The Detroit times., 1915-05-22
Only Matter of Time,
Declares New York
Sanitary Expert
A. j. PROVOST is
DETROIT VISITOR
Figures Cost of Purifi-
cation Plant at
S4,000,0O0

IL H'eHlH 10 me Only matter OF
time before Detroit comes 10 the
filtration Of her water supply" said
Andrew J Provost. Jr.. consulting
sanitary engineer. IN the Hotel Pont-
chartrain. Thursday afternoon.
Mr. Provost is member OF the
finn OF l.ederle a. Provost. OF New
ok He is sanitary expert 10 the
NsW York board OF water supply,
AMI has been connected with nearly
sll of New Years water and sewage
undertakings for the past 3 years.
Il understood that Detroit was
seIiously concerned over its water
supply. nut on paying a visit 20 the
Plant this morning. was told that
IN, water board is fairly well salts.
hed with the outlook" said Mr..
Provost. Nevertheless, with condi.
tons surrounding the intake "a they
are, ! do not see how It can be long
teforc Detroit adopts some such
system Of publication IA Grand Rap.
ids has"
MI Provost described Grand Rap
ii. system OF altering It's water.
foftening t. and steriliZing it,
The softening system saves its
cost in soap he said Grand Rap
i'd now has very good supply OF
Iure soft water"
Mr. Provost estimated the cost OF
q filtration plant IN Detroit at about
H.oco,0oo giving a capacity OF 200.
oHo 600 gallons a day The average
daily consumption is now about ll5..
uHo. 600 gallons. Aqueducts from
] AXE Huron would cost al least g..
100000. he estimated. and even then
The afety OF the supply would not
hc guaranteed
n Drtroit's water supply were not
50 clear, YOU would have gone In for
clt,ation before now" said Mr.. Pro.
'pst a turbid water supply. Ike
bat OF the st Louis. forces action.
'l Detroit's water looks so good.
,,cept FOR few days in the year.
lat You have been fairly VOL salts.
With H.
iG" chlorine publication system.
i.h understand IS 20 bc installed
llhin a short time, has recently
proven successful Chlorine Is cheap
and easily obtained YOU must make
a great deal OF IL in Detroit. III con
ro'tlon with your soda ash indus.
tries Fo merly the custom was for
these Industries TO run their chlor-
Inc Eas into lime making a bleach.
ing powder, some 81 which was sold.
tW most OF which was wasted be
cause nobody wanted il This prac-
tiCe was ncccssitated by the fact
that free chlorine gas is so destruc-
tive OF plant and animal life that It
could not be allowed to escape from
chmn,ys.
bleaching powder has been used
To treat water. but expcrimenters
have come 20 the conclusion that
many bacteria are not killed by II.
but only stunned and are capable OF
coming TO lifc again in the human
system, Chlorine. however. Is dead
ly 10 the germs
Chlorine is delivered IN high.
pressure steel tanks The great din.
Guilty. IN the chloride treatment of
water. has been to keep the flow OF
the gas constant An increase OF
temperature. caused b. the sun shin.
ing on The tanks, for instance. in.
creases the volume OF the gas, and
hence the pressure. thus releasing
more Of the gas than Is necessary.
A device has toon perfected which
remedies this condition. hut under.
stand that Il IL controlled by one
company and that there Ia often con.
siderable difficulty In obtaining II
readily.
Water is softcned by adding lime
10 Il. IL H. curious fact that
though il IL lime that causes the
hardness OF water. the addition OF
the same substance precipitates the
lime in the water and renders IL
soft.
Filtration was introduced In this
country about % years ago, and now
most of the water drunk IN our
cities Is filtered Philadelphia has
decreased her typhoid rate enor.
mously since installing her plant,
and the cities which have projected
their water supply are generally
healthier New York regards pure
y alter as so important that the city
IS even treating the water from the
mountains. because OF the fear that
the few summer residents may con
taminatc II in slight degree"
MI Provost said that he could
not discuss the condition OF De
troit's water supply. as he had not
made close enough study OF the sit
uation.