The age-herald., 1902-05-05
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 CAHABA TODAY Water Company Officers and Experts Continue Investigation GREAT WASTE OF WATER HERE 
Officials Claim This Would increase the Cost of Filtration Plants. Consumption Compared
 With Other Cities,

President J. M. Purdy of the Birming- ham water works. accompanied by MT. A. M. Lynn and the two sanitary experts, Mir. Benzenburg and MT. Fuller, will be- gin an examination today of the water shed of the big Cahaba. Since the arrival of MT. Purdy and his party they have ex- amined the water shed Of the little Ca- haba and of Five Mile creek. The pump- ing station and the dam have also been visited and 1t is the intention of Mir. Purdy to make a thorough examination of the whole system.
 The examination consists in driving over the water shed examining the near ness of each house to a stream which flows into the Cahaba, or whose waters are used to supply the city. The charac- ter of the land between each house and the stream is also examined with A view to see whether 1t is of a porous nature or of a non-porous nature such as would allow any impurity on the sur face to be washed into the stream.
 Have Not Made Analysis.
 MT. Benzenburg and MT. Fuller the two experts have not yet attempted any analysis of the water, nor have they expressed any opinion as to it's purity. The officials of the Birmingham Water Works Company were surprised at Mir Gray's report and have employed these two experts to see if the water Is real ly as bad as reported by MT Gray. MT. Fuller is employed by the city of Phil adelphia and MT. Benzenburg is employ ed by a number of cities including Cleve- land, Cincinnati, Chicago and Milwau- kee. They were selected on account of their standing in their profession in order 10 get thoroughly able and accurate report as to the condition existing here. The Water Works people are anxious to furnish pure water and if a fiItra- ton plant Is necessary 1t will be put in.
 Great Cost of Plant.
 In this connection 1t is understood that one reason which influences the water company to go slow Is the great cost O. the plant It is estimated that this will certainly cost over s10o0OO The reason
 
 Of this Is that Birmingham is consuming three times as much water as should be consumed by city its size. The reports or the company show this and they have complained of waste from time to time. One hundred gallons per capita per day Is considered by all water companies a hteral allowance for water In many of the large European cities the per capita Is 70 gallons, and 1t even goes as low as 30 gallons. In this country Birmingham stands at the head of all cities in using the greatest amount of water in propor- ton to it's population.
 Compared With Other Cities.
 Atlanta with a population of eo.0OO uses 6,JoO 600 a day. Birmingham and Ems ley combined. with a population of 5o ooo should use at the estimate of 100 gallons about 100000 gallons day. Instead of this 1t uses 100000. This means an enor- nous amount of waste, which the water works officials have tried to check as far as possible by putting in meters wherever authorized to do so under their contract with the city. All this water would have to be filtered as we'll as that actually consumed, and thus a plant for htration would have to be put in three times as large as needed and at three times the outlay that is really necessary
 NO statement has been made so far by any Of the water works officials as to their plans. and it Is probable they have not decided themselves what to do. Under the Gray ordinance. demanding that work be begun on a filtration plant with In thirty days. they have until the 18th of this month to comply with this or- dinance or make an answer to it.