The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1918-05-14
REPORTOFWATER INVESTIGATING COMMITTEE

.CUNlNlll I'LL
lit is as bright and sparkling as any
spring water, without any odor or
taste. For the city of Fargo, Mr..
Anders has certainly solved the wa
ter question for all time. ~.
Huge Filter Plant. >:~
Monday, May 6, we went to Min
neapolis, arriving Tuesday morning.
Our first objective was the depart
lment of sanitation of the State Board
of Health. There we secured passes
to SO through the Minneapolis puri-
f1cation plant, accompanied by Mr..
i iWhtttaker, superintendent of depart
meit 5Of sanitation, and Mr.. Childs,
llengtneer.- We were driven out to
1.-The Columbia Heights plant, and I'M
der the personal guidance of L. L.
Birdsall, superintendent, were taken
/ through the entire plant. This
lplant is of a $4,000, O0O-gallon ca
pacity every twenty-four hours and
is a wonderful works, and which at
the present time is being practically
doubled in it's capacity. In the mod
ern filter plant there is no guess
work. Every operation, is done with
careful precision. The question Of
chance is eliminated and does not
enter into the calculations at all.
Brainerd Supply Faulty.
After our inspection of the sys-
tenn here we went to call on Nc
Carthy & Company, the dril1ers of
the }Bemidji wells. We will refer to
our visit here later. At the conclu-
sionsof our visit we returned to the
university for further conferences
| with the State Board Of Health,
whose recommendations are herewith
attached and part of this report.
/ We8did nots go to Brainerd for in
spection because it was useless. The
Brainerd water supply is taken from
the Mississippi river and put through
chlorine treatment only. The water
is so poor that they must use about
i twenty one pounds of chlorine to the
million gallons, whereas modern
filter! plant like Grand Forks, Fargo
or. Minneapolis use from two and a
half Ito three pounds per million.
This accounts for the poor water.
The plant is also located wrong. The
intake being below the pulp mill and
refuse from this plant gets into the
distribution system, making the wa
ter all the more disagreeable.
/ st. Cloud Conditions.
/ The condition at St. Cloud is some
| what similar. They have large
shallow we'll dug in ravine next tC
nj 1ry1,a 10 fnI h11f q ~
by in-filteration, the water coming
throug h the side. The distance is
so short, however, that they get prac'
| tically the raw river water in this
we'll. They use chlorine for sterili.
cation but as in the case of Brainerd
they must use too much to make a
good water for domestic purposes
The water is used for cooking pur-
poses only. Wells are easily driven
from: which drinking water is Sc
cured. These two water plants show
the glaring error that is made when
an incomplete water plant is i'll
stalled
From Minneapolis your committee
started for home. The results Of ou1
trip are that we received a supply OF
instructive information land make us
conclude that a city should abso-
lutelyg find out at first the require.
ments as to amount of water needed
and whensa plant is Installed to make
it complete.
:, Recommendations.
We have the following recommen-
dations to make to your honorable
body:
i /. The ultimate water supply fo1
the city of Bemidji is a publication
plant known as mechanical rapid
sand filter.
| 2. AS a liberation plant will take
about two years to install, according
to estimates furnished us, on account
of difficulty in securing material, i,
will he absolutely necessary that the
city, furnish a safe, clear water I'M
til such time as a complete filtera
ton system can be put in operation
To do this there are three posi-
bilities:
(a) To install crib and pip
line from Lake Irvine as suggested
by Mr.. Anders.
(b) To test out our shallow
wells with a view to putting dowr
all large shallow wells which could
be used for a permanent filter plant
+ Co To employ Mccarthy & Com
,, pany on. a per day; basis 70 pull
screens from one orr two of the deel
wells with the view of cleaning
which, if it is found impossible to do
> to abandon them in preference tt
putting in new ones and then &c
. back to propositions A or B.
3. The immediate placing of ou1
orders for two chlorine plants to be
used for water if taken from Lake
Irvine.
The Local Situation.
i Referring again to our visit will
Mccarthy & Company They have
on file complete data covering the
drilling of all our wells, including
the one Which was lost. They are
of the opinion that the screens are
not filled with stand, but are cor
roded. If corrosion has not gone toe
| NV, ho ~ pviIaD