CHEMISTRY IN ITS RELATION TO THE STATE WATER 



SUPPLIES 



By G. F. Catlett 



Twenty years afro in comparison to the possible development the 

 chemist and applied chemistry were utilized very little in solving 

 industrial problems. It has been interesting and gratifying to ob- 

 serve how the utilization of the chemist has broadened until in recent 

 years most large corporations and big industries have their own re- 

 search laboratories and control by chemists over their processes and 

 raw material. 



In the field of municipal utilities the late Dr. Baskerville in his 

 book "Municipal Chemistry" has covered very fully how chemistry 

 is concerned very essentially in most all of our municipal activities. 

 In particular may be mentioned water supply and water purification, 

 sewage disposal, waste and garbage disposal, gas supply, quality of 

 materials such as cement and paving materials. While the appli- 

 cation of the chemical data, except in very large organizations, is 

 usually made as part of the work of the sanitary engineer, the solution 

 of the chemical problems must rest with the chemist. 



Almost as far back as the history of the science dates the chemists 

 have developed analytical methods and made investigations that 

 cover the properties and quality of natural waters for domestic and 

 industrial uses. 



As the cities and town have grown and the population has col- 

 lected in more or less congested groups, it has become necessary, in 

 North Carolina as elsewhere, to utilize sources of water supply which 

 require very elaborate purification to render them suitable for 

 domestic and industrial purposes. It has also been necessary to devise 

 treatments of sewage and wastes in order to prevent their contami- 

 nating these public water supplies. 



North Carolina now has over fifty towns and cities where it is 

 necessary to filter and purify an unacceptable surface water in order 

 to obtain a suitable public drinking supply. In general only the very 

 smallest towns are able to utilize natural underground water sup- 

 plies, and even those frequently require chemical sterilization. As 



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