Putnam patriot., 1923-10-19
CHANGES AT PUBLIC WORKS
BRING ADVANTAGES TO CITY
NEW RAPID FILTRATION BEDS ARE THOROUGHLY
CLEANSED TWICE A DAY, INSURlNG PURER
DRINKING. WATER
Construction Work Cost Approximately S350oo-Pant AIDE
quate For Years-Save $4,000 BY Using Old Beds

the best possible system. that would
meet all present needs. at smallest
possible cost. But az very small ex-
pensc. comparatively. two more beds
can be put into operation and thus
+ /, will be possible 10 filter a million
more gallons Of water, thga it is pos
sible nov.
Wash Beds Twice Day
And do they just so on, day after
day. week after week, just altering
water and never cleaning the filter
BEDS No, they don't. All four Of
the new filter beds are cleaned and
cleaned thoroughly twice every day,
once in the forenoon and once in the
late afternoon. Il IS mighty interest
ing to see this done. too.
When the filter beds are 10 be
cleaned. first they are emptied. Then
the workman in charge sets machine
in motion. which blows air up through
the sand, stirring il all up and loosen
ing all sediment that has collected
as the water has filtered through the
sand. After forcing the air up through
the sand for several minutes the work
man turns off the air and then turns
on fresh. clean. filtered water, which
is forced upward through the sand,
like the air has just been forced. As
this water comes up through the sand.
il is allowed TO escape through a gate
into the sewer, carrying with Il all the
sediment that the filtration process
has caught. After the sand has thus
been washed with clean water, right
from the city mains, for about five
minutes. the bed is filled again. About
200 gallons of filtered water are
used in this process of cleaning the
sand. The same system Is followed IN
cleaning each bed. in turn, and Is
repeated morning and night.
As has been previously stated. the
water that goes through the filtration
beds. is led through pipes into the
clear water basin and from this latter
chamber, of immense capacity, the
water Is pumped under pressure into
the city mains. But before il is re-
leased into the mains. Il is chlorinated,
and thus is sounded the death knell
Of any bacteria that may, by any
chance, be In the water.
Ready For Emergencies
L
mains TO all parts of the city. there
is employed a Worthington pump that
is operated by Morse silent chain.
This latter new piece of machinery,
installed not SO long are, IS driven b.
water power. Thus the city is saved
the expense Of operating the 1000
horsepower pump, that has been IA
use for so many years However. this
I latter pump, still in perfect running
order and fine condition, despite its
years Of service. will be retained and
thus will be ready at an instant E
notice, to take up the pumping, should
the Worthington pump get out of or.
der. In addition to these two pumps
the city has still another, this ons
operated by steam. So there are
ample pumps at the station Ca care
for any emergency which may arise
due 10 the failure Of any one Of the
pumps to operate Under present con.
ditions it Is possible to pump million
and a half gallons Of water into tbs
mains every twenty.four hours
The water works commissioners EN-.
piuyed the New York Continental
Jewell Filter CO., TO plan and build
the present Nfffation system. 10y
making use Of the old filtration sta.
ton building. but enlarginR It and
the filter beds, il is believed that At
least $50, 900 was saved The six new
filter beds tonly four Of which are In
use, were built practically right wher,
the old ones were. Thus time and
labor was saved and other important
considerations figured in too, made
this move by the commissioners and
their consulting engineers, one Of big
advantage TO the city, One Of the
old filtration beds was not used, be.
cause IL was not needed. But, II
some day In the future, when Putnam
is a city Of 10000 or 10000 people OF
more, Il will be simple matter "a
enlarge the filter station and put in
new filtration beds. The land ii
available and there is plenty Of water
All that is needed to bring about this
greater development il the growth OF
the city and the accompanying In
creased consumption Of water.