Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-06-08
' WATER FILTERS.
Several Augusta Citizens In
spect Two DifferentSystems
They Are Located on Hudson River
New York State.
Records Show That Both Systems Are
Successfully Operated.

"A
Albany, New York, for the purpose of
inspecting the construction and opera
ton of two water filtration plants, one
of which being located in that city and
the other in Rennselar City, just across
the Hudson river. The party consist
ed of Hon. S. w. Lane, ex-mayor of
Augusta; Alderman George C. Sheldon,
City Solicitor Benedict F. Maher. DR..
O. C. S. Davies Walter II. Davis, pres
ident of the Augusta Board of Trade,
Col. Frederick w. Plaisted. editor of
New Age. Manning S. Campbell, treas
urer of the Maine Insane Hospital. Will
liam H. Williams, superintendent of
the Augusta Water Co, Charles A.
White and Thomas F. Murphy. The
party was Joined at Portland by George
F. West, general manager of the COM
pany.
The party arrived in Albany at II
o'clock, that night, the route being by
Boston & Maine Railroad from Port
land, direct to Albany, by way of the
Hoosic Tunnel Line from Boston.
At an early hour, Thursday morning,
the party took one of the many steam
and in a short time was landed in the
vicinity of the pumping and filtering
plant of the Rensselaer, City Water Co.
i'll Rensselaer, City. 1t is located about
two miles above the center of the city
of Albany, on the opposite side of the
river. Rensselaer, City was formerly
known as East Albany, and has a
population about the same as Augusta.
The daily consumption of water in that
city, however, is not so large as here,
for the Soldiers Home, the Insane hos
pital and the State House Argument
the local consumption to a marked de-
gree. In Rensselaer, City there are no
large takers of water, most of the pat
business houses.
The pumping station and filtering
plant are located within 40 feet of the
river. The former is similar to the
kind operated by water companies,
Willie the latter is what is known as
the American system of filtration. The
capacity of the filter plant is 100000
gallons every "a hours. In Augusta, in
order to supply the demand, 5,00O,0 600
gallons daily would be required.
Edmund b. Weston, noted consult
ing engineer of Providence, r. l., joined
the party at Albany andwent to Rens-
salaer City, where he explained the
workings of the plant at that place. A
similar plant is in operation in East
Providence, II. l., Norfolk Va, and
other places. Although Mr. Weston
did not claim to be the author
of the system in use at Rensselaer,
City. it was understood that his advice
was followed in it's construction and
in it's operation. 49, -...-..
There are six filters at Rensselaer,
City, each having capacity of $780,
600 gallons. These filters are divided
into four parts. That is, the first APP
paratus used for the publication of the
water is the preparation and addition
of the Sulphate of alumina solution
Then there is the subsistence basin, al
the bottom, in which coagulation takes
place, and where the water is PARTIAL.
clarified by subsistence. Above is the
filter bed consisting of four feet OF
solid sea sand, brought from the sea
shore in New Jersey and specially Sc
lected for the purpose. In this filter
bed the publication is completed. Out
side of the tank is an automatic con-
troller for keeping the velocity of fill
tration constant
The gentlemen of the party viewed
every part of the plant, up stairs and
down, and nothing of interest escaped
them. The six filters are enclosed in a
building IS feet long and 40 feet wide
and the height Of the interior walls is
about % feet.
Two main low lift pumps in dupli-
cate, having a capacity of about g.
100000 gallons per "a hours, for pump
ing the water from the river to the
filters, and a wash pump to be used in
washing the filters, and a power engine
for driving the line shaftng which
works the agitator of a filter while it
is being washed, are also located in the
filter building.
The water is drawn directly from the
Hudson river and pumped by the low
lift pump in service directly into the
subsistence basin of each filter A fill
tered water well, having a capacity of
about 100000 gallons, is located direct
ly under that portion of the building
which is occupied by the filters.
AS the raw water enters the subsid-
ence basin of each filter, sulphate of
alumina coagulant, consisting of a So
luton of sulDhate of alumina and wa
ter, is fed to the water at a rate
amounting to from one grain to two
grains of sulphate of alumina per gall
Ion, as the condition of the water may
require. The water. after it enters the
subsistence basin of each filter, has a
period of subsistence and coagulation of
about 25 minutes.
From the subsistence basin, the water
rises under pressure through the stand
pipe to the top of the filter The water
then passes down through the filter
bed, and is collected by the collecting
system of pipes and strainers under
the sand filter bed. From the collect
ing system it flows down and out
through the 6-inch pipes connected
with the collecting system and shown
in the subsistence basin in the cut, to
the automatic controller where it is
discharged into the filtered water well.
The sulphate of alumina coagulant is
fed to the water as it enters each sub
sidence basin, by gravity, through
specially designed hard rubber gradu-
ated cocks and hard rubber tunnels.
BY this arrangement, the exact amount
of slllphatp of alumina which iS re-