Evening star., 1907-11-13
Use and Waste of Water.

llgn tur0ld!tN was continued Win Soou
'CsuIts.
Use and Waste of Water.
Cen Mackenzie invites attention to that
portion of the report of Mai Cosby. the
pficer in charge. which deals with the
subjact of consumption and waste of
water and says: The present system can
lot safely supply a greater quantity Of
water than is now taken from 1t, and
provision must be made either for ma
-ariaIly cutting down the waste or for in
,reasng the supply TO provide for the in
rrease in population and the enlarged per
apita consumption due to modern con-
.itiuns Of living The danger of an in
eruption of the supply is discussed in the
annual report of the chief of engineers
'or 1905. pages SO and s16.'
By the act of Congress approved June
:; 1900 and subsequent acts there has
,een appropriated for a slow sand fl
ration plant in this city total sum of
B. 46s 405 That plant was practically
ompleted at the beginning of the present
seal year. 1t consists of pumping sta
on for raising the water from the Wash
ngton city reservoir to the filters: of =
ter beds of the sloW-sand type, having
II effective filter area of l acre each; OF
filtered water reservoir. having a ca
.acttV OF about lI.r0D. 900 gallons, of the
ecessary piping and valves for carrying
h. water. controlling the rates of fl
ra ton. etc; of sand-washing and stor-
age system. and of laboratory for test
ug the water.
Reduction Of Bacteria.
The filtration plant Gen. Mackenzie
ays mas been in continuous and sue
essful operation throughout the year
ana the entire water supply of the city
mas been filtered. The bacteria have oeen
educed from an average OF 633 per cubic
ceutimeter in the Washington city rcser-
voir to an average of Il in the fiitered
water reservoir. The average turJidity
mas been similarly reduced from % to
parts per million. The actual number of
jacteVia in the city water varied from
O 300 per per cubic centimeter during the
year while the number in the river water
ran from 10 To o.. go. showing an actual
eduCt!on varying between 50 and 99.9 per
cent
The work during the year consisted
II cleaning and operating The filters; in
1naIyzing samples OF water from the sew
raj reservoirs from each filter. and from
APPS at various parts of the city: in
peratng and keeping in repair the pump
tlg station. and in doing the necessary
.lerical work connected with the office.
All work was don by day labor
The total quantity of water pumped TO
he filters during the year was 2i,4lll3
/ million gallons or an average of 66 80
$500 cubic yards of sand were washed
md - Isl cubic yards were replaced IN
lice filters. While the quality of the city
/ filtered water has been excellent bac-
terlO!Cgica-ly, it has not been satisfactory
rom the point of view of turbldlty. rms
sas been sufficient to be noticeable during
/ i large part of the year This confirms
/ he experience Of the previous hscai yea
and also the judgment Of the three ex-
5erts as expressed in their report, dated
/ February Is, 1901, to the chairman, Sen
ate committee on the District of Column
AN experimental plant has been IN
operation since February S, 1907, with
! he object of determining the best method
Of reducing The turbidity The present in
+ i.CaiiOns are that the most feasible
means Of Qualification VIII be found to be
/ some system Of preliminary coagulation,
such as was recommended by Messrs.
/ tiering Fuller and HazeD in the above
mentioned report.
Experiments with the sand-handling
and sand-w washing apparatus resulted in
| some small changes which greatly in
creased the efficiency of the system.
| The cost Ter million gallons filtered
| was S3.01.
! White House and Parks.
| In regard 20 public buildings and
| grounds. Gen. Mackenzie. says that exten-
sive repairs and bettcrments wera made
about the Executive Mansion. Much mis-
| ceIlaneous painting was done in the apart
ments on the ground floor and on the sec
| ond (bedrooml floor. Work was com
menced In June 1907, for repainting the
| entire exterior. Four rooms on the draw
/ ing room floor were repainted the furni-
ture in four Of them refinIshed reup-
/ h0istered. and recovered the walls of two
! Of them recovered with new material
and new window hanaings provided for
? .f ~,