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

lGCOMMlTI'EE Nc
Fit is as bright and sparkling as any
spring water, without any odor OF
taste. For the city of Fargo, Mr.
Anders has certainly solved the wa
ter question for all time. M 49,.
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 go through the Minneapolis puri-
fication plant, accompanied by Mr..
Whitaker, superintendent of depart
ment of sanitation, and Mr.. Childs,
|3engineer. We were driven out to
the Columbia Heights plant, and un-
der the personal guidance Of l.. /.
Birdsall, superintendent, were taken
through the entire plant. This
plant is of a 00,00O-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, lis 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 drillers of
the Bemidji wells. We will refer to
our visit here later At the conclu-
sionNof our visit we returned to the
university for further conferences
with the State Board Of Health,
whose recommendations are herewith
attached and a part of this report.
Weldid not 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
EtWenty-one pounds of chlorine to the
million gallons, whereas a modern
filter: plant like Grand Forks, Fargo
or Minneapolis use from two and a
half TO 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.
IL St. Cloud Conditions.
The condition at St. Cloud is some.
what similar. They have a large
shallow, well dug in ravine next tC
the river where it is fed by the river
by in-flteration, the water coming
through the side. The distance is
so short however, that they get prac'
tica1ly the raw river water in this
well. They use chlorine for sterili.
zation 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 in
stalled.
From Minneapolis your committee
started for home. The results Of ou1
trip are that we received supply OF
instructive information sand make us
conclude that a city should abso-
lutely find. out at first the require.
ments as to amount of water needed
and when&a plant is Installed to make
it complete.
:, Recommendations.
We have the following recOmmen-
dations to make to your honorable
body:
/. The ultimate water supply for
the city of Bemidji is a publication
plant known as a mechanical rapid
sand filter.
2. AS a alteration plant will take
about two years to install, according
to estimates furnished us, on account
of difficulty in securing material, II
will ibe absolutely necessary that the
city furnish a safe, clear water un'
| til such time as complete filtera
tion system can be put in operation
| To do this there are three posi-
bilities:
(a) To install a crib and pipe
line from Lake Irvine as suggested
by Mr.. Anders
(b) To test out our shallow
wells with view to putting dowr
all large shallow wells which coult
be used for a. permanent filter plant
(c) To employ Mccarthy & Com
! pany on. "a per day: basis 70 W., pull
screens from one Or two Of the deeI
wells with the view of cleaning
which, if it is found impossible to do
to abandon them in preference tc
putting in new ones and then &c
back to propositions A or B.
8. The immediate placing of ou1
orders for two chlorine plants to be
used for water if taken from Lake
Irvine.
The Local Situation.
Referring again to our visit with
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
IL md