96 Journal of the Mitchell Society [September 



neer and water works man. a proper investigation of the matter 

 has been very slow to start. During recent years, however, a great 

 deal of interest has been awakened, and we find no convention of 

 water works people whose program does not include at least one 

 paper on hydrogen ion determination in the control of water treat- 

 ment. Quite a little work is being done on the subject in various 

 parts of the country and with recent development of simple methods 

 for determining hydrogen ion concentration value, the outlook is good 

 for some valuable data of practical value. At present there is very 

 little useful information developed regarding the whole matter. 



Another problem, entirely a chemical one, is trouble experienced 

 in the corrosion of mains and plumbing or the deposition of in- 

 criistants in these mains. With the natural waters we felt as if we 

 know the causes of this and remedies. With the chemical and phys- 

 ical condition of the water disturbed by the artificial means em- 

 jiloyed for purification, the matter is very much complicated. Such 

 data as has been collected Avould indicate that the hydrogen ion con- 

 centration figures would solve this difficulty. The field at present, 

 however, has been very little explored, the most important contri- 

 bution to the subject being a very interesting paper by some Dutch 

 chemists. In the case of chlorine sterilization the chief difficulty is 

 to prevent chemical combination of the chlorine with waste by- 

 products causing tastes and odors. 



A fourth very important state problem, which we must look 

 chiefly to our chemists to solve, is the interference with sewage dis- 

 posal plants by dye house wastes. From various parts of the state 

 we are having complaints of the functioning of municipal sewage 

 disposal plants being entirely or partially destroyed by dye house 

 wastes from textile plants. The chief trouble seems to be from bleach, 

 sizing, and dyestuffs, of whicli the sulphur blacks seem to be the worst 

 offenders. If we cut these out of the municipal sewerage and deposit 

 in some adjacent small stream a nuisance is the usual result. The 

 problem is how to treat these wastes so as to render them non- 

 injurious to the disposal plant process, or how to change the dis- 

 posal plant process so as to handle them, or else how to treat them 

 separately and secure disposal without nuisance. 



Upon inquiry there seems to be little information developed in 

 other parts of the country in regard to the matter, chiefly because 

 most of the textile communities that might have investigated have 



