Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1906-02-14

Harrisburg Pa. Beard Of Trade Journal
"The Harrisburg water supply is the
best for mill purposes / have met with
IN an experience embracing many of the
large industrial centres OF the United
States. J.. "a. Jones. manager Harris
burg plant of Lalance & Grosiean Manu-
featuring Co.
The Harrisburg Water Department is
ready for the final test OF the big engines
at the filter plant. which viii take place
some time in January.
The whole filter plant is giving entire
satisfaction and is fulfilling every promise
made fori il. Its rated capacity is . 000.
00Ogallons Of filtered water per day, but it
has turned out as many as l297S 600 gal
Ions, and can filter 5000 600 gallons prop
erly, if pressed.
Ii has required an average of two and
one-half per cent OF the filtered water to
wash the filters and It has cost the depart
ment on the average OF $40 per million
gallons for coagulant, coal, labor and
minor supplies.
The water turned out at the plant is
clear and sparkling, bat what is more to
the point, il is practically pure Water
samples are taken three times q day, every
eight hours. Water is analyzed three
times day from the raw supply as it is
pumped into the filter, from the coagu-
lating basin and after the water has been
filtered Water is also analysed after IL
leaves the city reservoir, TO find If 1t has
picked up any foreign matter on its
journey from the filter plant.
The filter plant officials test most care
fully for intestinal bacteria The water
is full Of these germs, some of them classed
as dangerous and Others harmless, when
il comes into the coagulatng basin, but
not a single intestinal germ has been found
in the water after il passes through the
filters. As typhoid Is one OF the diseases
attributed by physicians to Intestinal
germs. the filter plant practically elimi-
mates danger from tins source IN Harris
burg
The germ cultures of Tuesday, for
instance. show that for every 600 hac-
terra in the raw water the coagulating
basin removes d3.S per cent, leaving
900. Only 20 were found in the
filtered water, none of them harmful,
showing that the water as turned out by
the filters Is 9S.S per cent pure. As stated
none of the germs left in the water are
of the intestinal variety, or otherwise
harmfnl
The Water Department hopes to do
| better as times goes on and the men be-
come more familiar with the workings OF
the new plant and the flow Of the river
A few germs find their way into the
water on its way Through ithe pipes,
but this will also be eliminated when the
/ filtered water has finally washed the mains
/ clean OF the deposits left there by long
continued flows of unfltored water
No person in Harrisburg need fear the
| oft-reported "bugaboO' of alum IN the
city water supply. While alumis put into
! the raw water IL is only a two per cent
solution and is Just enough TO coagulate
the animal aud vegetable matter in the
water. Most of this falls to the bottom
| of the c0agulating basin and what does
not IS caught by the sand in the filters.
| Every bit OF water that goes through the
plant is tested for alum and up to this
time not a particle has been found. The
filtered product is strongly alkaline IN its
properties and If ever the occasion re-
ouires. any alum that may find its way
into the filtered water will be neutalizeo
bv the use of soda or lime. However
present indications are that no such
naturalization viii be necessary.
The filter plant is clean as a new pin
The employees are required to dress m a
special uniform when they enter the plant
and the lockers for their street clothes arc
of white netting, SO as to be readily nm
spected. Baths with shower attachment.
are provided and nobody IL tolerated
about the plant who viii not keep clean
Smoking and splitting on the floor are for
hidden. The whole building is kept a'
clean as new pin.
uarrishnrr has a mechanical filtration