The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-11-13
MAY BUY NEW
! WATER SUPPLY
City Council COntempIates Sc
curing Spring Creek.
ENGINEERS EXAMINATIONS
CHEMIST HARMS TESTS WATER
BY DIFFERENT METHODS.

Inc city council committee met yes
terday afternoon to consider the prop
usluon Of securing a water supply for
salt Lake city from Spring creek.
George w. Snow. city engineer, has
been allowed about 81 600 by the coun-
Gil 70 investigate the matter, and Her
man Harms, city chemist. has made an
Examination Of the water The coun-
eli VIII pass on the question at its ses-
sion tomorrow evening Chemist
Harms, after making many elaborate
tests. formulated a report, and makes
Inc, Following comment on the value of
The water:
Notwithstanding the chances for
contamination possible at all hours,
both the chemical analysis and the bac-
Theological examination show the wa
ter to be OF good purity. fully meeting
all sanitary requirements and perfect
is fit for all culinary and domestic
purposes.
This water contains Il fair amount
or solids or mineral matter. Organ
1caily considered the yield of ammonia
is very small Notwithstanding the
chances for possible contamination al
all hours, no contamination whatever
by sewage, drainage or seepage has
taken place. Both the chemical anal
ysis and the meteorological examina-
non show the water 10 be of excellent
quality, fully meeting all sanitary re-
quirements and perfectly fit for al do
lnestic and culinary purposes. See also
general remarks.
THE subterranean and the various
creek waters are Of Identical character.
excepting the organic purity. which is
greater in the flowing well than in the
surface waters.
Solids in the Water.
No objection whatever can be urged
against the character OF the mineral
constituents. the same constituting the
ordinary ingredients of nearly all
drinking waters. Objectionable con-
stituents, such as calcium chloride
magnesium chloride. excess Of iron or
traces of poisonous metals are entirely
absent
Concerning quantity. the water car
Iies fair amount which would fall
between our City creek and Parley's
canyon water the former carrying
IA grains and the latter ordinarily 22-24
grains of total solids per United States
gallon. Emigration canyon water car
ries 35-40 grains).
No particular objection can be urged
ON the quantity Of solids. although a
matter is the more desirabI one for
general drinking. household Saving of
soap, and manufacturing or boiler
purposes. Few authorities have at
tempted to fix a minimum standard
for solids in a drinking water. for the
obvious reason of the exceedingly vari-
Gus geological formations in the differ
ent localities. Unless 4 water contains
more than 40 grains per gallon, no eX-
ceptiOn need be taken to the solids
rs SUCH and if the solids DO not ex-
coed 30 or 40 grains per gallon, this
amount Of solids affords no reason for
rejecting a water for domestic use. ,
are the general views held Icy water
authorities.
Regarding organic matter: Tests
made right on the grounds upon the
water AT the time of collection and
confirmed by the laboratory tests show
all the sources Of supply to be of ex-
Ceiient purity. The well or subterran-
can water is certainly remarkable for
its organic purity. No contamination
or pollution by sewage seepage or
drainage has taken place, nOtWith-
standing the possible pollution at any
time by conditions as they exist at
present Comparing the organic mat
Ter Of the City creek and Parley's wa
ter. the last examination of these sup
plies. made Aug. 9. 1904 showed:
CITY Creek-Free ammonia. Ia part
per million. albuminoid ammonia. 10
part per million: total, 80 part per mil
lion. Oxygen consumed, so part per
million.
"Parley's Creek-Free ammonia. 10
part per million: albuminoid ammonia.
Is part per million; total. 80 part per
million. Oxygen consumed, lis parts
per million.
"(BOth these sources gave a much
higher purity on this date, Aug. g. 1904,
than at any previous tests made)
The water is absolutely odorless
eolOTless. sparkling, proper temperature
lin brief. inviting TO the eye and pal
ate. For domestic, culinary and manu-
featuring purposes. the Spring creek
water forms. i'm my opinion, very de-
Sirable source of supply II is. how
ever. essential that proper steps be
taken. so as TO avoid any possible
chance of contamination or pollution
of the water from the surrounding ter
TitOry as 10 conditions existing at pres
ent.
I'm conclusion. beg t. state that all
samples were collected personally in
the presence Of George W Snow. city
engineer. i'm absolutely sterile bottles
and all samples submitted as soon as
practicable to the respective analyses
and examinations. II is scarcely nee
essary TO state that absolutely new APP
paratus. absolutely pure chemicals
\and reagents were used and all samples
Subjected under exactly the same CON
dtions to the most severe and thorough
tests. with greatest care and scieuti1c
accuracy