Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-04-14
WATER HEARING,
Construction and Operation Of
Filter Plants.
Comp 'ny's Appraisal Of Its Building
Almost Ha|ved.
Next Session of the Board at GAS A. M.
Friday.

OF appraisers, today. Adjournment
euilesday afternoon, was until al
fflday morning, rs one or two of Tho
members nave matters of their own tC
| attend to today. Wednesday forenoon
was devoted to the testimony OF George
+. RULER, an eminent sanitary engineer
| of New York. who gave estimates O,
the cost Of filtration plant here and
described its construction and opcr.
| alton. In the afternoon Horace Purin-
| ton ard l.. L. Bradstrcet, contractors
gave their estimate Of the replacement
value of the water cCmpanys buildings
Tie former set the total value ut Sill
AND tn" latter at $S,2ic. Mr.. Noyes
who appraised the buildings for the
Water company had earlier in tn,
| hearing set the value ut $l3,331J.
Henry 7. Morse WAS the first witness
Wednesday,. Have been city marsha
OF Augusta l. years. beginning in 1885
ana was chief engineer fer 81 years ii
all. Eeld both offices when prcsen:
water works We're constructed. Took
quite an interest in work ana folloWol
laying of pipes Very closely. Often
th"u@ht the Joints were not i,Yoparly
caul.ic /. particularly on lower side
Since then have often noticed that
leaks were on the lower side ut TIC
ioirts. Have seen such leaks every
Year and at all seasons of the year
Saw many of the h!tlrants set. but nev-
eI san one Of them drained. AS chief
engineer l had 10 look after the ny
drantS myself. as til" water company
liI nothing to prevent them from freez-
ing OF to thaW thcIQ out. From my ex-
pc; fence % or 80, Oh perhaps more. o.
casionally freeze. The others require
constant care 10 keep them from frcez-
ing. Often pumped them out to keep
them from freeZiiS.'
on cross-eXamination: Never had
practical experience in setting hy-
drants. \ drain should let off All water
left III hydrant after being used. There
should first be hole i'll the hy,.rant
and then drain to lead TO sewer
Redirect: If The soil is porous
enough to absorb water. the drain is
loss necessary. The barrel of The hy-
1rant contains from u to % gallons OF
water. With good drainage ii takes )
20 10 minutes for hydIant to empty it
self through the Vcnt hole"
George /. Fuller Of New York cit:-.
sanitary engineer, WIS then called:
Have given exclusive attentions to nv
branch Of engineer ing since 1SMS. Am
gradual" OF Massachusetts Institute oc
Tee hroioSy and for five Years WAS witt!
Massachusetts stat" Board Of Health
Have mad" special studies of typhoid
bacteria. Have worked for water COM
parics and municipalities in the East
and West. Have been engaged in W.
ter publication projects in about 80
cities. on" Of these was in Washing
ton, -. g., on Il commission appointed
by Congress. Other places have been
New orleans, Buffalo, Indianapolis. Co.
iumbuS. Cincinnati, Erooi,Iyn and New
Haven. The filtration plants | have
helped design or construct range from
100000 gallons per day to 80, O00, 900 gal
Ions per day.
rave made examination of the con-
ditiUn% in Augusta ana considered best
method and place of filtration of Au-
Susta supply.
"Consider the water as now supplied
unsafe for drinking purposes. There is
too much pollution up river and too
little ruriiication by natural processes
~ filtration. Even if there were no
disease infection in the river today il
would not be a safe water to drink for
with so much pollution disease may
lrisc at amy time. TIL" typhoid germ
does net multiply III water and gradu-
ally dies out. 1t lives for several
weeks. not commonly beyond three or
four. think this kenncbcc river water
can be purified and made fit to drink
by mechanical or SLOW sand filtration.
This is Il practical, business PROPOSE
lion. which would recommend ;.a an
engineer. Should much prefer sand
filters here rs better, safe and cheapnr.
In South and West on account Of tn.
condition of water mechanical filters
N" required. There is less clay and
silt in water here.
'Th" filter plant here should have
capacity of at least 3OO9.0oo gallons
daily. This slow sand filter plant
should he located just south Of present
rcserV Dir. on Il level Il little higher.
There should be Il storage basin to be
flied at night 50 that the filters could
be in continuous operation through the
day. The basin should be so located
| hat the water would ran ~ GRAVITY
| from that to the filters Such IA ar
ranGrncit would allow the filter bed
| 70 h. smaller The Storage basin
should hold about 1000. coo c.,llons Tho
sand filter beds should have combined
surface OF one acre. Two beds womb
| allow one to he cl"anscd while other
was being use,. This bed would have
| to BE- covered in this climate. cost of
| cover would 81 less than cost Of rrmov-
i