The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1911-11-23
FILTRA TON PLANT
IS IN OPERATION

white quartz sand, 81 inches thick
resting upon nine inches of CAREFUL,
graded quartz gravel through which
the water is filtered in the bottom
of each filter is a strainer system
comprising a central manifold with
laterals six inches apart into which
800 small brass strainer cups arc
tapped, the purpose OF which is tc
remove the pure water as it perco,
lates through the sand bed and tc
permit the application of compressed
air and filtered water beneath the
same when 1t becomes clogged with
impurities. Each filter is provided
with four troughs above the sand
bed so arranged as to skim off the
dirty water as 1t rises from the sand
when the filter is being washed and
discharge 1t into the sewer. On the
lefliuent pipe from each filter there is
an automatic controller which can
be adjusted to maintain uniformly
any desired rate OF filtration through
the bed
Between the filters is a pipe gal
lery where the various valves, piping
Connections, controllers, float tunes
and other filter appurtenances are
located and above this, overlooking
the filters, is the operating floor
On this floor in front of each filteG
is placed marble table on which
are mounted devices for hydraulical
ly controlling all the filter valves
and indicating the movement of
same together with a loss of head
gauge which records on n chart the
amount of clogging OF the Alter sand
SO that the entire operation of the
filters can be carried out from this
point.
The machinery room contains a
Root Positive Rotary Blower with
a capacity OF 800 cubic feet of air
per minute and Wilmington Cen
trifugal pump with a capacity of
1880 gallons of water per minute,
each driven by a Pendleton water
wheel, for furnishing air and filtered
water under pressure for washing
the filters.
The chemical department COM
prises three pairs of tanks for chem
ical solutions, one for su1phuate of
alumina, one for lime and the third
for calcium hypochlorite or bleach,
each tank being equipped with
suitable dissolving compartment
and device for stirring the solution.
There is also three pairs of feeding
devices for accurately feeding the
chemicals to the raw water, ana
three pairs of chemical pumps for
pumping the solutions to the re-
CURED points thus making the en-
tire chemical equipment in duplicate
and thus entirely reliable. A hy-
draulic elevator is also provided
for raisin chemicals to the mixing
room.
The laboratory has been COM
pletely equipped for making the
necessary chemical and bacteriolog-
ical analysis to govern the opera
ton of the plant and determine the
purity of the water being supplied
to the city. a Ventiri meter has
been installed to measure the guam
tity of raw water being pumped so
that the proper amounts OF chem
icals may be added. Beneath the
filters, pipe gallery and machinery
room there is filtered water basin
with storage capacity of 100000
gallons.
In the operation of the plant a
small quantity of sulphate OF
almina, from one-half to two grains
per gallon usually, is added to the
raw water as 1t is pumped to the
settling basins. This combines with
the lime naturally present in the
water to form a sticky, focculen,
precipitate which clots together the
various impurities, such as bacteria
particles of clay, etc, the action
being similar to that Of the white Of
an egg in clearing coffee. The large,
part of the impurities settle out If
the basins and the remainder arc
removed by the filters leaving The
water bright and clear. Provision
has been made for adding suitable
amounts of lime to secure this ac
ton at times when it is not natural
" present in the river water and a,
the water leaves the plant, a small
quantity of calcium hypochlorlte .
bleach is introduced in accordance
with the best modern practice il
water publication. The chemica