RESULTS, OF WATER ANALYSES

MANCHESTER

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 the village of Manchester, Ontario county. An investigation of this supply was made on December 7, 1916, by Mr. M. F. Sanborn, assistant engineer, who was assisted at the time of the inspection by Dr. J. H. Pratt, health officer, and Mr. John Gillman, superintendent of water and streets.

Manchester is an incorporated village in the northwestern part of Ontario county and about 25 miles southeast of Rochester. It is on the Canandaigua outlet and the Lehigh Valley railroad. The Auburn branch of the New York Central and Hudson River railroad passes through Shortsville, which is about 1 mile south of Manchester. Many of the residents of Manchester work on the Lehigh railroad, it being a terminal for freight business in this part of the State. The population at the time of the inspection was estimated to be about 1,115.

There are no public or private sewers in the village. Excretal and other wastes are disposed of in septic tanks, cesspools and privies.

The water supply is owned by the village and is under the control of the board of water commissioners. The waterworks were designed by Mr. C. C. Hopkins, civil engineer, of Rochester, and were constructed by contract under his direction in 1916.

The water supply is obtained from a dug well about 1 miles west of the village. Water from this well is pumped at a pumping station located near the well direct to the village mains and to a standpipe in the southwestern part of the village. This supply being newly installed, only about 37 per cent of the total population are as yet connected with the supply, although new connections are being made continually. The average daily consumption was estimated to be about 35,000 gallons. There are about 4 miles of water mains varying in size from 4 inches to 10 inches in diameter. Water is distributed by pumping and the average pressure in the village is about 60 pounds per square inch. Hydrants are placed in various parts of the village for fire protection.

The well from which the water is obtained is about 40 feet in diameter and 15 feet deep and was sunk through sand and gravel. At the time of the inspection the water was about 13% feet deep, the well holding about 17,000 gallons. The sides of the well are of plain concrete and the roof is of reinforced concrete, there being a manhole opening in the top to allow for inspection. The roof is about half a foot above the general surface of the ground in the vicinity. With the pumps operating, the water in the well is not lowered more than 5 feet.

The pumping station located adjacent to the well is 19 by 24 feet in plan and is constructed of brick. The pumping equipment is in duplicate and consists of two Gould triplex single-action plunger gear-driven 7-inch by 8-inch pumps. Each of the pumps is operated by a Fairbanks-Morse 15 horsepower electric motor. One of the pumps is so arranged that it can be automatically operated according to the pressures in the mains. Each pump has a capacity of about 175 gallons a minute.

The standpipe is of steel, 18 feet in diameter, 110 feet high, and has a capacity of about 213,000 gallons. The plant being new, no necessity has yet arisen to clean the standpipe. The strect mains are flushed out through the hydrants about once a month.

The well is located several hundred feet from the road and near the edge of a swamp. About one acre of land is owned by the village and there is apparently no direct source of pollution near the well.

At the time of the inspection a sample of the water was collected from a tap in the village and the results of the analysis of this sample are shown in the appended table.

From the results of this analysis it will be seen that the water is slightly colored and turbid and very hard. The high figure for chlorine is probably due largely to the local rocks, which are of the Salina group. The figures for free ammonia and oxygen consumed are somewhat high and apparently indi

cate the presence of organic matter, derived probably from the nearby swamp. The bacterial count is very low and organisms of the B. coli type were not found in the 10 c.c. inoculations tested.

As a result of this investigation and of the analyses, the following conclusion may be drawn:

That the water supply of the village of Manchester is apparently of a satisfactory sanitary quality, although containing a small amount of color derived from the swamp near the well.

As a measure of precaution, I would make the following recommendation: That any buildings constructed within 500 feet of the well should be provided with privies having removable tight containers and that every effort be made by the village authorities to maintain the surroundings within 500 feet of the well in a satisfactory sanitary condition. I would also recommend that copies of this report be sent to the village authorities and to the sanitary supervisor of the district.

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, grass; m, zusty; v, vegetable.

MASSENA

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

I beg to submit the following report on an investigation of an outbreak of typhoid fever in the village of Massena, made on March 8, 1917, by Mr. E. S. Chase, assistant engineer, acting in co-operation with Dr. C. R. Hervey, sanitary supervisor, and Dr. E. H. Hackett, health officer.

On March 5 a report was received from Dr. Hervey stating that several rases of typhoid had occurred recently in Massena and that the evidence at that time pointed to the public water supply as the source of the infection. In view of the fact that from several investigations previously made by the Department this water supply was known to be of questionable sanitary quality, an investigation was immediately started to determine what definite connection might exist between the water supply and the typhoid outbreak.

Information obtained from Dr. Hackett disclosed the fact that some 13 cases of typhoid had occurred in Massena with dates of onset subsequent to the 1st of January. The data obtained with respect to these cases are given in detail in the appended table.

From a study of this table and other general information it is apparent that the only source of food or drink used in common by all cases was the public water supply. Of the 13 cases, 6 obtained milk from Hammill, 4 from Allen, 2 from Garvis and 1 from Tyos. The first 2 dealers supply practically all of the milk sold in Massena and are said to obtain their supply of milk from independent sources. The time of year excludes the possibility of infection from flies or green vegetables. There is no evidence of contact, the cases being scattered fairly uniformly throughout the village, the occupations and ages are diverse. In connection with the ages, it should be noticed that there is no preponderance of cases among very young children as would be the case were the infection milk-borne.

The epidemiological evidence outlined above thus points directly to the public water supply as the source of infection. This supply is pumped from the St. Lawrence power canal treated with liquid chlorine and filtered through two pressure mechanical filters. The waterworks system has been described in previous reports upon investigations made heretofore and the details of the system remain practically the same as described in the former reports. While the water is ordinarily treated with liquid chlorine and filtered through pressure filters, it appears that during the latter part of December, 1916, and the first part of January, 1917, it became necessary to interrupt the operation of the purification plant in order to make repairs and to replace defective parts. The chlorine apparatus was out of operation from January 1 to February 16 and the filters were out of service from about Christmas time to March 5.

The unsafe character of the raw St. Lawrence river water has been clearly and fully pointed out in our previous reports. Furthermore there is a possibility of local pollution of the power canal by laborers working on the dredges stationed above the intake or by laborers engaged in maintaining an open channel through the ice above the spillway of the dam. In this connection it is significant to note that occasional cases of typhoid fever had occurred among the laborers employed by the Aluminum Company during the past year and very shortly before the outbreak.

The past reports of this Department have made the following recommendations:

1. That the St. Lawrence Water Company take steps to improve the quality of water supplied by their works to the people of Massena by

(a) Subjecting the raw water to a period of sedimentation of several hours before passing it through the filters or else providing storage for filtered water so that it will be unnecessary to pump from the canal during turbid times.

(b) Increasing the filter area to reduce the rates of filtration, allow more flexibility of operation, and make it possible to put at least one unit out of operation in case of emergency.

(c) Installing approved appliances for feeding coagulant in proper quantities at all times.

2. That the St. Lawrence Water Company make and keep a record of the physical, chemical and bacteriological tests which are customarily made of the raw and filtered waters in an efficiently operated filter plant, in order that the best results may be obtained at all times.

3. That frequent and thorough inspections be made by the Board of Health and the St. Lawrence Water Company of the sanitary conditions in the canal and upon the watershed tributary to the canal with a view of discovering and preventing any accidental or wilful pollution of the public water supply.

1915

In view of the failure of the water company to carry out the previous recommendations of this Department, it does not appear necessary at this

These earlier recommendations,

time to make additional recommendations. as given in detail above, should, however, receive the immediate attention of the St. Lawrence Water Company.

1916

1. That the water company give their immediate attention to those recommendations of this Department, which have not as yet been carried

out.

2. That at times of turbid water the amount of chlorine applied be increased to at least 0.40 part per million by weight.

3. That scales be provided for daily weighing of the cylinders of chlorine in order that a check may be had upon the accuracy of the chlorine control meter.

From our records, therefore, it appears that no appreciable efforts were made by the water company between 1911 and 1915 to properly purify the water supply. Between 1915 and 1916 the chlorine apparatus was installed and improvements made in the method of applying the alum to the water before filtration. Between the time of the report of 1916 and the present date, regular analyses have been made by the water company at monthly intervals and scales provided for the weighing of chlorine cylinders as a check upon the accuracy of the control apparatus. Furthermore extra parts for this apparatus have been provided in order to facilitate such repairs as might become necessary. No steps, however, have been taken by the water company to install a sedimentation basin prior to filtration nor to increase the filter area.

At the time of the inspection samples of raw and treated water were collected and the results of the analyses of these samples by the Division of Laboratories and Research, together with the results of presumptive tests for B. coli made by the laboratory of the aluminum company will be found in the appended table.

The results of the analyses made by this Department show the contaminated condition of the raw water from the canal. The low counts and absence of organisms of the B. coli type in the samples of the treated water indicate that the purification process was effective at the time of the investigation. The analyses of the aluminum company indicate that, during the time the purification plant was cut of service, the water as delivered was actively contaminated.

In conclusion, it may be stated that the information obtained eliminates contact, carriers, raw food and milk as causes of the outbreak, leaving the public water supply as a common factor in all the cases. The fact that during the period from January 1 to February 16 the water was receiv ing no purification and that during this period the majority of cases had their onsets, is conclusive evidence that the water supply, derived from a source which is known to be contaminated, was the cause of the outbreak. I would, therefore, recommend:

1. That the water company operate continuously, and not intermittently as in the past, the chlorine plant for sterilization of the water supply furnished by them. At no time should the amount of chlorine applied be less than 0.25 part per million by weight and at times of turbidity the amount applied should be increased to not less than 0.4 part per million. 2. That the water company take more care to keep the filters in proper operating condition in order that continuous service may be maintained. 3. That the water company otherwise carry out as soon as possible such previous recommendations of this Department as have not as yet been acted upon.

4. That the local board of health arrange for regular inspections of the water purification plant at such frequent intervals as may be found necessary to insure constant operation of the plant.

ALBANY, N. Y., March 21, 1917

Respectfully submitted,

THEODORE HORTON,
Chief Engineer