Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-09-03
TELEPHONES.
WATER. CLEAR, AND GOOD.

while the wish-demand indeed-is uni
cersal among our citizens that soiis
method may be found TO give the people
clear water to drink, and in when 10
1,athe. and with which to wash their
clothes, fear is sometimes expressed mat
the settling basin or subsistence reser-
7oir. as 1t is sometimes called, will not
answer the purpose in all respects.
OF the va rious objections urged, none IS
40 serious as that which suggests that
Ehen the water is kept long in the basin
At will become stagnant and impure,
Before determining upon the set
Ting basin as the best method to give us
clear water, our city authorities examined
the question of purity and wholesomeness
fully. They employed two experts. VINO
devoted months and months to the study
Of the question and the water in one OF
the compartments of the new reservoir
was kept OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES running In or
put for weeks-with the result that at the
end of that time the water was found to
be rs good. if not better, than when 1t
was first pumped in.
In addition to the assurance OF those
two experts, we have that of DR.. tCoro-
ner) Taylor. that water settled in the
manner proposed will be good and whole
some.
The fact is that the proposed basin,will be
no small affair; 1t will be an enormous
body of water, from which our pumps
may draw for weeks and weeks when the
river is not in a condition to supply US
with clear water.
Oh, no, we think our people need
have 10 fear when they come to drink
water from the settling basin that they
will be drinking stagnant water.
First of all, it must be understood that
5tagnation, so-called, that is mere quies-
renee of water, does not of itself render
st impure Bottled water is often kept
at rest, and thus is stagnant, for
weeks and months, but many people who
profess apprehension in regard to our
river water do not hesitate to drink this
bottled water. Moreover, 1t is well-known
that certain contaminated waters actual
~ become purified by storage and rest.
In order that water shall become
impure by standing, it must either already
have, or must somehow acquire, the nu-
tfimcnt fitted to maintain the life Of the
harmful growt!ns Now, innumerable
chemical analyses and other experiments
and observations have shown that our
river water contains little, if any, of the
appropriate nutriment: and if the settling
basin is properly constructed-that is. so
us to afford no encouragement to vegeta-
Bile life-as no doubt it will be-the water
cannot acquire the necessary nutriment.
IT is a common but very erroneous idea
that the settling basin and its contained
water is the counterpart of the stagnant
pond with Its offensive surface coating Of
:reen vegetable matter. The conditions
pertaining to the two are entirely differ
ent.
The bottoms and sides Of the pond
are the fertile soil itself, with
1ll the circumstances conducive to
plant life while, on the other hand.
ahe settling basin is an artificial
structure Of materials decidedly ininical
10 the development Of this kind of life.
The water in the settling basin may. IN
fact. he compared to water kept in an
earthen jar, which, If originally good
as our river water is. We would expect to
keep sweet indefinitely.
Finally, and what would seem to be
conclusive, the result Of very many ex-
perimcnts on the small scale, and Of some
on the large scale. in the storage of James
river water for long periods, has been
that its quality was not impaired.