THE PHILIPPINE 



Journal of Science 



A. Chemical and Geological Sciences 

 AND THE Industries 



Vol. XI JANUARY, 1916 No. 1 



NOTES ON THE WATER SUPPLY OF THE CITY OF MANILA ^ 



By George W. Heise 

 (From the Laboratory of General, Inorganic, and Physical Chemistry, 

 Bureau of Science, Manila, P. I.) 



The object of this paper is to present some of the factors 

 influencing the quality of the water used in supplying the city 

 of Manila, with special reference to the disinfection of the water 

 by means of choride of lime. 



the MANILA water-supply SYSTEM 



The construction of a water-supply system for the city of 

 Manila was undertaken in 1878 by the municipality under 

 the Spanish Government; the installation was first used by 

 the public in 1882, The system derived its water from Mari- 

 quina River at Santolan, where a pumping station having a daily 

 capacity of about 28,400 cubic meters (7,500,00 gallons) was 

 installed. From the river the water was pumped to a "deposito," 

 or reservoir, consisting of a series of underground chambers 

 having a capacity of about 60,000 cubic meters (16,000,000 gal- 

 lons) ; thence it was piped by gravity to the city distributing 

 system. The total daily capacity of the installation was from 

 113 to 114 liters (30 gallons) per capita, on the basis of the 

 estimated population of Manila, 



As Mariquina River passes through a thickly populated area 

 including a number of large towns before it reaches the Santolan 

 pumping station, it was a difficult matter to keep the water 

 uncontaminated ; therefore, it was not long before it became 

 necessary to look for a new source of supply of better quality, 

 large enough to furnish the city of Manila and to provide for 

 the natural increase in population. 



Plans were accordingly drawn up in 1902 for a new supply 

 system (completed in 1908) deriving its water from Mariquina 

 River at a point above which it entered inhabited districts, A 

 dam was constructed at Montalban Gorge about 25 kilometers 



* Received for publication November 11, 1915. 



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