Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1910-10-27
TRUE CONDITION
OF FILTER PLANT

vi ULILH ILHNI
DR. Dixon : communication To- the
borough council informing it that the
filter plant is working badly and needs
overhauling by an expert has had Il
disquieting effect upon the water TAX
ers Following as it does upon an an
alysis which revealed the borough
water below par as to purity, most
people without questioning the matter
accept the view of the State health
commissioner and think that council
should act in the matter forthwith.
The attaches of tho water works,
however, who are entitled to a hear
ing, characterize Or. Dixon conclu-
sion as hasty and out of all harmony
with the facts. They declare that the
plant is in as good condition as the
day it was installed and challenge an
investigation.
In the first place attention is called
l W lile Idct tilat tilt MOIlls JtWeIl
filter system is the best and most eX-
penSive eXtant; that the owners in
installing the plant here took every
pains and regard it as model; that
when they wish to demonstrate the
efficacy of their system they unvarl-
ably being prospective purchasers to
Danville and show them over the plant
here.
The filter beds. which consist of
thirty-Six inches of crushed quarts,
are in precisely the same condition as
when installed The system could de-
teriorate through carelessness or neg
lect only, in which event as the result
of use the beds of crushed quarts might
become foul and dirty.
The attaches of the plant call atten-
tion to the fact that not only do they
follow all instructions relating to
washing and sterilizing hut that un-
der certain conditions, as a precau-
tion, they repeat the process when not
called for by the rules. Thus, it is ex-
planned that while the instructions
call for the sterilizing of the filter
tubs only once a year, owing to the
presence of sewage in the river, it has
always been customary to steriliZe the
tubs here every six months.
The washing of the filter beds, which
is simpler process, takes place daily.
Here again, in washing the settling
tank, in order to secure the best re
suits, a great deal of extra work is
done not hinted at in the rules. The
condition of the river water is closely
observed and when it becomes muddy
the washing of the filler beds is re-
peated many times daily. 1t is no un-
usual thing for the process to be re
peated eight times in ten hours.
After each washing the filter beds
are free from dirt no matter how
muddy the river may be. The steriliZ-
ing process is designed to remove the
micro organisms or other impurities
that may cling to the crushed quartz.
Briefly, it consists of placing on each
filter bed ono hundred pounds of caus-
tic soda and by means of steam boiling
the bed for ten hours. Workmen then
shovel around the bed of quartz lay
ing bare the flooring of minute screens
through which the water finds its way
ont of the tub. All screens that are
found defective are replaced with new
ones.
1t is hardly claimed for the filter
system that it will wholly eliminate
bacteria, and if the product of the
plant contains micro organisms it is
because the river water abounds in
them and not because of any careless
ness or neglect on the part of.the en-
ployes.
1t was stated at the water works
yesterday that at nearly regular inter.
vals say every other day. the river
water bears the'odor of carbolic acid,
which it communicates to the filter
! beds