The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-11-24
PLANT ID PURIFY WATER IS SUCCESS Tests Were Made of Septic Purificatlon System Yesterday WATER NINE-TENTHS PURE Daily Flow of Water Through Sewer Ia About a,5oo,ooo Gallons, One
 Fifteenth of Ca
 pacity.
WATER NINE-TENTHS PURE

fhe septic purificaton system inaugu- rated by the Jefferson county sanitary commission to purify the sewerage that passes through the Valley Creek division of the county sewers, is proving to be a most successful solution of filtration.
 Over six inches of scum has already formed on top of the septic tanks at the purifcation plant below Bessemer and the water that is being discharged from the tanks is nine-tenths pure. According to the theory of the septic purification process the purification is not expected to be complete until a crust has formed on the top of the tanks that will entirely eliminate the air from coming in contact with the water underneath the scum.
 A test of the water was made yester- water from the septic tanks and a bottle of pure water were put side by side. and it Is almost impossible to discern the diff ference between the two.
 Birmingham is the only city in the coun- try that has turned its sewage into the sewers. The number of people in Birming ham using the sanitary system Is es- timated at between 50,000,000 and co.,, GOO. This flow in the sewers only takes one-ffteenth of the capacity. This fact Is very gratifying to the commission, as according to these figures the Valley Creek sewer will supply the needs of minimum of 9O0,0OO and maximum of 100000 people.
 Hard to Estimate.
 It was very difficult in making the es-
 
 for the engineers to tell Just how large to make the sewers to accommodate the needs of the future Birmingham district. Now the daily flow of sewage is about B,5o0.OOO gallons. Fifteen times this amount would not congest the sewers.
 The Village Creek division of the coun- Ky sewers will be completed early next year. The force of workmen on the sys- tenn has been doubled, and the construc- dion is being pushed with all possible haste
 Ensley has already finished it's sanitary sewer system and will connect with the county system as soon as completed. Pratt City, Woodlawn, Avondale, East Lake and North Birmingham will take steps in a short time to build sani-
 
 dale have already arranged for the sys- tems, and the work of construction will be commenced at once.
 Birmingham and Bessemer have sani- tary systems and West End has voted bonds for the construction of sewers. West End will be connected with the county sewers as soon as the branch to West End is completed The Bessemer branch has been practically completed and Bessemer will turn its sewage into the county sewers in a short time.
 To Sell Water.
 Morris Adler & Co.,, who purchased the water after it Is purified by the septic tanks. will in the near future build a reservoir and pumping station at the end of the sewers and will sell the water to industrial plants.
 According to the contract the Aders have with the sanitary commission they have the right to use the land that the company has purchased at the end of the system to build a pumping plant. When the Birmingham district is bufr up the water from the purification plant will amount to several millions of gallons daily.
 Under the present laws governing the sanitary commission it has the power to compel cities to connect with the sewers. The commission has not the power to tax adjoining property for maintenance of sanitary sewers, and 1t is argued that the sanitary laws in this county cannot be completed until the county Is placed un- der one general government.
 It is pointed out that this will be one of the arguments that will be used be- fore the next legislature in the effort to have that body create Greater Bir- mingham."