River Water.
—The water supply of the city of Fargo, N. D., is taken from the Red River of the North, which after being filtered through a mechanical filtration plant is supplied to the water system of the city. The river water in its raw state is considered unfit for drinking because of the amount of organic matter present at different times of the year.
Analysis of raw water from intake pipe, April 14, 1913:
| Parts per million | ||
| Chlorine | 10 | |
| Equivalent as sodium chloride, salt | 16 | |
| Volatile and organic matter | 80 | |
| Mineral solids | 180 | |
| —— | ||
| Total solids | 260 | |
In this water neither the solids nor the organic matter are at all high but during a part of each year there are many pathogenic germs present, the contained typhoid bacillus being the most feared. The following is an analysis after the water has been filtered, April 14, 1913:
| Parts per million | ||
| Chlorine | 12 | |
| Equivalent as sodium chloride, salt | 18 | |
| Volatile and organic matter | 45 | |
| Mineral solids | 140 | |
| —— | ||
| Total solids | 185 | |
It will be noticed that in the process of filtration there has been removed from the water 35 parts to the million of organic matter and with probably 99 per cent. of the pathogenic bacteria. In addition there has been removed 40 parts to the million of mineral solids, the removal of which has changed a very hard water to that which is reasonably soft. The process of filtration has changed water that is generally condemned for drinking to one that is considered remarkably good.