The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 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
$4,000,0O0

IT seems TO me only a matter OF
time before Detroit comes To the
filtration OF her water supply" said
Andrew J Provost. Jr. consulting
sanitary engineer. In the Hotel Pont.
chartrain. Thursday afternoon.
Nr. Provost II member OF the
iim OF Lederle Il Provost Of New
: ork. He Is sanitary expert TO the
New York board OF water supply,
AMI has been connected with nearly
oil Of New Years water and sewage
undertakings for the past Is years
II understood that Detroit was
seIlcusly concerned over its water
supply. out on paying a visit 10 the
plant this morning. | was told that
thu water board is fairly well salts.
fed with the outlook" said Mr..
Provost Nevertheless. with condi.
tons surrounding the intake as they
are, do not see how II can be long
before Detroit adopts some such
system OF publication as Grand Rap.
ids has"
MIR. Provost described Grand Rap
ids system Of altering its water,
Foftening IL. and sterilizing II.
The softening system saves It's
cost in soap" he said Grand Rap
ids now has very good supply OF
lure. soft water.
Mr Provost estimated the cost OF
filtration plant in Detroit al about
$4,000 600, giving a capacity OF 200.-
0u0 600 gallons a day The average
daily consumption is now about IFS.
oa0.e00 gallons. Aqueducts from
! axe Huron would cost at least So.
10000, he estimated, and even then
the safety OF the supply would not
he guaranteed.
If Dctroit's water supply were not
so clear you would have gone in for
tltiation before now" said Mr.. Pro
vost "A turbid water supply, like
,aat Of the 81. Louis. forces action.
1ut Detroit's water looks so good.
fNcept for few days in the year,
alt YOU have been fairly we'll salts
r,i with IT,
The chlorine publication system.
Iirh | understand is 20 be installed
within a short time. has recently
proven successful. Chlorine IS cheap
AMI easily obtained. YOU must make
u great leal OF II in Detroit. IA con
Ecction with your soda ash indus
tries. oimerly. the custom was for
these industries 10 run their chlor.
inc gas into lime. making a bleach.
ing powder. some OF which was sold,
tut most OF which was wasted be-
cause nobody wanted IL. This prac-
tice was necessitated by the fact
that free chlorine gas Is so destruc-
tive OF plant and animal life that Il
could not be allowed TO escape from
chImneys.
bleaching powder has been used
tn treat water, but eSperimcnters
have como 20 the conclusion that
many bacteria are not killed by II,
but only stunned and are capable OF
coming 20 life again In che human
system. Chlorine, however. is dead
ly to the germs.
Chlorine is delivered IN high.
pressure steel tanks. The great diff.
Guilty. In the chloride treatment OF
water. has been 10 keep the flow OF
the gas constant An increase OF
temperature. caused by 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 IL necessary.
A device has teen perfected which
remedies this condition. but under.
stand that II is controlled by one
company and that there Ia often con.
siderable difficulty In obtaining Il
readily.
Water is softened by adding lime
10 II. IL 10 curious fact that
though IL is lime that causes the
hardness OF water, the addition OF
the same substance precipitates the
lime in the water and renders It
soft.
Filtration was introduced In this
country about IS 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
later az so important that the city
is even treating the water from the
mountains, because OF the fear that
the few summer residents may con.
tsminatc II in slight degree
Mr.. Provost said thlt he could
not discuss the condition of De.
troit's water supply. as he had not
made close enough study OF the sit
uation.