Ten years have elapsed since the beginning in this country of the epoch of practical accomplishments in the field of municipal water purification. To record and review briefly the more important advances that have been made during the past decade, and to indicate the results, conditions and tendencies as they stand today, is the object of this paper.
In 1893 the water filter for the city of Lawrence, Mass., was put in service. Up to that date comparatively little had been done in the way of purifying city water supplies in America; although it is to be remembered that in the early 70's several small sand filter plants were installed, notably at Poughkeepsie and Hudson, N. Y. They were built according to the plans of the late Mr. Kirkwood, following his investigations concerning sand filtration as then practiced in Europe.
Ten years ago mechanical filters attracted but little attention