Evening journal., 1903-07-22
BACTERIA BRED
IN FILTER BEDS
The Water Commissioners
Vote to Abolish Costly
Plant on Brandywine
SAND FROM It INJURED MACHINERY
Breeds More Germs Than it Eliminates
Said Chief Engineer Bond-Lea Com
pany Warns Department About TAX
ing Water From the Stream.

ing Water From the Stream.
AS was said. the William Lea and
Sons Company yesterday afternoon
presented a notice to the Water Com-
mission warning Il not to take water
from the Brandywine without the COM
pany's sanction The letter was read
and upon motion Of Mr.. Ford it was
ordered filed. The communication con-
tanned the following:
To the Board OF Water Commissioners
of Wilmington.
Gentlemen: The William Lea and
Sons Company is informed through
the public press and by reports therein
OF statements made by certain of
your officers. which statements have
not been denied. that II is your in
tention and purpose to take water from
the Brandywine creek i'm the State of
Delaware, north of Market street
bridge over said creek, i'm the city of
Wilmington, for the purpose of con-
veying and distributing the said water
in the city of Wilmington for domes-
tic. manufacturing. municipal ana
other purposes: therefore. you are
hereby notified that the William Lea
and Sons Company Is the owner of
certain water rights I'm said creek and
denies your right to so take any of
said water as aforesaid for the pur-
poses aforesaid, and said company
hereby further notifies you not to so
take any of said water for the pur-
poses aforesaid.
The William Lea and Sons Co.
BY Preston Lea,
President
Nothing further was said relative
TO the matter. but il is evident that the
milling firm has placed a stumbling
block i'm the boards way that will be
hard to remove. Something may be
a'pe, however. that will settle the
lnatter TO the entire satisfaction of an
concerned. but to accomplish this. IL
may be necessary TO expend some of
the city's money.
Sellar's Filter Abandoned.
The nltering plant near the city mill
pumping station. which cost the city
something like 100000 TO construct, is
now no more. The people of Whining
ton will hereafter be obliged to use un-
filtered water. at least until the pro-
posed new system is inaugurated, but
the housewife need not feel alarmed by
the boards action as it may be bet
ter for the health of the people TO use
unfiltered water than water that has
run through the filter. This is based
on the opinion of Chief Engineer Bond
of the Water Department who has
said that he believes the Sellar's filter
breeds more bacteria than it elimi-
mates. If such is the case the board
did the people of this city a service by
it's action i'm abandoning the plant.
After "A consultation between Mr..
Ford and President Pyle the former
resumine his seat said; "Mr. President,
i'm relation to the Sellar's filter matter
I understand that it is of no further
use to the board" and turning to Chief
Bond asked that official if such was
not the case. The latter was of the
opinion that IL was of no use in its
present condition and would not do
effective work unless rearranged and
REPAIRED. If anything. continued Mr.
i Bond, it breeds more bacteria than i
eliminates.
II President Pyle said that his under
standing i'm the matter was that the
filter was not accomplishing the re-
suits for which it was designed. We
have had bad results from bacteriolo-
gsts. continued Dr. Pyle. who have
examined the water. and aside from
this, the operation of the plant has
. been doing considerable damage 10
the machinery i'm the pumping station
! owing to the sand that escapes through
, the filter and gets int the delicate
parts. therefore think It good move
to abandon the plant temporarily a
j least and upon Mr.. Ford's motion thii
! action was taken. The old board Il
! being criticised for continuing the filte
for so long when it was known it wat
3 useless.