BELMONT HERMANN M. BIGGS, M.D., State Commissioner of Health: I beg to submit the following report upon a reinspection of the public water supply of the village of Belmont, made by Mr. E. S. Chase, assistant engineer, on April 4, 1917. General information Location. Allegany county, on Erie railroad, 34 miles west of Hornell. Population.— 1,031, 90 per cent of which are served with the water. Source of supply.― Springs and northern branch of Phillips creek, three quarters of supply from latter source. Consumption. Estimated at 100,000 gallons daily. Distribution system.— Gravity-6 miles of mains, 4 inches to 6 inches in diameter. Service taps.-Estimated 200. Pressure.-75 pounds per square inch. Storage. Reservoir for receiving excess over consumption. Reference to previous investigations.- Investigation August 11, 1915, reported upon September 28, 1915. In the previous report on an inspection of this supply it was recommended that sources of direct contamination on the Phillips watershed be removed and, if necessary, applications be made to this Department for the enactment of rules and regulations. It was also recommended that the creek supply be adequately purified and that the spring supplies be more adequately protected from surface contamination or else abandoned. As an alternative, it was suggested that a new supply might be provided by developing additional springs or wells properly located and protected from contamination. The recent inspection disclosed the fact that the sanitary conditions upon the watershed are substantially the same as at the time of the previous investigation and as recorded in the previous report. At one farm, however, about 11⁄2 miles above the intake, the privy was underdrained by a small watercourse leading directly to the stream. Numerous other opportunities for more or less direct contamination from surface wash from the vicinity of houses, barns, etc., exist. During the floods of the spring of 1916 a portion of the pipe line was washed out and water was pumped into the main from Angelica creek, a tributary to Phillips creek and with a similar watershed. Samples of the water were collected at the time of the inspection and the results of these analyses made by the Division of Laboratories and Research are recorded in the appended table. The physical, chemical and bacterial characteristics of this water have been discussed in the previous report and the recent analyses throw little additional light in this respect. The sample collected at the time of the recent inspection was highly colored, turbid and moderately hard. The total count was somewhat high and organisms of the B. coli type were present indicating the presence of active contamination of animal or human origin. In view of the above facts the following conclusions may be drawn: 1. That the village authorities have not as yet carried out the recommendations of our previous report. 2. That the need for the recommended improvements still exists. 3. That the problem involved in the development of the best supply for Belmont is one requiring considerable detailed study in order to determine the method most practical and economical. This Department cannot, of course, undertake an extended study of the situation. 4. That a properly designed and operated filter plant upon the north branch of Phillips creek would undoubtedly assure the village of an adequate and satisfactory supply of water provided such a plant were at all times properly operated. In view of the above facts I would recommend: 1. That the village authorities give their immediate attention to the previous recommendations of this Department. 2. That, unless equally satisfactory results can be obtained by some other means not now apparent, the village install and operate a modern filtration plant for the purification of the supply from the north branch of Phillips creek. 3. That, before deciding upon the expenditure of any sum of money for waterworks improvements, the village retain the services of a competent engineer to study fully into the problem and advise them as to the most feasible method to pursue to obtain a safe and adequate supply. While it is evident that the carrying out of the above improvements will necessitate considerable expenditure on the part of the village, it is far better to take such steps at this time than to wait until an outbreak of waterborne typhoid fever occurs with resultant economic and social loss. In conclusion I would recommend that copies of this report be transmitted to the local authorities and to the sanitary supervisor of the district. Respectfully submitted, Absent. Tan 4/4/17 20 2 v. 1 v. 8 .015 0.6 .001 0.04 3.10 1.75 95.8 19.0 160 10 c.c. 2+1 1 c.c. 0+3 1/10 c.c. 0+3 Results are expressed in parts per million. + Present. Abbreviations used to describe odors of water 0, none; 1, very faint; 2, faint; 3, distinct; 4, decided; 5, strong; 6, very strong; a, aromatic; d, disagreeable; e, earthy; f, fishy; g, grassy; m, musty; v, vegetable. BERLIN HERMANN M. BIGGS, M.D., State Commissioner of Health: I beg to submit the following report upon a reinspection of the public water supply of the unincorporated village of Berlin made by Mr. M. F. Sanborn, assistant engineer, on April 12, 1917. General information Location. Rensselaer county, on the Little Hoosic river, about 15 miles east of Troy, on the Rutland railroad. Population. — 750, 75 per cent of which is served with the water. waterworks in charge of.- Berlin Water Co. Source of supply.— Two brooks and two springs about 1 mile southwest of the village. Consumption. 75,000 gallons per day, 25 per cent for industrial purposes. Distribution system.— Gravity, 2 miles of mains, 1 to 6 inches in diameter. Service taps.-89, of which none are metered. Pressure. 85 pounds per square inch. Storage. Impounding reservoir, 18,000 gallons; distributing reservoir, 250,000 gallons. Purification.- None. Reference to previous investigations.- 30th Annual Report of this Department, Vol. 2, page 278. At the time of the previous investigation in 1909, an auxiliary supply was derived at times from Hammond creek at a point about three-fourths of a mile southwest of the village. Above the intake this stream had a watershed of about 11⁄2 square miles with a population of about 50. On this watershed were several sources of serious pollution. It was accordingly recommended that the intake on Hammond creek be abandoned and that steps be taken to either move the intake up-stream above sources of contamination or to develop some other satisfactory source of supply. It appears from the recent inspection that this recommendation has been carried out and that a new intake has been constructed on a small brook, formerly the outlet of a pond known as Kendall pond, this intake being located above the houses referred to in the previous report. A low dam across the outlet of this pond at the head of the brook on which the new intake has been constructed has raised the elevation of the pond so that the present outlet of the pond is diverted through a new channel into Hammond creek. The watershed above the impounding reservoir, constituting the original source of supply, is approximately 10 acres in area. There are no houses on this area and the supply from this source may receive contamination only from animals or chance visitors to the reservoir or watershed. It is stated, however, that it is the practice of residents of a nearby house to visit this reservoir to obtain water for domestic purposes. This practice affords certain opportunity for contamination of human origin. The watershed above the new intake is about 100 acres in area and with the exception of a road crossing the brook just above the intake there are no permanent sources of contamination. The springs are so located and developed as to be free from contamination except, possibly, animal pollution from pasture land. A hydroelectric plant located near the waterworks intake is operated by water from Kendall pond and it is possible to divert the water from the tail-race into the new intake. Upon the shores of the pond are some 9 summer cottages with privies fairly well back from the pond. Water from this source should not be admitted into the mains save in case of drought or other emergency. At the time of the inspection samples of water were collected from the various sources and the results of the analyses of these samples, made by the Division of Laboratories and Research, will he found in the appended table. The results of the analysis of the sample of regular supply collected from a tap in the village, show a water clear, slightly colored and soft. The figures for nitrogen in its various forms and for oxygen consumed are low indicating the presence of moderate amounts only of decomposing and decomposable organic matter. The total bacterial count is low and organisms of the B. coli type were not found in the 30 c.c. volume tested. The bacterial analyses of the samples from the intakes show comparatively low counts for surface waters and in neither samples were organisms of the B. coli group isolated. The analysis of the sample representing the overflow from Kendall pond, collected at the tail-race of the hydro-electric plant. shows a water rather highly colored but clear and very soft. The results indicate the presence of larger amounts of organic matter than in the regular supply. The amount of iron found approaches the amount liable to interfere with laundry work. The presence of the B. coli type in a 10 c.c. inoculation tested indicates the presence of a certain amount of active contamination. In view of the above facts the following conclusions may be drawn: 1. That the Berlin Water Co. have carried out the recommendation of the 1909 report of this Department with respect to the abandonment of the intake on Hammond creek and the installation of a new intake above the sources of pollution noted in the previous report. 2. That the present sources of water supply for Berlin, provided steps are taken to maintain them in proper sanitary condition at all times, should afford a supply of reasonably satisfactory physical and sanitary quality, although the brook supplies, as is true of all surface supplies, are open to accidental, incidental or wilful contamination by chance visitors upon the watershed. 3. That the trespassing upon the shore of the southern reservoir, incidental to the securing of water therefrom by nearby residents, affords opportunity for contamination of the supply. 4. That the supplementary supply from the overflow of Kendall pond is open at times to a certain amount of contamination from the summer population resident around the pond, and is also somewhat undesirable on account of its high color and the presence of iron. I would recommend, therefore: 1. That the Berlin Water Co. consider making application to this Department for the enactment of rules and regulations for the sanitary protection of their supply in order to reduce the dangers of chance contamination by visitors upon the watersheds. 2. That trespassing around the various reservoirs and intakes be forbidden and this prohibition be strictly enforced. 3. That the supplementary supply from the Kendall pond outlet be used only in case of extreme urgency. I would further recommend that copies of this report be transmitted to the Berlin Water Co., to the local health officer and to the sanitary supervisor of the district. Respectfully submitted, ALBANY, N. Y., June 27, 1917 THEODORE HORTON, Results are expressed in parts per million. +++ Abbreviations used to describe odors of water: 0, none; 1, very faint; 2, faint; 3, distinct; 4, decided; 5, strong; 6, very strong; a, aromatic; d, disagreeable; e, earthy; f, fishy; g, grassy; m, musty; v, vegetable. BOONVILLE HERMANN M. BIGGS, M.D., State Commissioner of Health: I beg to submit the following report on an investigation of the public water supply of Boonville made by Mr. C. M. Baker, assistant engineer, on October 24, 1916. Boonville is an incorporated village of 1909 inhabitants, according to the 1915 census, located in the northern part of Oneida county on the Utica and Watertown branch of the N. Y. C. & H. R. R. R., 35 miles north of Utica. It is in the center of a prosperous dairying district. The village is provided with a combined system of sewers which discharge without purification into the Black River canal. The The water supply is owned by the municipality and was first put into operation in 1898 or 1899. Since the original installation, about 1914, additional storage has been provided by the construction of a second dam. supply is derived from impounding reservoirs on a small spring brook about 2 miles southwest of the village. From the reservoirs the water flows by gravity to the village distribution system, no purification being provided. Practically all of the population are served, there being some 500 service taps, only 75 of which are metered. Due to the limited number of meters and lack of other adequate method for measuring the water used, no definite information could be obtained regarding the consumption. but based on a per capita rate of 100 gallons daily the total consumption would be approximately 190.000 gallons per day. There are in all about 9 miles of water mains ranging in size from 4 to 12 inches in diameter. The pressure in the village ranges from 55 to 75 pounds per square inch, depending upon the elevation. Originally an earthen dam with a clay puddle core was constructed across the stream just below the junction of two small brooks, this dam forming an impounding reservoir of about 6,000,000 gallons capacity. Due to trouble from algæ, however, and difficulty in cleaning this reservoir without reserve |
