Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-11-27
IL per cent and in 1911. lis per cent
WASTE ENORMOUS.

nous waste of water in the city OF
Rock Island, The amount of water
used daily per capita has been al
most twice that used by people in
cities having 10 per cent or more of
the services metered. The average
consumption per capita in American
cities is rs TO 80 gallons daily. Rock
Island should adopt a definite meter
policy and set each year from 200 to
300 new meters until all services are
metered in order to overcome the
enormous waste OF water.
The superintendent of waterworks
in 1901 and again in 1902 called at
three slow sand filters were able when
all were in service to filter daily g.
100000 gallons of water, the average
daily consumption exceeded 100000
gallons. At frequent intervals 1t was
necessary to place one filter bed out
Of service for cleaning. so that at
those times only 100000 gallons OF
water were filtered and the other l.
soc. 600 passed unfiltered into the city
mains. The superintendent therefore
requested that a fourth filter bed OF
100000 gallons capacity be construct
ed. The water that passed the filters
was fairly free from suspended mat
ter, but not from bacteria.
One-half Of the sand had been re-
moved from the filters in cleaning.
and had not been replaced. In 1902
a sand washer was purchased and put
into operation. This worked salts,
factorily and 2 part of the sand was
replaced in the filters.
I Alum had been used as a coagulant
/ in 1901 in an attempt to settle out
the suspended matter before the wat
( er reached the filters. In 1902 Mayor
Knox recommended the iron sulphate
and lime treatment such as was in
use at Quincy. These chemicals were
used in place Of alum. and Mayor
Knox reports that the coagulant was
: used with good success.
NEW SYSTEM PROPOSED.
I Mayor McConochie, when taking of.
. fee in 1902 stated that in his opin.
ion the slow sand system might be
satisfactory for filtering clear lake
water, but that il was not q success
with muddy river water. He sug
gested that before action was taken
/ towards the construction of a fourth
[ filter unit that an investigation be
made Of the Jewell system of mechan
! lcal filtration such as was being in.
stalled in Moline.
Mayor McCaskrin in his message
covering the years 19O5-1906 states
: that at the outset of his adminstra
/ ton he endeavored to have a filter
plant and settling basin installed Oh
the river front adjacent to the pump
ing station. He recommended that
the incoming administration build
such a filter plant on the river front
Mayor Schaffer said In his mes
sage to the council in May 1908: The
( city's means of filtering the water
and furnishing the people with clear
and wholesome water are in need OF
immediate improvements. The nat
ural sand filter has failed to justify
the expectations of the people and
apparently is impractical in thi:
climate, and in dealing with the raw
article furnished at certain season.
by the Mississippi.
The plant furnishes thoroughly FL
tered water only during a brief perioC
Of each year. During six months o.
each year, because of the impractical
bility OF washing and changing OF
sand in the filters during the season
OF freezing weather, the water is de
livered to the consumer in practically
raw state"
Mayor Schaffer was authorized by
the council to investigate the advis
ability Of installing a mechanical fl
ter plant He reported favorably up
on such an installation and recon
mended that the plant be built a
once upon the river bank west Of The
present pumping station.
On Jan. IS, 1909 the city council
passed a resolution in favor of a new
filtration plant. Bids were asked FOL
the construction of a complete me
chanical filtration plant to be bull
upon the river bank adjacent to the
pumping station in accordance will
plans and specifications prepared b!
City Engineer Wallace Treichler.
CHANGE LOCATION.
A commission composed OF the cit!
engineer, Wallace Treichler, John W
Alvord and George T. Prince was ap
pointed to inspect the bids and re
port upon the most desirable plan
This commission, after due consid
Grafton. reported in favor of rejecting
all bids and calling for new bids To-
the construction of the filter plant up
on the present site at the reservoir
John w. Alvord and City Enginee
Treichler were appointed a commit
tee TO analyZe the bids submitted
The bid of the Pittsburg Filter Man
ufacturing company OF Pittsburg wa
accepted and the present filter plan
Of 100000 gallons capacity daily wal
built upon the hill at a cost OF approx
imately $4,000
The plant was completed and tn
: structural part OF the plant accepte,
by the city in May, 1911 The oficia