Evening journal., 1916-11-17
CHLORINE TAINTS
CITY Water SUPPLY
Chief Engineer Believes
Chemical Escaped From
Plant on Brandywine
NOT DANGEROUS
OFFICIALS ASSERTS

The presence of chlorine in the city
water supply, while bad thing, is not
necessarily serious. according TO CITY
Engineer f. NJ. Hopes, Jr., and prob
ably will pass away shortly The trou.
bic occurred last night, when the Bran
DIVINE race was not WORKING. - mat
but little of the chemical got into the
reservoir and as certain sections o. the
city were using more water than others
~ The time, those at which there was
the highest pressure received most OF the
contaminated water These sections in
cluded Park Place. Shallcross avenue
and Pennsylvania avenue. Complaints
this morning were received almost ex-
clusiyely from these sections, but rs the
use OF water all over the city became
greater during the day, complaints be-
came general
Mr. Hopes at once commenced an
investigation and is still on the trail
OF the cause OF the difficulty The
presence OF the chlorine Mr. Hopes
said, is apparently accidental. as the
/ high price OF the chemical at the
/ present time is such as TO prohibit
practically anyone wasting il by
/ turning it into the water Of the city.
The same thing occurred about a
1 year ago and a thorough investiga-
! ton was made Attorney Jo-
siah o. Wolcoott took up the matter
and carried ont examination OF wit
nesses for some time almost without
results.
The trouble is that the quantity Of
chlorine which escapes from the
plant using ii and gets into the water
/ is so small that il would be difficult
to learn where il comes from unless
one were present at the time the
chlorine escaped. Last year when
managers Of manufacturing plants
were asked about letting chlorine es-
cape, they laughed at the statement
and declared the cost Of the chemical
was so great that no one would will
l'ngly let any OF it get away. Il Is
thought the chemical escapes during
some cleaning process at some plants
located on the Brandywine Il Is safe
TO saw Mr.. Hopes says, that the loss
OF chlorine from the plant ia acciden-
] tai on this account since the cheml-
cal is more costly this year than 10
was year ago.
The presence OF the chlorine in the
water is not dangerous. Mr. Hopes
I SAYS. and the difficulty Is with the
/ slightly salty taste Of the water.
Chlorine is used for sterllizing pur-
poses in the United States army and
IN purifying water used by that or
ganization. The amount used IN
those cases is very small. about one
ounce OF chlorine being used 10 each
100000 gallons OF water. In the
present case. the quantity i'm the wa.
ter probably is larger than that
which accounts for the disagreeable
taste
Citizens are advised TO let their
water run for awhile II il tastes
! badly i'm order that the water coz
tanning the chemical may run of. Il
is not likely this difficulty will con-
time for any length OF time.
Mr.. Hopes said he deprecated the
presence Of the chlorine in the water
but said II was something likely to
occur so long as manufacturing plants
are permitted in the watershed Of the
city ANYTHING so effective chemically
as chlorine viii give a bad taste to
water, he said. when present In only a
small quantity. Investigation Of the
trouble IS difficult he said. and the
| trouble cannot be cleared up finally
/ until the plants from which the trou-
HE comes are removed from the water
shed which supplies the city water.