The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-06-25
HEALTH BOARD URGES
WATER PL ANT CHANGE
Mayor Requested to Present Matter to Council as a
Means of Protecting Citizens Want Daily
Reports From Settling Basins

AZ a special meeting last night Of
the Board of Health. which was called
10 consider the water and typhoid sit
uation in Richmond, resolution was
unanimously adopteA approving certain
changes in the methods Of operating
the Water Works. heretofore recon-
mendcd TO Mayor Ainsle by Chief
Health officer F.. c. Levy The changes
include the installation of more eff
fective system Of opening and closing
the hcadgates where the water is taken
from the river, protection OF the Set
tlinC Basin from drainage Of surface
water from the Chesapeake and Ohio
Hallway tracks. changing the grade of
the driveway around New Reservoir to
make II drain outward instead OF into
the reservoir. as at present restoring
the old method of pumping into the
Lee District standpipe from the rcser-
Voir instead of from the hume direct
canal which now empties surface
drainage into the river just above
the intake Of the Settling Basin
The resolutions adopted by the Board
CT Health urge the Mayor to make the
matter the subject of special meg.
sage 10 the City Council, in order that
proper appropriation can he made to
safeguard the water supply in every
way.
Want Daily Reports.
Another resolution unanimously
adopted by the Board of Health last
night requests the Administrative
Board TO instruct the director OF the
Settling Basin TO forward TO the Health
department copy of his daily analy-
SIS OF the city water supply These
analyses are made daily by Director
Baldwin. of the Settling Basin. and a
at q
Under the present plan monthly
transcript is furnished the Health De
partmSnt showing the daily ANALYSES
The report for the month of MAY did
not reach the health office until June
20, before which date Chief Health
Officer Levy, of the City Health De-
partment and Assistant Health Com
missioner a. ". Freeman. of the
state department. had been forced to-
me conclusion that the prevalence of
typhoid was due 10 water infection.
ana had so reported on June II to Su-
perintendent Davis. asking him 10
install the chloride of lime plant
which was yesterday ordered installed
by the Administrative Board. Exami-
nation of Mr.. Baldwin's report for
May shows conclusively that the water
was at fault during part of the
month while one of the basins was
being cleaned and that the plant is
now III good working order. with the
danger practically eradicated Under
normal conditions. the process of
coasulation at the basins has been
shown to remove 30 to 95 per cent Of
bacteria from the water.
Dropped to ~ Per Cent.
In some instances, when the plant
has been run at its highest efficiency,
records show as high as % per cent
bacteria reduction During May. when
enc basin was being cleaned. and the
other had 10 be used continually. with
raw water pouring in one end and
the pumps drawing from the other. the
bacterial reduction showed as low as
~ per cent. Had this information been
in the aanls OF the Health Depart
ment back in May. steps could have
peen taken then to apply scientific
methods. or the public could have been
put on notice to boil all water, and
much OF the present number of typhoid
cases could have been prevented. This
was shown in the case i'm South Rich
mohd. where the breaking of valve
caused the pumping of raw water for
time III April. AS soon as Dr. Levy
heard OF ii. he and superintendent
DAVIS went to the scene and installed
chloride of lime plant. consisting OF