The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-06-12
President J. H. Purdy Informs
 th l. Mayor and Board of
 Aldermen That His Compa>' ny Will Filter Their Water,
The Company Asks That City,
 Assist It in Putting Stop to
 Waste of Water-Wants 4to Use Filters.

President J. H. Purdy of the fBirming- ham Water Works Company announced Board of Aldermen, held last night for the purpose of receiving a reply from the company as to what steps 1t would take Ito furnish a pure water supply to the city, that the water would be filtered and filtration plants installed.
 The company asked the city in return, not as a condition, but as a matter of justice that 1t aid it in putting stop to the great waste of water now going on and assist 1t in obtaining the right to put in meters at the dwellings of wastful consumers. President Purdy said after the meeting;
 "We will begin work on the filtration plants just as soon as the material and necessary supplies can be had. This will not be long. We will put In two filtra- ton plants, one for the supply from Five Mile creek at North Birmingham and the other at the reservoir on Shades mountain for the Cahaba river water. These plants will be of the best and most modern kind. They will be mechanical filters, the sort usually used in up-to- date plants in America.
 Possibility of Pollution.
 "The water now being furnished the city Is perfectly wholesome and no one need be afraid to drink 1t. As there Is a possibility of accidental pollution we will put In these filters to remove any possible contamination and furnish the city with a water supply at which no one can take any exception"
 Present at the meeting last night were Mayor w. M. Drennen and Aldermen Stockmar, Harrington, Heidt, Altman. Moore, Graham, Copeland q. R.), Cope land CD. R.). Linnehan, Ward, Thach, Greener and Wheeler. City Attorney E. D. Smith and City Engineer Julian Ken drick, who with Mayor Drennen formed the committee named under the Gray ordinance to take steps towards obtain ing a filtration plant, were also present. Maj. F. Y. Anderson. president of the Jefferson county sanitary commission, was an interested onlooker.
 Representing the water company were President J. H. Purdy, Superintendent George Reyer and MT. A. M. Lynn.
 Mayor Drennen stated that the meeting had bser called to hear from the water company, and had read the Gray ordi- nance which was adopted April 16 and which demanded that the water com 1sny begin work on a filtration plant within thirty days, and in default in- structed the city attorney, the Mayor and tho city engineer to take whatever action was necessary to enforce the city's de- mand.
 The Mayor stated that as chairman of this committee of three he had no report to make, as they had not had time to ex- anime the report of the Water Works Company. He thought. however. that the Council might like to hear from tho gentlemen representing the water com pany.
 Alderman Altman said that he sup posed the board was not ready to act on tke report, and he suggested that 1t be
 
 report at the next regular meeting.
 Saves Council Trouble.
 President Purdy then arose and said that if in order that he might save the Council and the committee some trouble. q am sorry" he said that you gem tlemen have not had time to digest the report and that the Mayor was out of the city this morning. so that we could not submit the report to him in time for his committee to prepare report to you. "I want to say. however, that no one was more surprised at MT. Grays re. port about the condition of the water than the parties interested, We at once felt that 1t was to the interest and good name of both the city ard ourselves to investigate the matter thoroughly We found first that MT. Gray had been mis- taken fin one vital fact on which his re- port was based, that Is, he thought he had sample of water from the Cahabs