The Washington times., 1904-09-17
FILTRATION PLANT
NEARS COMP Fiction
Immense CiStePn to Con-
tain the Sand Beds.
SIZE OF FOUR CITY BLOCKS
Massive Construction in Concrete of
Slipping Floor, Supporting Pillars,
Roof and Air Holes.
SIZE OF FOUR CITY BLOCKS

1t was admitted today by United
States Government officials that the
new filtration plant will not be COM
pleted by December /. 1904 nor will IL
b. that date be ready to furnish the
city with any filtered water, though the
acts Of Congress, approprlating S9.76S.4o5
for the project. expressly stipulated
that the whole work should be finished
by December next.
Captain Wooten, who IS now IN charge
Of the filtration plant. said this morn
ing he thought the plant would be able
to provide the city with water by The
middle or the latter part Of next De
cember He added. however. that the
entire work will not be finished before
next summer.
The Main Cistern.
Tho main. central cistern. a picture
Of which appears herewith, IS practical
IL completed now. and on the four other
cisterns work has progressed to a great
er or less extent. II water is furnished
through the plant by the expiration OF
December. II viii be chiefly through this
central cistern, and the others will be
completed as soon as possible.
In the picture can be seen the air
holes IN the almost completed roof OF
the cistern BY these. the underground
POOLS win DC ventilated. Below this i'm
mense roof are situated the filters, The
whole plant being known as a slow
sand filter" To the east and west OF
the central cistern. and behind 1t, are
located four others.
The construction OF the top Of the
cistern Is a most interesting piece OF
engineering work. At the bottom the
great tanks have a floor Of concrete. SO
made as 10 drain to certain points at the
outlet pipes. Pillars OF concrete, six
teen feet apart each way, ana ABOUT
two feet square. rise from the floor 10
the roof Each pillar has a drainage
pipe At it's center TO carry on surface
water above. On top OF each pillar
arched concrete roofs radiate 10 cen
trail line. and constructed above so as
TO convey rain and melting snow 10 the
drainage pipes. The airholes for ven
Jilating the tanks alternate with the
pillars al tho highest points OF the roof
sections Above the roof is three feet
OF sand over which viii be placed green
turf When st is considered that the
main cisJern covers four city blocks be
tween North Capitol and First Streets
northwest. the MAGNITUDE OF the work
can h9 understood.
Little surprise IS expressed at the fall
ure OF the contractors 10 complete the
plant within the specified time. as sew
erai setbacks. unavoidable, IL is under
stood have occurred during the progress
OF the WOrk. winch began year ago
last May The whole time required for
the completion OF the plant will amount
10 two years OF a little more than that
Cost of Filtration.
When the plant shall have been COM
pleted the cost OF the filtration OF water,
according 10 an estimate OF the late Col
A. 81. Miller. will be henceforward about
Sc per 100000 gallons. At the present
rate OF consumption Of water by the
city. this would mean a cost Of $500 per
day. or $4,000 per year.
These figures. It Will be remembered.
were given some time ago BY Colonel
Miller. when he was advocating a re-
duction Of the amount Of water used in
the city and District.
II the plans OF the officials work out
satisfactorily. the filtration plant will
be the first OF the Districts "extraordi-
nary improvements" 70 be completed.
Foliowing this, Il is calculated, will
come The completion of the new Union
Station. and after that, the finished
nauv MuniCfDal BuildiDR