The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1911-11-23
Consumers Are Now Being
Supplied with Chemical
ly Pure Water
FREE FROM ALL GERMS
Extensive Improvements 10
Water Works System
also Completed.


Is part of the extensive improve.
ments which have been made to the
city water works under the bond is.
sue two years ago and the follow
ing description of them will be OF
interest to many citizens.
These improvements comprise the
following:
i. Two settling and coagulatlng
basins.
2. A mechanical filtration plant.
9. New boilers and pumping
machinery,
4. improvements to the pumping
station.
IA distributing reservoir.
IS. New force main to the city
with connection to the reservoir.
Z. Reinforcement of the dlstrl,
button system.
S. An additional storage dam OIL
the river.
Settling and Coagulating Basis.
The settling and coagulating ba-
sins are located on a plot of ground
purchased for the purpose, a short
distance from the pumping station
and at slightly higher elevation so
that the settled water flows from
them by gravity to the filtration
plant. There are two basins, each
80 feet wide by 30 feet long with
an average depth of about sixteen
feet and their combined capacity is
100000 gallons, which allows a sed-
imentatlon period of about live
hours when the plant is operating
at its nominal capacity. .s,.
Tho basins are constructed en-
tierely of reinfoced concrete, which
makes them practically permanent
structures. The piping connections
are arranged to permit the use of
either or both basis as required, So
that one basin may be emptied and
cleaned while the other remains InI
service and all valves for controll-
ing the flow of water to and from
the basins are housed in a small
concrete gate house at one corner.
To facilitate cleaning, the floor .
each section is sloped toward cen
trail gutter which in turn connects
with sewer leading to the nearby
stream and fire hydrant has been
installed near the basins to furnish
water when needed to flush out the
mud deposited from the raw water.
Baffle walls extend nearly the whole
length of each basin SO that the en-
tire capacity is brought into use in
settling the waiter.
The cost of the settling and coag-
ulat!ng basins with piping conuec-
tions and land was about $4,000.
The arrangement is such however,
that additional basins may be con-
structed of the same capacity with
out and additional land or piping
connections.
Mechanical Filtration Plant.
The filtration plant Is of tho
mechanical type and is similar in all
respects to the large plants now in
successful operation at Cincinnati
o., Louisville, Ky, and New Orleans
La, purifying the very muddy wa.
ters of the Ohio and Mississippi
rivers. The distinctive feature o.
this type of plant is the employment
of some chemical, usually sulphate
of alumina, as n coagulant to gather
together the bacteria, minute ella!
particles and other impurities in ths
water into clots so as to permit o
their easy removal by sedimentatioI
and rapid filtration through sand
the applied chemical being itself re
moved in the process. This is tn
only practicable process today TO
purifying water containing iarg
quantities of fine clay as that of tn
West Fork river,
The plant, which has a nomina
daily capacity of 100000 gallon
of filtered water and is capable o
carrying considerable overloa
when necessary on account of in
creased consumption for fire pur
poses or other reasons, comprise
four filtered units. pipe gallery
machinery room, chemical storag
and mixing room, operating floor
laboratory and office, filtered waite
basin together with equipment TO
preparing solutions of chemicals an
for washing the filters. 1t is cor
structed throughout in the most pei
manent and substantial manner a
doors, tanks, filters and the filtere
water basin being reinforced cor
crete and the building which house
them being brick with a slate an
al. .anF ,rnnorko1 ~ -+onl 80 ~, Il,