The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-04-13

Richmond's supply of clear and pure
water is discussed in a bulletin issued
yesterday by the city Department of
Health, the results of the operation OF
the settling basins since December 20
being spoken of In the highest terms.
| The water now supplied lis declared
to be not only clear. but pure ana sate
for all uses. AS result the board
now proposes a more vigorous enforce
ment OF the regulations prohibiting the
use of shallow wells within the city
| limits, and especially within the area
served by city water mains.
| In describing the water publication
| plant the bulletin says:
This plant consists Of two large stor-
I age or settling basins with combineu
1 capacity OF lTo.00o.ooo gallons. These
I basins enable us 10 allow the river
Iwater to pass by during periods OF
greatest turbldiiy. There are next
| two large concrete basins, known as
| the coagulating basins. with COM
bined capacity OF @o.O0o.oOo gallons.
The entire system has thus a capacity
| of 100000, 600 gallons, or about four
teen DAYS supply with our present
consumption OF 100000 gallons per
| day.
! Two snstns Used.
! "The water on leaving the storage
\ or settling basins has added to IL the
| proper amount OF aluminium sulphato
/ as a coagulant The two coagulating
| basins arc used alternately and II Is
| found that. after coaEulatiug. one days
! standardization rs sufficient TO remove
| practically all the turbidity and very
| large percentage OF all bacteria, and
| the water which we have been getting
lin the past three months is excellent
| both in quality and appearance.
/ Eliminate, Creek Wntcr.
/ another important sanitary feature
! of our publication system is the entire
| elimination OF the water which former
I ly entered the feeder between the
river intake and the pumps This
creek water. under average conditions,
made up about per cent of the wa
! ter going into the pumps, but after
heavy local rains this percentage was
| always Immensely increased.
| "The creeks above mentioned drain
! nearby territory. which is rapidly
I building up, and this has for long
\ time been recognized as the chief SAN
/ itary menace TO our water supply. In
| the typhoid outbreak of January and
/ February 1908, we believe that we
traced the trouble directly to this
creek water. The present intake Is
| from the river at such point that
/ these creeks are entirely eliminated.
| Although these streams enter the Old
! feeder this feeder serves now as an
| intercepting drain and is used only for
| motive power of our pumps.
Close Shallow Wells.
The bulletin then goes on ~ explain
/ that the refusal OF the Supreme Courf
! of Appeals to grant an appeal from the
| decision OF Judge Witt rendered in
jo,, s,f
Board of Health as to it's right to close
shallow wells. The case was test
| which had been pending since February
! s, 1907 In which the defendant was
| fined in Police Court for maintaining
! shallow we'll in his yard, where the city
| water was available. When the case
was being heard on appeal in the
| Hastings Court, Judge Witt stated from
| the bench that ii should be made
| precedent to determine the power of
! the health board to enforce its resula-
| tons for the protection of the public
| health. He therefore instructed the
| jury TO find the defendant guilty, II
| the jury believed from the evidence
| that the we'll was shallow one. since
| the board had ruled that all shallow
\ wells must be closed where city water
| was available, and the defendant had
trefused or neglected to close his well
| when SO ordered.
! The bulletin says:
.The case having now gone to the
! Court of Appeals and been decided IN
1 our favor. we are now in a position nor
| only to pursue a vigorous policy OF
/ closing all surface wells. but owing to
| the clear cut issue made by Judge
witt in his instructions. we feel that
! this decision Will be of enormous help
| to our department in giving to the
/ rules and regulations of the city Board
| Of Health the full dignity OF law,
Supply. Now Excellent.
"Furthermore our policy OF closing
wells will be greatly helped BY the
fact that our public water supply Is
now excellent. Formerly, althoush We
| felt that shallow wells were worse than
our public water supply. nevertheless