my visit con- tained very little water and gave me a good opportunity of investigating the sides and a part of the bottom. The sides of this pond are covered with muck and dirst near the waters edge and as much as I could see of the bottom was in the same condition. I understand this reservoir has not been cleaned since 1t was built
 Dr. Morris said he then visited the pumping station on Cahaba river and found that the water was being pumped directly into the city pipes from the river and this accounted for the small amount of water in the reservoir. He said there were several logs in the stream just below the pumping station and these were being removed. There were several houses near the pumping house and the l drainage from these was possible source of contamination. He said they had been ordered moved by the sanitary commission
 Object to Open Ditch.
 Dr. LeGrande then told of his visit to the North Birmingham reservoir and his investigation of the open ditch which car ried the water from Five Mile Creek. 'I took a boat and went out near the center of the pond" said Dr. Legrande, ''and tying a large stone to 6 tin bucket l I let it down to ascertain as near as pos sible what was on the bottom. When the bucket came up it was filled with muck and mud, and there wasn't much of the mud either.
 when I got there" continued Dr. Le- Grande, T found negro raking leaves and trash out of the pond. We then went through the woods to where the open ditch containing the Five Mile Creek wa ter runs into a pipe and thence into the reservoir Here I found the negro again raking out laves and there seemed to be a ton of them on the banks of the stream. The superintendent told me these leaves were raked out every two hours. The sides of this ditch are covered with dirt, grass and leaves and the water could be easily polluted
 One Method of Filtration.
 "The only means of filteration at this reservoir is a cloth which I understand screens the water before it runs into q well and is pumped into the city pipes. This reservoir is in low place and is lia- ble to be contaminated by surface water flowing into it after heavy rains would recommend that 1t be lined the walls around 1t built some higher and a ditch l dug to run off the rain water"
 I In the opinion of Dr. LeGrande it Is i'm 1 possible to clean this reservoir properly.
 Dr. LeGrande concluded his report by saying the Medical Societies should be conservative in their attempts to improve the water furnished the city. He said the | society should go into the matter advised ly and try to get what was wanted and at the same time keep from hurting the l reputation of the city.
 The report was unanimously accepted and the thanks of the society was offered the committee and the members were re- uuested to continue their work and re- port from time to time.