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<br />~ <br /> <br />, <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />II <br /> <br />, <br /> <br />~ <br /> <br />I <br />~ <br />~ <br /> <br />t <br />l <br /> <br />(~. r- ('. ,.... <br />'-01 \.I U <br /> <br />''', 'I <br /> <br />OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE <br /> <br />35 <br /> <br />at the plant which had not been possible since the start of opera- <br />tion. In general, everything inspected was found to be in good <br />condition. <br />The increased demand for Colorado River water was reflected <br />in maximum and minimum monthly averages of quantity of water <br />softened per day and in the average daily input to the softening <br />plant. A new peak flow through the plant was reached on June <br />27, 1946, when 142 cubic feet 'per second or 91.78 million gallons <br />per day were softened. This is closely approaching the designed <br />plant capacity of 100 million gallons per day. The monthly average <br />rate of flow ranged from a minimum of 36 cubic feet per second <br />or 23,27 million gallons per day in .January 1946, to a maximum <br />of 101.4 cubic feet per second or 65,M million gallons per day in <br />June 1946. The average daily flow through the plant for the fiscal <br />year 1945-46 was 69.1 cubic feet per second or 44.66 million gallons <br />per day, an increase of 51 per cent over the corresponding figure <br />for the preceding fiscal year, <br />Operation of the plant was particularly free from interruptions <br />or difficulties other than those minor ones caused by wear of equip- <br />ment in use, The incidence of these minor difficulties is more <br />frequent, however, with increasing age and wear of the equipment. <br />The supply of electrical energy was maintained with only minor <br />interruptions, Due to required shutoffs of natural gas for indus- <br />trial service, at times of heavy domestic demand in cold periods, <br />it became necessary to change over to fuel oil for boiler use five <br />times during the year. A total of 783 carloads of chemicals was <br />delivered to and unloaded at the softening plant for use in the <br />softening processes. The proper upkeep and repair of plant and <br />equipment were made particularly difficult by slow deliveries of <br />'materials and -equipmenrrepair patts. - - - - - <br /> <br />Z eoUte inve..tiga.tions <br /> <br />During the past two years there has been a gradual but steady <br />decrease in the exchange capacity of the zeolite being used at the <br />softening plant, Extensive investigations have been made, both <br />at the District laboratories and in cooperation with zeolite authori- <br />ties throughout the entire United States, to determine the cause <br />of this loss in exchange capacity, ways of stopping the loss, and <br />means, if any, of revivifying the old mineral. No positive conclu- <br />sions bave been reached on the first two questions, but the investi- <br />gations are being continued, A method was developed whereby as <br />