Evening journal., 1905-10-17
PLANS AGAIN
INTERFERED WITH
Turnpike Company Will Not
Allow Water Main to be
Laid at Certain Point
BOARD MAKES REPORT OF TRIP

Inc Board OF water commissioners ~
confronted with another obstacle In the
work Of building the proposed new water
system. AT the meeting yesterday after
noon, a letter was received from the Will
mlngton ana Great Valley Turnpike Com
pany notifying the board that Il would
not allow the laying OF the water main
from the Weldin farm, at a certain point
In the turnpike. Chief Engineer Lcisen OF
the department was instructed 10 arrange
a conference with the officials of the turn-
pike company.
REPORT OF WESTERN TRIP.
The report of the members OF the board
ON the inspection made by them Of the
water plants In indianapolis and st. Louis
was presented. 1t deals with the systems
I'm st. Louis and indianapolis and declares
in favor of sand filtration.
City Councilman Howard ID. Ross re-
Gently read a communication before city
Council praislns the system in ST. Louis
and pointed out that It was being oper-
ated by a small force of men and that the
total cost of operation was $50 per mill
lion gallons as compared with the ap-
proximate cost Of filtration Of from s. to
Sl2 per million gallons.
Samples of raw and treated water from
81. Louis were procured and will be ex-
hiblted az the meeting of city Council on
Thursday night. together with raw and
preliminary filtered water from the Bran-
dywine.
Referring 10 the plant at the Chain OF
Rocks at ST. Louis the report says. its
na.
real estate, and excluding also Of the cost
Of the conduit leading from here 10 the
other pumping station was S2.725.ooo
adding to the above the cost Of the
connecting conduit and pumping stations
and machinery necessary for the distrib-
ution Of the water supply. the total cost
is about S6,OoO,OOO and the value OF the
entire plant Of the city, including real
estate, water mains and all appurten-
! ances. Is estimated at S22.00 000 The
cost Of the temporary structure which Il
! used for the preparations OF the chemi.
e calls was $4,000. and these figures have
] been used in some instances as a basii
= for comparison with the total cost OF I
! complete filtration plant
NOT THE TOTAL COST.
The cost OF purifying the ST. Loui
r water has been given at $40 per millloi
gallons but this Is merely the cost OF tn
chemicals employed and the labor Of IN
!. i've men 10 do the mixing.
/, According TO the annual report for IN
year ending April i. 1904, the total cos
Of operation Of the sedimentation basin
was SS9,9s962 equivalent TO S352 per mil
, lion gallons; the cost Of pumpage at thl
, Chain OF Rocks station was s276 per mn
lion gallons, and the cost Of cleaning th'
sedimentation and subsided chemicals
from the settling basins was sli4 per mil
lion gallons.
Relative TO the cost Of chemicals the
report says
In order TO appreciate the quantity o
chemicals used It may be stated that OF
an average two grains Of sulphate O
iron and eight grains OF lime are adde,
to each gallon OF water. amounting q
annually 5000 tons Of sulphato or iroi
and 1900 tons Of lime, costing s75Si0 de
livered on the cars at the station, o.
an average cost OF S296 per million gal
Ions OF water for chemicals alone
The report holds that the question o
labor Is an item Of considerable import
ance, and with respect 20 the statemen
that only five men were necessary L
operate the plant II IS stated that ther
are three shifts Of five men In the coag
ulating house alone. this being a SINAI
proportion and that the water commits
sioner stated there were $50 men on IN
t pay roll at the Chain Of Rocks static
- alone and 600 men on an the work.
I Statistics are given which Il is con
tended show the uncertainty and unrel
I ability Of this method Of elimination O
: germs. II IS also contended that thl
system is stfl considered in its expert
mental stage. Plates were made OF IN
Z. raw and treated water on a special med
d lum, while the local commissioners wer
. present. and showed the presence Of sus
s picious bacteria.
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