The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-03-04

| OF the Increased capacity Of our new
| fire engines, and the general demand
| of fire protection.
! - have submitted to the Committee
on Water an itemized statement CIV
| Ing the loca ton and cost of these
| mains. and j regard 1t as important
| that means should be provided for
/ these extensions. 4
! II would especially mention tho Inn
| portance of at once putting In main
| on Main Street from Third to Thir-
| teenth Street. and thence up
| Thirteenth Street to Franklin Street,
/ along Franklin Street to Twenty
4 sixth street. thence to Broad
Street, Connecting all the fire I
4 hydrants along this route to the new i
4! main, which would be supplied from
! the New Reservoir and furnish a good |
| pressure.
/ by connecting this main at Main ard |
4 Thirteenth Streets to the large main on
the low pressure, with a valve between, !
1t could be used to provide an abundance !
of water to the manufacturing district |
4 lying east Of this point, in the event OF
u serious fire; also provide the same sup /
! ply to North Seventeenth Street, should |
i 1t be demanded, and it would insure to |
Church Hill complete protection. now de-
pendent upon single sixtcen-inch main
in Broad Street.
Another most important extension $
twelve-inch main from Cary and Tween
| ~ -ioultu 5llGclS u fulCOn, winch is nov
supplied by two six-inch mains over i,
mile In length. only mention these
two, but 1t is important that the balance
: OF the list should be provided for.
Meters.
There were set during the year 10
II meters, and 126 were taken cut Those
taken out were for the most part meters
!, which had been in service for many
years. and We're originally purchased by
8 citizens. The total number of meters
!, now in service amount to S,O24-about
fifty per cent. of the total ntimber OF taps.
i There are regularly each month,
, many man. app applications for metres and a
very yer n large majority ma. Of our water tax
, water. reco gnizng that 1t is the only
equitable method. Some of our citizens
nav hase IS suffered the expense of high bills
occurs from what is called the Frost
Proof Closet" and the leakage cannot
easily be detected from this fixture.
+ and is not known until manifested by a
h nigh bill. The Board of Health now
y have this matter under consideration,
!, fixture which will not cause this ex-
Q sumer
p THE good results obtained by the
i metre system still are manifest. for eS-
it ample there was less water consumed
L. the past year than in 1893. notwith-
" both in population and manufactures,
: manufactories outside Of the city limits.
! Quality of the Water.
vi Tor. a full and complete study Of
: what has been the quality of the wa
m ter refer you to the annexed report
"a and tables of Mr.. Edwin N. Ezekiel,
~ who has had charge of the labora-
~ tory SINCE July last, when pr T.. G.
~ position ofxChief Health Officer.
8 This report is exceedingly Interest,"
is ing and confirms the good results to be
m obtained by sedimentation, both in re-
Is ducton Of the turbidity and bacteria.
I'd The turbidity Is shown graphically on
"a the chart plated from tables Nos. /
p sidered that this Improvement was OBJ
We tanned with only four days sedimenta-
er ton, 1T can be surmised how much
Mt the longer time is afforded BY the
SIS settling basins Especially however,
y does the chart exhibit strongly the
W ~ of their large content, in. furnishing
~ the means OF se1ectingith kind of wa
r, ter we will admit
al With the exception of the month
sh of August at no time during the year
IT, would the basins have been filled with
p very muddy water. The very turbid
~ BY and even in the month Of August.
,lf We would have had comparatively fair
- selections
s. Il know of no more important work
in connection with the Water De-
ps partment than that in the laboratory
en- and this will be all the more neces-
at sary when the basins are brought into
he operation.
A There has. been erected over the
h. influent chamber of the coagulating ba-
or sin, a simple but neat little building
% observations and examinations will be
= made, which will be most necessary
~ the character of the water but the - SUE
or perintendence and direction of the
I'm proper quantity or coagulant, whenever
$50 1t is necessary to apply It,
"a For over two Years. mir, Ezekiel has
M had most careful teaching and train
M Ing under DR., Levy in this especia
he branch OF investigation, and has showr
n advice. also OF Dr. Levy, am sure
MS, You viii find his report instructive ant
e. Settling Basins.
Inv The settling and coagulating basins
~ aftef many delays, We're completed. nj
Der turned over to the city by the contrac.
Der tors, Messrs, Winston d. Co., in Decem.
ser Der last.
ng length Of time 1t took to complete thi.
ter work The delay was principally du,
SO me aea Mn dc tW9
ii. labor. The work has been 80 fuilS
lc- and SO q. often Described that It is no
The Gus kinds has been we'll done, and be
'ns lieye the basins will lGoye of beneii
OF and comfort to our people, Tho Length
ric of time beyond that named for tn,
md co!llplel'ol ~ WIS i Work ehtalled eNtr
A. A. and inspection services,
~. ut is much to be regretted that TIL
IN contract for the conduit was not lie
some time ago.. as this missing linl
now prevents the operation and us
of the basins.
,gs ''rhe. contract for the conduit wa
Mo let to the Grouse Construction Compan
ma in May last and was to have been com
.a | pleted In November Bad weather dur
AUS ing the summer months, ditliclfty Il
lhu getting labor, II number of rises In TIL
river and cold and freezing weathe
have greatly delayed the work. and TIL
spring freshets may still further della
ter progress About one-fourth Of the con
nal duff has been finished, I do not thin
yle II can be COMPLETED before July mex
re ''It should be remembered that tn
conduit is being built, in the bed Of tn