Transactions of the American Society of Civil Engineers, vol. LXXII, June, 1911 Water Purification Plant, Washington, D. C. Results of Operation.

The report opens with a clear picture of a monumental early‑20th‑century water‑purification system serving the nation’s capital. Listeners will hear how a pumping station lifts water from the McMillan Park Reservoir into a network of thirty‑one slow‑sand filters, each covering an acre, and a massive fifteen‑million‑gallon reservoir that stores the finished product. Detailed descriptions cover the concrete‑masonry construction, the layered sand and gravel beds, the centrifugal and sand‑washer pumps, and the clever use of hydraulic sand‑replacement that transformed maintenance practices.

Beyond the engineering layout, the paper shares five years of operational experience, presenting tables of costs, filtration rates, and efficiency figures gathered by the plant’s staff. A panel of noted civil engineers discusses these results, comparing them with other contemporary plants and highlighting lessons that still resonate for modern water‑treatment design. This blend of technical detail and historical context makes the recording a valuable listen for engineers, historians, and anyone curious about how a city once secured clean water for its residents.