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MOTOR-TRUCK-MOUNTED WATER PURIFICATION
UNITS 1
By Wm. J. Orchaed
The world war brought forth many novel developments in every
line of endeavor, and although the water supply field was but one
of many, it is pleasing to present before this convention of water
works men, a discussion of the units developed and manufactured
in this country by members of this Association to be operated in
France and elsewhere by other members engaged in delivering safe
water supplies to our military forces. The portable motor-truck-
mounted water purification units about to be described present noth-
ing new in the fundamental principles of water purification of, but
show the applicability of the principles used in stationary domestic
plants to portable plants for military use.
In 1914, the necessity for a specially organized water service was
not recognized by any of the allied forces, water supply functions
being the duty of engineering troops. The purity of the water was
determined by the medical department. The water supply condi-
tions presented in France and in Belgium and the problems of water
supply met in trench warfare were entirely different from problems
presented in previous wars. The soils of Northern France and Bel-
gium were for the most part highly cultivated, fertilized for scores
of years with night soil and other refuse, so that water supplies nor-
mally obtained in the battle area were highly polluted. Then, too,
the German forces in passing over the country indescribably polluted
all water left behind when retreating, making special measures nec-
essary for purification. It is reliably reported that the 1915 Cham-
paign campaign of the French army broke down largely due to the
inadequacy of water supply arrangements, and at the close of this
campaign, the French war office organized a special water service for
the second French army, under the direction of Major Bunau-
Varilla, well-known through his endeavors to construct the Panama
Canal with French financial support.
1 Presented at the Buffalo Convention, June 13, 1919.
562
MOTOR-TKUCK-MOUNTED WATER PURIFICATION UNITS 563
The chlorination of all water supplies used for drinking and cook-
ing purposes was required by the French military authorities. Cal-
cium hypochlorite or sodium hypochlorite was applied in such quan-
tities that 15 minutes after treatment there remained 0.2 part per
million of residual chlorine. It should be pointed out that such ex-
cessive amounts of residual chlorine, greatly in excess of American
practice, left objectionable tastes and odors in the treated water, so
that the troops were apt to take the more palatable but dangerous
untreated water from flowing streams, shell holes and the like, when
possible.
The United States forces in entering the conflict, taking advantage
of the lessons learned by the Allied forces, created a water supply
regiment, the 26th Engineers, which was officered by experienced
water works men, most of whom are members of the American Water
Works Association. This regiment had charge of the water supply
of the American forces, both in the advanced area and in the rear.
Early in the war, the need for portable water wagons for the puri-
fication of supplies was presented and bulky equipment with filters
and devices for treating the water with hypochlorite were put forth.
In 1916 the availability of apparatus of American manufacture to
control liquid chlorine made possible the first efficient motor-truck-
mounted water purification unit.
When this country entered the war, the Wallace & Tiernan Com-
pany believed that the experience it had gained through cooperation
with its British house in construction of equipment for the British
forces should be placed at the disposal of the military authorities.
With this in view equipment based on the British unit, but modi-
fying the typically* English characteristics to introduce American
methods and equipment, was constructed and tested under varying
conditions at Maplewood, N. J. Water was taken from the West
Branch of the Railway River, a grossly polluted stream. This first
unit was equipped with rotary pumps, which did not prove suitable,
and subsequent units were equipped with gasoline-operated force
pumps. Various member of this Association, who were officers in the
Engineer Corps, or in the Sanitary Corps of the Army, offered help-
ful suggestions and contributions toward the development of this
unit, which, when placed in operation, gave highly satisfactory
results.
Separate water analytical laboratory trucks were contemplated,
but it was ultimately concluded to modify the design to permit the
564 WM. J. ORCHARD
incorporation of suitable laboratory equipment. By building a sepa-
rate room in front of the truck, using small cylindrical tanks for con*
tact and storage chambers, and placing these tanks under the labora-
tory benches, a marked saving in the space required was effected.
The water is pumped through a 50-foot suction line of 2-inch steel
woven suction hose, fitted with bronze check valve and strainer, by
the gasoline-engine-operated pump located at the rear of the body.
A very heavy dose of chlorine is applied in the pump suction, from a
manually operated solution feed chlorinator, located on the rear wall
of the laboratory room. When waters of low alkalinity are treated,
soda ash is applied with the chlorine solution into the pump suction.
Passing through the pump, with a relief valve set to operate at 50-
pounds pressure, the water is passed to a specially designed pressure
filter, being treated with alum through a standard dash-pot arrange-
ment en route.
From the filter, the water passes through a l§-inch water meter,
thence through a diaphragm pressure-regulating valve to maintain
constant back pressure on the chlorinator water supply line, thence
through the storage and contact tanks located beneath the labora-
tory benches, to the point of discharge at the forward left-hand corner
of the truck. Just at the point of discharge, the water is treated
with sodium thiosulphate solution, regulated and controlled by a
special dechlorinating equipment.
These units were designed to treat the grossly polluted and be-
fouled waters that would have to be used and as a result of British
practice and experience, high doses of chlorine were introduced into
the raw water. The filters served to clarify the water, and at the
trial tests, absolutely sterile water was obtained at the point of
discharge.
It was thought necessary to make provision for removing the ex-
cessive residual chlorine that would be in the water after passing
through the contact tanks, and a proportional pressure feeding thio-
sulphate dosing device was developed. It should be mentioned
that provision for dechlorinating was made in accordance with the
British experience, who used the process of dechlorination by the
application of compressed sulphur dioxide gas in all of their portable
units. On the British trucks the sulphur dioxide was controlled
by a standard direct-feed manually controlled chlorinator, of Ameri-
can manufacture.
MOTOR-TRUCK-MOUNTED WATER PURIFICATION UNITS
565
In the American truck, the chlorinator used was of the standard
manually controlled solution feed type. Control valves for the soda
ash and thiosulphate solutions were in the rear of the laboratory be-
low the chlorinator, so that all chemical application should be cen-
trally controlled by the laboratory operator.
The first trucks were constructed with horizontal pumps, and it
was found that special provision was required to eliminate excessive
vibration in the laboratory. With this in view, special spring sup-
ports were developed. On the later trucks, a vertical force pump
was used and this so eliminated the vibration as to obviate the neces-
sity of special spring supports.
Fig. 1. Water Purification Truck Ready for the Road
The development, construction and testing of the first lot of trucks,
and the tests and recommendations of the Board of Inspecting Of-
ficers, representing the Office of the Chief of Engineers, the Engineer-
ing Depot, and the Sanitary Corps of the Army, resulted in many
modifications of design and re-arrangement of equipment, but not in
any change in the basic principles involved.
The value of these units became so apparent that increased facili-
ties were required for their manufacture. An admirable factory in
Camden, N. J., was obtained, and here in conjunction with the con-
struction work, a school for Sanitary Corps men, members of the
Water Tank Train, and officers who were to have charge of the trucks
in operation, was conducted.
566
WM. J. ORCHARD
Figure 1 is a view of one of the trucks closed and ready for the
road.
Figure 2 is a view of the rear of the completed truck, with the rear
and side gates let down for operation. It shows the gasoline storage
tank to the right of the pump, and provisions made for carrying and
Fig. 2. Rear View of a Water Purification Truck Ready for Use
chaining the suction hose. The filter, central control valve for oper-
ating the filter, electrical generator for lighting, soda ash solution
tank, alum pot, dechlorinator, etc., and further details of the pumping
room are shown in figure 3. In the upper right hand corner of this
view is shown a tool box in which a complete set of pipe cutting and
fitting tools is kept in addition to hand tools needed about a machine
MOTOR-TRUCK-MOUNTED WATER PURIFICATION UNITS
567
shop, and beneath this tool case is the chemical bin, for storing alum,
soda ash, and thiosulphate.
The laboratory arrangement in the latest trucks is shown in figures
4 and 5. The provision made for carrying chemical bottles is indi-
cated, as is also the sink for washing glassware, and a hand air-pump
for creating pressure in the storage tanks when the pumping equip-
ment is not in operation. A 37° incubator for bacteriological sam-
ples, even for sterilizing glassware, and electric lighting equipment,
Fig. 3. Close View of the Pumping Room
are illustrated, while in the rear of the laboratory is shown a stand-
ard solution feed chlorinator, and beneath it the thiosulphate and
soda ash controls. On the bench beside the chlorinator is a pressure
autoclave for sterilizing purposes.
The earlier trucks were mounted on 3§-ton truck chassis, but by
far the largest number were mounted on 5-ton 17-foot wheel base
chassis. Three horse-power gasoline engines were used, with 5x5-
inch force pumps. The rated capacity of the unit was 1000 gallons
per hour, although the actual delivery was nearer 1500 gallons.
568
WM. J. ORCHARD
Fig. 4. View in the Laboratory Room
Fig. 5. View in the Laboratory Room
MOTOB-TRUCK-MOTJNTED WATEB PURIFICATION UNITS
570
WM. J. ORCHARD
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MOTOR-TRUCK-MOUNTED WATER PURIFICATION UNITS 571
The support of the filter, which weighed 2400 pounds without the
water, presented problems that required careful study. The final
solution was to fasten 5-inch steel H-beams to the chassis frame by
U bolts, bolting the filter to the H-beams by feet cast on the special
filter base.
In addition to the equipment shown in figures 6 and 7, 1031 articles
were carried. Still, much to the makers' dismay, when the trucks
were first placed in operation, it was found that they had overlooked
the very obvious item of a box of matches.
These units rendered valuable service under actual military opera-
tion in France. Some of them were injured by shell fire and some of
the Sanitary Corps men wounded in operating the units near the fir-
ing line.
Acknowledgment must be made of appreciation of the coopera-
tion extended by the Surgeon General's Office, the Sanitary Corps,
the Office of the Chief of Engineers of the Army, the Engineer Depot
and particularly to the following officers: Col. F. F. Longley, Lt.
Col. Edward Bartow, Major H. McC. Yost, Captains Morris Scharff,
Gerald W. Knight, W. F. Wells and J. J. Newmann, and Lieutenants
A. H. Wagner, H. H. Scott and T. W. Smith. Without the sugges-
tions and cooperation of M. F. Tiernan and C. F. Wallace these
units could not have been constructed, and special thanks are due to
two members of their staff, now in service in France, Capt. A. R.
Murphy, who materially contributed to the development of the first
unit in the tests at Maplewood, N. J., and Capt. R. V. Donnelly, who
was in charge of their construction at Camden, N. J. Thanks are
also due to the engineers of the Roberts Filter Manufacturing Com-
pany, for their especial cooperation.