The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-02-22
Idlewild Spring Supply
North Birmingham Well Supply of the
City of Birmingham


"On January /, 1910, when Greater Biz
mingham was organized, the city of Biz
minsham acquired the water plant then
owned and being operated by the city OF
North Birmingham The supply of water
was from well 1928 feet deep drilled into
the dolomite adjacent to the old quarry
of the Sloss company. Water from this
well. without any publication or treat
ment of any kind was delivered to the
consumers.
During the year 1910 the city of Bir-
mingham employed a sanitary engineer
of national reputation. Mr. Morris
Knowles. to make a report on its North
Birmingham water plant. His report
showed that the water was of very in
ferior sanitary quality and following this
report and protests from numerous ply
sicians and citizens of North Birmins-
ham who attributed the, increase oil
typhoid fever in that vicinity TO the use
of the well water. the city discontinued
for time the use of this water and
arranged a connection of its pipe lines
with those of the water company, the
city purchasing water from the water
company and supplying its North Bir-
mingham consumers through its own
pipes. On February 6, 1918, the city OF
Birmingham closed the valve connecting
it's pipe system with the mains of the
water company. and put back into ser
vice its pumping station, taking water
from the we'll aforesaid without any puri-
fication or treatment of the water. The
last meteorological examinations. con-
firming others, made in our laboratory
of the water of Idlewild spring and the
water of the North Birmingham well
as supplied to the consumers were as
follows:
"Idlewild spring; sampled February 49,
1913; bacteria per cubic centimeter, 10;
bacillus COLI not found in l cubic cent?
meter of water; bacillus coli, found in 1C
cubic centimeters of water.
North Birmingham well water supplied
by the city of Birmingham. sampled
February 10, 1913 bacteria per cubic cent?
meter, $50; bacillus coli not found one
tenth in one-tenth cubic centimeter of
water; bacillus coli, present in ! cubic
centimeter of water; bacillus coli, present
in 10 cubic centimeter of water.
1.-THE total bacteria found in the North
Birmingham water analysis Is high. The
presence of the colon bacillus in both OF
these water supplies indicates pollution
of some kind or contamination from
sewage. The finding of this germ in small
quantities of water Zone cubic centmeter
being equal to 20 to 30 drops) does not
prove in itself that the water will make
anyone sick, but it does indicate contact
with pollution which may become danger
Gus at any time. The existence of colon
bacillus. the intestinal germ, in a water
supply constitutes the warning signal
against possible infection of the typhoid
germ. We have noticed that the citizens
/ Of North Birmingham are alive to the
serious situation with which they are
confronted, and that an effort is to be
made also by the city to improve the stu
alton at the 1dlewild spring. Commission
er Weatherly has announced that he
will spend several hundred dollars in es-
tablishing a publication process for the
North Birmingham plant. The Birming-
ham water company has invested approx
imately 100000 in the sedmentation, fill
tration and publication features of its
waterworks system.
Question of Vital Importance
"The question of an adequate supply
of pure and wholesome water is one OF
such vital Importance to the entire COM
munlty that, as briefly as possible we
wish to say a few words on this subject.
Whatever difference of opinion there
may be as to the rates charged, or as to
the interesting issue of municipal owner
ship, there can be no dispute about the
absolute necessity of pure and wholesome
wafer The water company furnishes
water to the city of Birmingham from
two sources Of supply; Five Mile creek
and the Cahaba river.
The waters from Five Mile creek are