The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1914-01-29
INVESTIGATORS RECOMMEND
"SL0W SAND" FILTRATION

10 the storage basin or reservoir. 4
tour through the city brought out con
hicting statements. A restaurant
keeper stated that the water was per
fectly satisfactory both as 70 taste
and In It's effect upon the iron cooking
utensils. and suggested an interview
with "A plumber. whom he said was the
best equipped man In the town 10 talk
author,tatively upon this.
This plumber on the other hand said
that the water often tasted as "iodo-
foam smells. and produced pieces OF
pipe which showed incrustations OF
such dimensions as TO almost close
the pipes and Of such hardness as OF
the metal itself. The Lieutenant OF
the fire department said tina hts doe
tor had ordered him TO stop drinking
the water. The foreman OF a large
manufacturing establishment gave the
same reply. An interview with the
physician verified this. he stating that
he sometimes fonud Il necessary 20
advise his patients against drinking
the water because OF It's action upon
the kidneys and the fact hat II
said. however. that IL has eliminated
typhoid. and hat he did not want 10
return 10 the old system.
At Martins Ferry.
Ferry. This IL a well system. there be
ing 30 wells In operation. costing about
$1,000 20 arm. The nrst holes were
in a TOW RlonE the river bank above the
water worSr, which - located above the
city. the wells being about 80 feet apart
time ago out In the river. but the water
was uusatisfactory and these we're
deep with the pipes perforated 10 feet
from the bottom. The pipes are Il
inches In diameter Two and one-halt
daily consumption. The boilers az the
plants use this water. but about three
fourths f. condensed by utilizing the
waste steam from the engines.
The bailers show no scale hut some
p%ittiuE. 80 compound h. used but
graphite Is used ON account - the pitt
INK. The pump we'll g. below the bed
81 the river. so that the water flows
Ion and only the direct lift Is needed for
the pumps. Three running engineers
constitute practically the force OF the
being designated Rs supervising en-
gineer aud acting also I'm the capacity
~ SUPERINTENDENT and the manual labor
at the plant being ndered by tho men
In the Whitakc4-Glessuer sheet mill The
condition and the chief engineer spoke
Aoundsvine's wen system
\ visit to Moundsville found seven
wells IN operation. four ~ which had
been in for ~ years and three Tor six
years. These wells are driven In n
row straight out towards the center OF
the river from the bank. ami are 90
feet apart. The wells are 20 feet deep.
- inches I'm diameter Win tie lower 10
feet Of the pip perforated. The pipes
are open at the bottom and not closed
as has been reported. The production Is
from N0o.Ooo TO a million gallons "A day.
The MoundSvtlle water - harder than
Iarkers9urg and softer than Martins
Ferry. Plumbers stated that they could
hud no serious objection TO the action
OF water upon pipes. hut one stating
that ne had noted damaEiug effect upon
closet TANKS. Power plant boilers gN-
At laundries IL was stated that IN Was
necessary 70 d. soda 20 soften the
water In order To- keep from Increasing
me amount OF soap; Tor domestic use
the water was found universally health
Committees Conclusion.
As a result OF our Investigations we
have been able TO come TO a definite
conclusion as TO the system needed by
Wheeling for the assurance OF good
water and are able To make "a recommeu-
i~ectious 90 the well system are twofold
the hardness OF the water and the inn
possibility OF thorough cleansing IN case
the we'll should become contaminated.
The fact that four wells drilled in the
city OF Martins Ferry had TO be ADAM I
doued proves that there IS no certainty
that a well driven m any given spot
viii produce good water. And u seems
also certain that in the event a good
well should become bad from any cause. ,
the only known method OF overcoming
tl.s would he to- abandon the well ana
Condemn Mechanical system.
Tire ncchanical or chemical system
The principle OF this system Gin terms
understood 20 the laNmauI are that !
chemicals are added Co the raw river
p atcr n such proportion as Co eliminate !
the bacteria. the chemicals having an
affinity FOR the bacteria and settling
with them TO the bottom so that the
purified water can pass away. TIIs re-
guires q constant supply 81 chemicals. /
constant labor from filter men. and the
L A--
since the chemicals must exactly cuuu-
tcrhaIance the bacteria. an over supply
Ot one or the other being left in the
water. and considering that the condi-
ton or the Ohio river b. constantly
changing. u would seem that the only
absolute safe way would be To- test the
water every hour OF tho day. But should
this an work satisfactorily the cost
wouid sun be- a. important item and
would reach iu Wheeling probably forty
dollars TO nftv dollars a day. In addii-
uon % this e permanent chemist and
-rNeral litter men would De required day
slow sand system Best.
l' SLOW sand filtration system. such
to ne Gar the best Tor AN PRACTICAL pur-
poses and the cheapest Co operate. The
by the mechanical system the water goes
through the sand filter beds practically
h'itte e great advantage tending to
insure the purity OF the water and fHa /
uNflullItf or the system The fact that I
ltrkerHhurE was tine only CITY Boo which
tnere was not o. single complaint against Z
me water De- o. strong Argument Co. use
or That sy ~fem. ~ must be- remembered /
mat We are confined fo tho ohio river
Tor our water supply.
DO De- merely H question 81 how best
To purity tHIs water Even tho drilling
On wells DEL Hu attempt Co secure uur.-
hfd river water. for Do is understood that
o. wells are fp Ir driven boo or near
lhe river. The Dheml"ll system takes
o. fA" water and attempts tn eliminate
'l' bacteria nH mechanical action T.eI
"N soma hIirlfIuu system HE PLACING
iI.'f covered "F a surface or sand ami
'tt Ir combining f.s two best features
OF .D W0II HfI f.e mechanical at.fsma
TITO slow sand filtration n..flm |a
merely wells InII l-.rrfHuIae I.afsfH ur.
IeIuE a.UI u tHr lU.Hlt T.r f.frr.re
ff Is fhla Increased art tr Irtats
H'' 'eIHr tH u.ar Tho Hrro nf fH.
.NIIf f.r "HfTr d.s. n.f rrf fra
" fH harden hE contact with fra
...'."| .l.af. .... 10 f.r rI.fI Since
'." .Hr..H' .efU depends upon
.IrI .ifrHf 900 '" .f. H..I operation. ami
INFO f.r Glow sand fIfHfnH rrafeH
.'. fH ...rrr. .e" D.. a~Iuanl.a 10 fT-
'fHf 'r u.lt fUH u.. rrIrlI System De-
.'N .".rN N. "H W'n. .IrHU."HI.. f... We I
r." t' ic quite nr l~ftlrttEe
'''r'. .'f'. perennial .rIr.frr.
.... off f|f various. ...f.m. H..Inhfr
FOB fr U.fE or MHt.I.r. aud rf.-uer| rr
i' alive noel .I Immediate Im.
f'' IU "|U H.f0. supply. ue rU.