The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-01-17
WATER SUPPLY
FROM SWIFT CREEK
Finance Committee to Visit the
Territory on Monday.
THE PURE WATER DISCUSSION
Remarks en- ths Subject by hr. Reuben
sherifs and Superintendent Boiling.
Wants Of conncii Committee.
Municipal Notes.
THE PURE WATER DISCUSSION

ilCI.L -NavilSses t't1N-'s"'
OF Mr. John (. Robertson
The committee VIII leave Richmond at
90, o'clock on the Atlantic Coast Line
to Ccntraiia, at which point they WIZ
take carriages and drive over the terri
tory. 1T will be an all-day trip.
Tho committee held an open meeting
last night in The Council Chamber, at
which time the proposition of the Swift
Creek Company. which offers to supply
the city of Richmond with pure. clear
water at the rate of 50 cents li1ou-
sand for u daily consumption OF
from HOOD 600 10 100000 gallons, or forc
s-s.ccnts for n 3o,oo0,ooo gallons and upward
consumption.
Mr.. Reuben Sheriffs presented the prop
tstion to the committee, and, i'll doing SO,
spoke at length upon the 5eaSiblllty OF
the project, the purity of the water, and
the great volume at command
PURE WATER.
aft has often been asserted" he said.
and sometimes by those whom opinions
in such matters may not be lightly qucs-
toned, that the James River water is
not and has not been q cause OF DIS
case. that it is a pure and wholesome
water / beg 10 present for your mo:st
careful consideration some statistics or
the typhoid fever death rates OF various
cities. Ii is not, probably, necessary at
this late day to adduce evidence to prove
that a high typhoid death rate shows
polluted drinking water.
l:r. She1iffs then exhibited tables show
ing tho deaths from typhoid fever in
Richmond for the years from l6Si to 1900,
which figured out a rate of So7 per l0oVD
population per annum.
SWIFT CREEK WATERSHED.
In reference to the Swift Creek supply,
MIR. sheriffs said: Not only is it as easy
to Trotect the water in the Swift Creek
storage reservoir from pollution as tho
roughly as is now done in the best water
supply systems in this country, If not
tn Tho world, but the watershed itself is
81 clearer and better ono than any of
which ] have any knowledge. The present
population is probably not over twenty TO
the square mile. The entire area Is a
sandy and gravelly soil, and the general
decliyity is gentle. All but the heaviest
rainfalls will, therefore, reach the reser-
voir only after percolation through the
soil. instead OF running off largely in the
surface, and the surface washings Will
thus be re0uced to q minimum.
II venture with confidence the pTedc-
ton that if it be adopted the typhoid
death rate will drop from tho present
figure of SOL to or below 20, if reasonable
restrictions bc put on the use of water
from other sources.
SUPT. BOILING REPLIES.
In reply to MIR. Sheriffs, Superintent
Boiling showed that the death ratio in a
number Of cities, SO far as typhoid fever
was concerned, was much greater than in
Richmond. He had compared the rate OF
certain cities, including Boston, Baih-
more, Atlanta, Cincinnati. Charleston and
Augusta, and III each instance the death
rate was greater than Richmond, with the
single exception Of Augusta.
The cause of typhoid fever in Rich
n1ond has never been determined" said
Mr.. Boiling. cit may have been milk or
water, or may have come from outside
sources He quoted from a report made
ry Mr.. Sheriffs himself several years ago.
in which he said the best way to purify
water WAS by means Of the settling basin.
Mr. Boiling read from a report made
for the city Of Petersburg by Civil Ensi-
neer Hayes i'll which il was stated that
the water supply of the Swift Creek Sued
was not sufficient for that city. He sub
mitted that the proposed settling basin
would answer all uprposes for clearing
and purifying the water. and stated that
the whole cost OF the proposed basin
would be about $4,000.
PERTINENT COMPARISON.
Comparison of cost of furnishing Rich
,nGid with water per annlm delivered
into the reservoir or mains:
Expense OF pumplils lor ~ d9voolV'VVv,Voo
gallons "a; a cay; sia'iO-.co' -V'o000'' saiiois
Cost of pumping and supplied from set
.ng aao ao. e. e S9s 1qs %
Cost Of pumping, settling and coasulat-
fng hasin--l0 ooe 600 gallons q day. 1880
c0:ao.0 900 Geo gallons d Gay, $62,IcS.4o.
Estimated cost of pumping, settling
basin and mechanical Observation-Disclosures
gallons a day, $S9.3i4. &c; 2l.0o90D0 gallons
{. day, SIS, $3.50.
Estimated OH supply from Witt Greek,
as per proposed by Mr.. J. c. Robertson
10000. 900 gallons a day. SlS6sso.oo; -e'Qoo,-
Mo gallons q day, s2S1 900,
The average daily consumption Tor
5aoe-7o.s vo.3SS gallons at sSaao per iiliioh'
a4sss...o; gross reeeil''s Aroih "a'ci ioi
1900, sli6.s2S,.e.
short session OIL tho GROUNDS asia
The resignation of MIR w Il GraTeao as
a 4anitor at the CITY Hall, Was accepleN