Evening star., 1934-06-29
Banquet to Honor E. d. Hardy,
ssFatl,er'' of D. C.. Water System
Var Department Engi.
neer Retires Tomorrow
After Al Years.

Friends of Edward Dana Hardy.
the man who gave Washington pure
water. will gather tonight at the
Army Navy and Marine Corps Coun-
try Club at banquet to do him
honor. He retires tomorrow after Al
years of service as a War Department
civilian engineer.
Until 1905, the water on tap at any
faucet in the city was untreated Po-
tomac River water. This was taken
from the river at Great Falls. and
led through several settling tanks
where some of the mud was elimin-
ated, and then piped to the citizens.
In 1898 Congress became interested
in the question of purifying the city's
water supply. and ordered an investi-
cation into the feasibility OF fltering
the water Washington drinks. Hardy
was selected to make the study and
write the report AS result OF his
study, 1t was decided to build the first
filtration plant in the city, to use
type of filter which he designed, and
when the plant was to be built, he was
told to build it. After this job was
done, he was put in charge Of the
filtering operations. He has been con-
nected with them ever since.
Comes to Washington.
Born in Hebron, NJ H., on June l9,
1854. Hardy was educated in Dart
mouth College, from which he was
graduated with the degree of Civil
Engineer in 1891. His thesis was on
systems of filtering drinking water.
Before his graduation, he had ac-
cepted post in the civilian engineer
ing forces of the War Department,
which brought him to Washington.
At first he was engaged in river and
harbor work. When he came here,
there was no Potomac Park. He en-
gagged in the dredging and filling op-
erations which made this playground
possible, and in building the seawall
around it. One Of his studies was on
g. channel to Mount Vernon.
In 1898 he was assigned to the fl
tration study and under the United
States Engineer for the District, was
put in charge of the $500. 900 job Of
building the Mcmillan filtration plant.
This job was completed in 1905. A
few years later he was put in charge
CT the entire acqueduct system.
Water Now Pure.
Today. largely as a result of studies
and experiments made by Hardy and
his associates, Washington is said to
have about the purest water supply in
the world. The muddy Potomac water
is clarified by settling. treated with
aluminium sulphate to coagulate the
mud particles remaining, led through
rapid sand filters which remove even
the minutest of solid particles, treated
with lime to remove acidity. and when
necessary with chlorine to reduce bac-
terial counts.
Nor is this regarded as the last
word in developments. because Hardy
has recently been busy on studies for
the future increases in the water
supply systm regarded as necessary
in about 10 years. Chemists and
water department heads from all over
the country, however, visit Dalecarlia
to learn the latest methods of water
treatment, and Hardy is now regarded
as the country's leading expert in the
field.
On October 4, 1893, Hardy married
Mary Noud. He has three daughters
Mrs. Dorothy Francis Of Woodberry,
N. j.: Mrs. Margaret Tompkins and
Mrs. Helen Schreiner, and six grand
children.
After his retirement he plans to
spend the Summer in his New Hamp-
shire home town and other New Eng
land points and the Winter in
Florida. r
Tomorrow, on his last day at the
office, his associates will present him
with an engraved gold watch.