Evening journal., 1909-12-23
FILTERED WATER
AS CITY'S GIFT
Mains to Receive Their First
Supply on Christmas
Day
SYSTEM WILL END
THE TYPHOID TERROR

One Christmas gift for everybody in
Wilmington will be filtered drinking
water. preparation having been made by
officials Of the Water Department TO run
water from the new filter into the city
mains on that day During the last few
days department officials have been work
ing zealously to this end and announce
ment was made to-day that the plans
would not go awry unless something un-
forseen happens.
Ever since Wilmington has had muni-
.. cipal water plant the supply has been
taken from tho historic Brandywine
Creek. This stream has It's source in Penn
sylvania and has a total length OF some
s5 miles. Above this city It has a drain
age area Of about 1886 square miles. on its
water shed. which is largely farm land.
are number Of towns and villages. and
the stream is polluted to a considerable
extent by sewage and manufactured waste
chiefly from paper mills.
The raw water has been found at all
times to contain many impurities, but
more especially after heavy rains, when
the water rushing down the sloping banks
carries with 1t all the impurities that col
lect there with the natural increase in
the populatio nof the towns along tie
stream, the pollution became greater and
residents Of this city we're eventually con-
fronted with the proposition Of having
their water supply filtered or a typhoid
fever epidemic every year
The old water system had become al
most obsolete. and. while 1t supplied the
demands Of the city. the growing need OF
a new system was recognized by the
large majority. The proposition to build
new water plant was strongly opposed,
however, on the ground that the raw
water was pure enough, and on the
ground OF economy. few years ago
however. the water commissioners decided
! to construct a new system and the &c.
600. .OOO-gallon reservoir on the Weldin farm
site in Brandywine Hundred resulted.
This reservoir, however, is only a sedl-
mentation basin. The unfltered water
was stil being distributed through the
city. A preliminary plant was then con-
structed and finally the intermediate slow
sand filters were decided upon and orders
for the construction work given. 1t is th'
final filter that is now about completed
and which will purify the water and give
Wilmington a supply unsurpassed by tha'
Of any other city in the country.
Filter 100000 Gallons Daily.
The plant is located on city property il
Brandywine Hundred. adjacent TO tbs
enormous sedimentation basin. The filter
lie few hundred feet southeast OF th'
reservoir and space has been provided foi
four batteries Of six beds each. although
only one battery is under construction a
this time. The work includes six covere'
filtered water reservoir, a sand washing
machine, a control house, in addition e
/ all necessary piping and valves. The plan
is Of concrete entirely. Each bed Is 36
feet long and 40 feet wide. superimpose
upon a groined arch filtered water reser
voir. The roof Of the filter is made up Q
reinforced concrete slabs supported o
structural steel beams and columns rest
ing on the filter division walls.
At one end Of the plant for the fu
width thereof there is a dry gallery 4
which are located all of the filter pipin
and regulating devices, making thes
readily accessible. The capacity Of N
filters will be 100000 gallons every
hours, and the capacity OF the fltere
water reservoir will be 10000 gallons.