FRIENDSHIP

HERMANN M. BIGGS, M.D., State Commissioner of Health:

I beg to submit the following report on an inspection of the public water supply of the village of Friendship, made on April 3, 1917, by Mr. E. S. Chase, assistant engineer of this Department.

Friendship is an incorporated village with a population of 1,218, located in western part of Allegany county on the Erie and the Pittsburgh, Shawmut and Northern railroads, about 40 miles west of the city of Hornell. With the exception of one or two small industries the village is a residential community and a trading center for the surrounding agricultural region. The village. is not provided with a public sewer system, the houses being served by privies and cesspools.

The public water supply is derived from springs, 24 miles southeast of the village, one driven and one dug well in the southern part of the village, and one deep well, 21⁄2 miles southwest of the village. The waterworks were constructed in 1896, under the direction of Mr. E. D. Smalley, civil engineer. The waterworks were originally owned by a private company, but were later taken over by the village. The supply at first was derived from the springs southeast of the village, but these proving inadequate, the wells in the southern part of the village were developed, and still later the deep well was added to the system. The waterworks are operated under the direction of the board of water commissioners, of which Mr. H. A. Corbin is president.

Practically the entire population of the village is served by this supply, and although no accurate data are available the water consumption may be estimated at approximately 120,000 gallons per day. There are approximately 8 or 9 miles of water mains ranging from 4 inches to 10 inches in diameter. Of the 300 service taps in the village, some 50 per cent are metered. The water from the springs and from the deep well is distributed by gravity, while that from the wells in the southern part of the village is pumped into the mains against the pressure maintained by a reservoir on the side hill onefourth mile south of the village. The average pressure in the village is about 85 pounds per square inch.

The springs are 8 in number. Five of these springs are located on a side hill pasture back of a farm house 24 miles southwest of the village. These springs are developed by stone masonry catch basins covered with flat stone slabs and sealed with mortar. These five springs discharge through pipe lines into a circular collecting basin, thence into a main which in turn discharges into another basin located on a knoll alongside the highway, about 1 mile nearer the village. From this basin the water flows into the main pipe leading to the village. Another spring is located on a side hill, a short distance from this basin and is developed in a manner similar to the other springs. About one-half mile nearer the village a pipe line from two other springs located in a small ravine one-fourth mile west of the highway, enters the pipe line to the village. All of these springs are located in pasture or cultivated ground, or on areas to which cattle have access, and while they seem to be fairly well protected from surface wash, it is possible that at times of heavy rainfall infiltration of surface water carries contamination of animal origin into these springs. This seems particularly probable in view of the fact that in several instances the side walls of the spring basins are not extended above the surface of the ground and that the area around the springs are not fenced to exclude cattle.

Of the two wells in the village, one is a shallow dug well 25 feet deep by 10 feet in diameter, containing 13 feet of water. This well is walled up with masonry and covered with a wooden house. The other well is a drilled well 62 feet deep. The latter well passes through gravel, then clay and then into water bearing gravel. Under normal conditions the water from this well will flow above the surface of the ground. Water from these wells may be pumped into the distribution system at a nearby pumping station, the pumping equipment consisting of one 5-inch by 6-inch Gould triplex pump operated by a gas engine.

Beyond 100 feet and within 500 feet of the wells there are about 6 houses and beyond 500 feet and within 1,000 feet there are about 6 houses. Two or three of the houses nearest the wells are provided with cesspools, the seepage from which enters the gravel of which the subsoil is composed. While the ground water flow is probably under normal conditions away from these wells and towards these cesspools it is possible that at times of heavy draft upon the ground water the flow may be from these cesspools toward the wells, and that under such conditions pollution may reach the wells, particularly the shallow dug well.

The deep well located south of the hamlet of Niles was originally sunk to secure oil, but was abandoned as an oil well. This well has been plugged at 150 feet, and the water flows from it through a pipe tapping the casing 15 or 16 feet below the surface of the ground. It is claimed that the flow now obtainable from this well has been greatly diminished, due to the recent drilling of another oil well 200 feet or so beyond this well. There are no apparent sources of pollution in the vicinity of the well.

At times the supply of water available from the springs and Nile well is inadequate for the needs of the village. At such times pumping from the wells in the southern part of the village is resorted to and at times when the water has been pumped from the driven well in this part of the village, complaints have been made regarding tastes and odors in the water. The water from this latter well is at times apparently saturated with an inflammable hydrocarbon gas, which gives the unpleasant characteristics to the water as delivered to the consumer. On account of the inadequacy of the satisfactory sources of supply the village is considering the development of an additional source or sources of more satisfactory quality. Last fall the drilling of a well on the hillside south of the village was commenced, but never completed. From a general study of the situation it appears that there are at least four methods or lines of procedure which the village may pursue in its efforts to secure additional water supply, namely: the development of additional springs, the development of additional wells, the use of a surface supply unpurified, or the use of a surface supply purified.

The development of additional springs would probably require the extension of pipe lines to points where such springs might be discovered. It seems probable that sufficient additional springs might be developed in this vicinity at sufficient elevation to give gravity distribution but it also seems probable that such springs would be found scattered over a considerable area, and that the connection of such springs with the present distribution system would render the proposition somewhat costly. While no definite data are available regarding the flow of springs in this region, it is the testimony of several waterworks superintendents in Allegany county that the yield of surface springs has diminished of late years due to the deforestation in this region. Of course, it is impossible for us to state, with the meagre knowledge available, that the development of additional springs is unfeasible, but upon general principles it would seem necessary to proceed along this line very cautiously. With respect to the development of wells, it may be stated that wells in this vicinity have been drilled which afford satisfactory supplies, but as is true in the development of all ground water sources, the element of uncertainty renders the outcome of such attemps somewhat doubtful. On account of the fact that this region is underlain by oil bearing shale, it is often impossible to predict the character of water which may be obtained from driven wells. In some wells in this vicinity the water has been found to be highly charged with sulphureted hydrogen and consequently decidedly unpalatable for drinking purposes. The drilling of wells on a hillside is ordinarily inadvisable because it is rarely found that such wells will flow at an elevation sufficient to give gravity distribution and consequently no advantage is gained to offset the cost of drilling the extra depth. Under ordinary conditions the proper place to locate wells is in a valley. In the vicinity of Friendship it seems probable that shallow wells sunk into water hearing gravel in the vicinity of Van Campen's creek would afford a supply of water sufficient to supplement the present supply of the village and, provided proper care is taken in

the selection of the location of such wells, satisfactory in sanitary quality. It would, of course, be necessary to pump water from such wells into the mains but as conditions are now such pumping has to be resorted to when the present supply is inadequate.

With respect to the development of an unpurified surface supply it is probable that a surface supply of sufficient purity to afford a satisfactory supply to the village is not available due to the fact that this county is so well populated that almost any stream of adequate flow would drain a populated farming district and would consequently be open to more or less serious and dangerous contamination.

So far as the development of a surface supply with purification is concerned, it may be stated that the possibilities of a supply of this nature can be most easily determined and the cost of construction and the amount of supply to be obtained most accurately estimated prior to actual development.

While the exact method most suitable and most economical for the village is impossible for us to determine with the limited data available and with our inability both on account of limited force and because of lack of authorization to give the requisite time to a detailed study of the problem, it would seem that of the courses above outlined, the choice would lie between the development of additional shallow wells and the installation of a purified surface supply. Under any circumstances, however, the village should secure the services of a competent engineer to study the problem and to report and advise upon the best method from all standpoints for the village to pursue.

Samples of the water from the various sources were collected at the time of the inspection and the results of these analyses together with others made in the past by the Division of Laboratories and Research will be found in the appended table. The previous analyses are manifestly samples of the mixed supply and are of little value in determining the sanitary quality of the water derived from the various sources. The recent analyses, however, indicate that the waters from the Niles well and from the driven well in the village are of a reasonably satisfactory sanitary quality, being low in total numbers of bacteria and with organisms of the B. coli type absent. The latter water, however, is unsatisfactory on account of its unpleasant odor, high color and turbidity. The spring water shows a small amount of contamination probably due to infiltration of surface wash from pasture land. The shallow well water was also somewhat unsatisfactory in physical characteristics and showed comparatively high bacterial counts with organisms of the B. coli type present in 10 c.c. inoculations.

In view of the above facts the following conclusions may be drawn:

1. That the spring supply of Friendship although inadequate in quantity should furnish a supply of satisfactory sanitary quality provided these springs are at all times carefully protected from infiltration of surface wash.

2. That the Niles well furnishes a water of satisfactory quality although the quantity is also inadequate.

3. That the water from the drilled well in the southern part of the village is unsatisfactory with respect to its physical characteristics and the presence of the hydro-carbon gas.

4. That the shallow well furnishes an unsatisfactory supply both with respect to its physical characteristics and its sanitary quality. Furthermore, this well is unsatisfactorily located with respect to nearby cesspools. 5. That the village is undoubtedly in need of an additional supply of satisfactory physical and sanitary quality and of adequate amount. I would, therefore, recommend:

1. That the masonry side walls of the various springs be extended to at least one foot above the ground level in all cases and drainage ditches be constructed to divert surface runoff from their immediate vicinity and suitable fences be placed around the springs to exclude animals from the area immediately surrounding the springs.

2. That the wells in the southern part of the village, on account of

their unsatisfactory qualities outlined above, be abandoned at the earliest possible moment.

3. That the village retain the services of a competent engineer to prepare plans for the development of additional water supply of satisfactory quality and adequate in quantity.

Respectfully submitted,

ALBANY, N. Y., May 11, 1917

THEODORE HORTON,
Chief Engineer

CHEMICAL (PARTS PER MILLION)

BACTERIOLOGICAL

RESULTS OF WATER ANALYSES