The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1903-01-03
Colonel Montaomery's Paper.

| .
birmingham, Ala, December 3d. 1902
The Commercial Club of Birmingham
conference.-the water supply of the
| city of Birmingham is one of the most
serious problems that now confronts it's
citizens, and one that should be consid-
cred carefully and patiently to arrive at
the best results. There is a great deal
to be said on all the plans proposed; each
has its good points and disadvantages
and only by discussion of all will we be
able to judge of what Is best. Bearing in
mind that the future growth of the city
| depends lergely upon the result of the
action taken now, whilst the present agi-
tation has aroused the public to the i'm
portance of a supply of pure water in
abundance, and definite results are likely
! to result therefrom. Whatever plan is
| adopted will decide the matter for years
to come, and it is well to consider. that
you are preparing for Greater Birmng-
! nam In deciding this question.
we want pure water, that is water that
is free from disease germs and, as far as
practicable, from animal and vegetable
matter; also the future growth of the
| place demands water In abundance and
at a minimum cost, for Industrial and
manufacturing plants. This is evidenced
by the loss of one large investment to
this immediate vicinity within the last
four months, and the writer is in position
to know that the water supply entered
largely INTO the location of this plant in
a nearby town, Greater Birmingham
thereby losing probably 5000 inhabitants.
Other plants have been deferred from To-
cation for lack of free water and as l. q
city grows by accretion, this will be
more and more a vital issue Every in
habitant is interested in having a pure
wholesome supply of water, and also
every investor, whether resident here or
not, is interested. as the safety of his
investments depends upon it.
Water Supply.
| Conceding that we are not now getting
an abundant supply of pure water: This
is evidenced by the reports of the board
| of health, the reports of the sanitary
engineers, the demand of the honorable
mayor and board of aldermen of the city
for filtration plants, and the agreement
entered into by the water works company
to furnish these plants within a specified
period; all tend to show that we are not
getting a pure water, and If we will ex-
anime the source of supply it will show
that the contamination complained of will
necessarily be greater in the future than
In the past. The Five Mile creek reservoir
Is. SMALL is situated some distance from
the headwaters of the creek. and gets the
drainage from comparatively thickly
"
air canal to the North Birmingham reser-
voir; necessarily it has many sources of
contamination, and its proximity to Bir-
mingham will increase these sources as
the city and suburbs grow in its drec-
ton.
The Cahaba river drains from the valley
In which Trussville is situated, and has
several coal mining camps already on its
banks or its short tributaries, and the
building of the Seaboard Air Line rail-
way and late purchase of thousands of
j acres. of coal land on its headwaters mean
/, that several thousand people in addition
,, will shortly be employed. and consequent
contamination of its waters will be had
The East Cahaba river flows through
Cahaba Valley, which is very thickly set
tied, and will in the futrue be much more
so, for the very reason that partly causes
this agitation: Free water and cheap
water for manufacturing purposes-this
being the district nearby that can provide
abundance of water and level land for
the location of manufacturing industries
Necessarily then. this supply will con-
tinue to be contaminated in increased
proportion as it's advantages in this re-
spect are appreciated and use thereof
made.
Concerning Filtration.
1t is proposed to obviate this by fitra-
ton plants, at considerable expenditure
of money 1t would be well to first de-
etrmine whether filtration through few
feet of gravel and settling will eradicate
disease germs, such as typhoid fever and
pneumonia-our most fatal diseases. 1 am
told by physicians who have studied this
question that 1t will not do so, that ami
NAL and vegetable matter can easily be
taken out by such process, but it is
doubtful as to certain germs of disease,
and almost certain as to others, and
these last are the germs most fatal in
our climate If filtration will not eradi-
cate, then the. source of supply of the
water must be controlled, and taken by
covered conduits. so as to avoid contain
nation on it's way to the point of distri-
button.
The length and general situation of the
Big Cahaba river precludes its consid-
Grafton; it would be impracticable to buy
up the watershed end erect dams large
enough to supply a sufficient volume CT
water for the-uses of an increased Bir-