The Springwells Filtration Plant, Detroit, Michigan

The design and construction of a filtration plant and filtered water reservoir at Springwells Station is described in this paper. These units form a part of the additional works constructed during 1929-1932 for the Board of Water Supply of the Metropolitan Area of Detroit, Mich. The filtration plant is of the rapid sand, gravity type, having an ultimate capacity of 300 000 000 gal daily. The reservoir is in two sections each of which has a capacity of 20 000 000 gal, with provision for a third section to be added later. The general basis of design, the data pertaining to the various parts of the plant, the hydraulics of plant flow, the construction program, and the tabulation of both construction costs and engineering costs are outlined herein.

The water supply for the City of Detroit is the largest to be completely filtered by rapid sand filtration, and includes the two largest rapid sand filtration plants in the world-the Water-Works Park Filtration Plant, having a maximum daily capacity of 360 000 000 gal, and the Springwells Filtration Plant, having a maximum daily capacity of 300 000 000 gal (capacities based on a filtration rate of 180 000 000 gal daily per acre).