The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-02-19
.FARGO'S new
. Water PLANT
o.. 49,
AN EXCELLENT WRiTEUP OF
FARGo's FINE NEW FILTRA-
TON PLANT IN THE MlNNEAP-
OILS TRIBUNE OF LAST MON
DAY.

The Minneapolis Tribune had the
following: 9 Fargo is again drinking
water from the Red river of the north.
1t is. nearly twenty-five years since
this water has been utilized for do
nestle purposes and the change is
Drought about by the completion of
the new water publication plant which
was built at a cost of $125, 900.
Extensive chemical tests. have been
made In all portions of the city and
the engineers have just
that the water is more than 80 per
cent pure after passing through the
~hltration process Shipments to Far
go OF water from the Detroit lake re-
glon will soon be a business of the
past. -,
The publication plant and pumping
station is one of the most modern
plants of the kind in the entire oun
try. Similar plants in other cities were
visited and inspected by the boilers
ana in the Fargo plant has been COM
bined the best ideas found in the 9TH
ers. Its capacity is sufficient to serve
the city until he present population
has e increased more than three
times.
River Became Contaminated.
There was a time when the Red river
supplied Fargo with satisfactory
drinking water without the need Of
publication processes. AS the country
along the river banks developed, how
ever, the water became contaminated.
Wells which were driven here proved
a failure and a scheme to pipe water
from, the Detroit lakes was given up
as too expensive.
In July, 1910, the city voted bonds
for a water publication plant. After
inspection of the plants in use else
where it was decided to build a filter
station to purify the water of the Red
river. Contracts were let in May, 1911.
Work was begun Immediately. The
structures for the filter plant and
pumping station were completed in the
fail of 1912 and tests made during the
last days Of January, 1913, indicate
that the city now has a sufficient sup
ply Of pure water.
Cost $4,000 to Build.
The pumping station and the purifi-
cation plant together were built at an
expense of 1892. 600. Figures complied
by City Engineer Anders show the
monthly upkeep will reach approx
mately 2 $500 and the city water rents
will equal this amount, making the
plant self-supporting from the begin
ming.
The plant is located at Thirteenth
avenue south and Fifth street. 1t is
on high grounds which spring floods
never cover. The pumping station and
filter plant are only twenty five feet
distant from each other. Both are of
reinforced concrete structure below
the first floor, brick above, with tile
roof.
The pumping station is 500 feet dis
tant from the intake and the connec-
ton is an Is inch suction line connect
ed with two lower lift pumps in the
pumping station. The combined capac-
ity of the two pumps is 100000 gall
Ions of water every twenty-four hours
and the entire plant has been con-
structed to make possible the install
lation of another pump of like capaci-
ty when needed.
Sent Through 16 Inch Line.
Upon leaving the low lift pumps the
water is conducted through a is inch
discharge line connected to the mix
ing chamber. It Is here treated with
a solution of lime to soften it. Passing
from the mixing chamber the water is
carried to s~edimentation basin No. i.
Here a coagulant of sulphate of iron
or sulpf1ate of alumina is added to the
water. A light, flaky material, known
as a hydrate or 'fioc'' is formed and
as the water slowly passes from the
DNO1d In ~ oGttA0OS 1919 y III " III
it most of the impurities and the great
err portion of the bacteria.
The second sedimentation basin is
! used when necessary for a repetition of
the process carried on in the first basin
or the water may be diverted directly
to the filters. A concrete conduit car
ries the water from the basins to the
filters. There are four filters in
stalled and two more may be added
when needed. Each filter has q capac-
ity of 100000 gallons of water per
| day.
The filters are furnished with aAcast
iron manifold system set in concrete.
| On top OF the manifold there is laid
ten inches of carefully graded filter
gravel and thirty inches of carefully
prepared silica sand. The treated wa
ter passes through the sand. gravel,
~manifolds, drains and controllers and
thence to the clear well, where the pur-
flied water Is stored until required for
use. When the alters need cleansing
the flow OF water is reversed and the
Island is agitated by q current Of air.