MECHANICVILLE

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 Mechanicville, made by Mr. C. M. Baker, assistant engineer, on June 20, 1917.

Mechanicville is a city of 8,208 inhabitants, located in the southeast corner of Saratoga county, on the west bank of the Hudson river, 20 miles north of Albany. It is on the D. & H. R. R., and may also be reached by trolley. A system of public sewers discharges into the Hudson river, without treatment of the sewage.

The supply was first put into service in 1893, and originally consisted of an impounding reservoir on Plum brook, at a point about 4 miles northwest of the village from which the water flowed by gravity to the distributing system. Later, however, in 1909, an intake, a purification plant and pumping station were installed about 14 miles below the reservoir. The water from this lower Intake flows through the purification plant into a clear water well, from which it is pumped into the main leading from the reservoir to the village. The pressure from the pumps, however, is usually greater than that from the reservoir, and it is thus evident that when the pumps supply sufficient water for the consumption only filtered water enters the distribution system.

As will be pointed out later the pumps do not at all times supply sufficient swater so that unpurified water undoubtedly frequently enters the system.

Practically all of the population of the city is served with the water, there being about 1,100 service taps, all of which are metered. There are some 22 miles of mains ranging in size from 4 to 16 inches in diameter. The pressure in the main part of the city ranges from 80 to 85 pounds per square inch. In a portion of the city located at a higher elevation, however, the pressure is only 40 to 50 pounds. The average consumption is approximately 1,300,000 gallons per day, the maximum 1,500,000 gallons, and the minimum 1,000,000 gallons daily. These figures correspond to per capita rates of 158, 183 and 122 gallons, respectively. About 60 per cent of the water is used by the railroads and manufacturing concerns.

Auxiliary fire protection is provided by means of a cross connection with the mains of the West Virginia Paper Mills, whereby water may be pumped from the Hudson river by the mill into the distribution system. Double check valves are provided at this place, however, in order to check the flow of water from the mills into the city distribution system under ordinary conditions. The superintendent of the mills stated that they pumped water into the distribution system of the city only upon special request from a city official.

The purification plant consists of a small impounding reservoir, about 1,000,000 gallons in capacity, from which the water flows by gravity to a roughing filter, thence through gravity mechanical filters into a clear water basin, from which it is pumped into the distribution system as stated above. The main storage or impounding reservoir on the upper part of Plum brook is formed by the construction of an earthen dam, with a clay puddle core across the bed of the stream. The capacity of this reservoir is estimated at 90,000,000 gallons. The intake at the upper impounding reservoir consists of a steel tower extending from the bottom of the reservoir to above the water surface. Screens are provided to prevent large floating material from entering the mains. At the filter plant a screened opening through the dam forming the lower reservoir allows the water to flow from the reservoir onto the roughing filter. At times of flood water may also overflow this wall onto the roughing filter and thence over a spillway into the creek below.

The pumping station and filter plant are housed in a brick building. The pumping equipment consists of two Worthington pumps, one with a capacity of 1,500,000 gallons daily and the other 750.000 gallons per day. Power is furnished by means of one 70 horsepower steam boiler. It is necessary to shut down the pumping plant once a month in order to overhaul the boiler. During this period the city is supplied by water directly from the large impounding storage reservoir.

The area of the watershed tributary to the storage reservoir is about 1.85 square miles, and to the lower intake, at the purification plant, 4.27 square miles. The total population on the watersheds tributary to the supply is about 190, the density of population on each watershed being about the same and equivalent to approximately 30 persons per square mile. About 25 per cent of the area is wooded, the rest being used for farming and agricultural purposes. The slopes are generally quite precipitous. Rules and regulations for the sanitary protection of the watershed were enacted by this Department in 1907. No violations have been reported by the city officials in their annual reports.

An inspection of the watershed was made at the time of the present investigation and, although the buildings were found to be located well back from the streams in most cases, the following sources of pollution and possible violations of the water rules were observed:

1. At the farm occupied by Mr. Wilbur, near the upper edge of the reservoir, a privy, provided with no vault, and a barn are located on the bank of the reservoir. Fecal matter was observed on the ground in the vicinity.

2. At the farm of Orville Shepard, about half a mile above the reservoir, a spring feeder has its source near the barn.

The purification plant is located on the bank of Plum brook, about 2 miles northwest of the city. The roughing filter is 53 by 57 feet in plan and is provided with about 4 feet of gravel. The rate of filtration through it, based upon the average consumption, is approximately 14,000,000 gallons per acre per day. The gravity mechanical filters, 4 in number, are provided with about 3 feet of sand resting upon 6 to 12 inches of gravel. The filters are underdrained by a pipe system which is equipped with perforated cup-shaped strainers. The main drains through the center of each bed are 8 inches in diameter and the laterals 14 inches, the laterals being spaced about 9 inches apart. From the filters the water flows directly into the clear water wells.

The maximum rate of filtration through the mechanical filters is about 51,000,000 gallons per acre per day and the minimum 34,000,000 gallons per day. The filters are cleaned when they fail to supply sufficient water to meet the demands of the pumps; in other words, the filters are washed when the elevation of the water in the clear water well begins to fall. The frequency of washings depends upon the condition of the water and varies from 3 to 36 hours. The filters are washed until the wash water is clear. No provision is made for filtering to waste after washing. The clear water well is 10 by 37 feet in plan by 5 feet deep and has a capacity of about 14,000 gallons. No alum or other chemical is used as coagulant in connection with the operation of the purification plant. It is stated that the filters were constructed for the purpose of removing turbidity from the water and it is said that they are successful in this respect.

Samples of the water were collected at the time of the inspection and sent to the Division of Laboratories and Research for analyses, the results of which, together with those of previous analyses, are recorded in the appended table.

The results of these analyses show a water frequently high in color and turbidity, also a water that is high in hardness. The figures for nitrogen in its various forms are moderate but those for oxygen consumed and chlorine appear to be rather high at times. The bacterial counts of samples collected from taps in the village are at times very high. Colon bacilli have been found present in practically all of the 10 c.c. inoculations, in a majority of the 1 c.c. inoculations and occasionally in the 1/10 c.c. inoculations, thus indicating the presence of considerable active and potentially dangerous contamination in the water. It is therefore evident that the purification plant is ineffective in removing pollution from the water and it is apparent furthermore that at times turbid water reaches the distribution system.

As a result of this investigation, it may be concluded:

1. That the water supply of the city of Mechanicville is derived from sources which are subject to pollution from inhabitants on the watershed and visitors thereto.

2. That the privy on the Wilbur farm, near the head of the storage reservoir, constitutes a serious menace to the sanitary quality of the supply.

3. That the purification plant is ineffective in removing this pollution. 4. That the water is at times used without purification.

5. That polluted water from the Hudson river is at times pumped into the distribution system, due to lack of adequate pumping equipment in connection with the city supply.

In view of the above, I beg to offer the following recommendations to be acted upon by the city authorities:

1. That greater care be exercised in making inspections of the watershed in order that all violations of the water rules may be located and abated.

2. That the privy at the Wilbur farm be moved to a greater distance from the reservoir and that it be provided with a watertight container which shall be properly cleaned at regular intervals.

3. That, regarding purification:

(a) Apparatus be provided as soon as possible and the supply be sterilized with liquid chlorine.

(b) Coagulating basins be provided and the water be suitably treated with a coagulant before passing upon the mechanical filters. (c) The piping be rearranged so that water may be filtered to waste after washing.

4. That the necessary changes be made and suitable pumping equipment be provided so that no unpurified water will at any time enter the distribution system.

5. That suitable storage or pumping equipment be provided in order to make it unnecessary to pump unpurified water from the Hudson river or other polluted source into the distribution system in case of fire. In conclusion, I would futher recommend that copies of this report be transmitted to the local authorities and the sanitary supervisor of the district. Respectfully submitted,

THEODORE HORTON,
Chief Engineer

ALBANY, N. Y., August 2, 1917

RESULTS OF WATER ANALYSES

BACTERIOLOGICAL

MIDDLEVILLE

LINSLY R. WILLIAMS, M.D., Acting State Commissioner of Health:

I beg to submit the following report on an investigation of the public water supply of Middleville made by C. M. Baker, assistant engineer, on October 26, 1916.

Middleville is an incorporated village of 710 inhabitants located in Herkimer county on West Cañada creek and the Adirondack division of the New York Central railroad, 9 miles north of Herkimer. There are several private sewer systems in the village, all of which discharge without treatment into the creek, but most of the houses are served with privies, cesspools, etc.

The water supply is owned by the municipality and is derived from a small spring brook about 24 miles northeast of the village. From the brook intake the water flows by gravity to a large storage reservoir about 1 mile from the village, thence to the consumers. The supply was first put into operation in 1895. Rules and regulations for protecting the sanitary quality of the supply were enacted by this Department in 1902. Practically all of the inhabitants are served with the water, there being in all 110 service taps, none of which are metered. The pressure in the village averages 160 to 190 pounds per square inch. Due to the lack of meters or other method of 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 71,000 gallons per day. Although previous information has indicated shortage of water at times, no mention was made of this fact by the village officials at the time of the inspection. There is a connection with the village system, however, whereby water from West Canada creek may be pumped by the pumps of the E. C. Mills Leather Company into the system in case of fire or shortage of the supply. Although no definite information was obtained at the time of the inspection that water had been pumped from this source, the existence of a connection whereby water may be pumped from the creek is objectionable, since it is subject to considerable direct pollution from villages above Middleville which discharge sewage into the stream without purification.

The storage reservoir is formed by earthen embankments the sides of which are rip-rapped. Drainage ditches are provided to divert all surface wash and the reservoir is fenced. Its capacity is about 21,000,000 gallons, which is equivalent to 280 days' consumption, based upon a 100 gallons per capita rate. The intake consists of a small dam across Kenyon brook at a point about 1 mile northeast of the reservoir. This dam forms a small impounding reservoir of about 40,000 gallons capacity and diverts the water into an intake basin which is protected by a half-inch mesh screen. This reservoir is enclosed by a fence which is placed only 10 or 12 feet from the edge of the reservoir. The storage reservoir is usually cleaned each year during low water, at which time water is drawn directly from the brook intake to supply the demand. Due to trouble from algae, copper sulphate is used in the reservoir nearly every year as needed. The intake is cleaned three or four times yearly.

The watershed tributary to the supply is about half a square mile in area and on it are located two houses with a total population of about 10 persons, or an equivalent of 20 per square mile. The source of the stream consists of springs located in a wooded area. Below the springs, however, and above the intake, the watershed is used mainly for pasture land. The buildings at the two farms located on the watershed are 200 feet or 300 feet from the stream. The barnyards of each, however, extend practically to the stream. It is apparent therefore that considerable pollution from cattle and livestock finds its way into the supply, also that there is some danger of pollution of human origin from inhabitants upon the watershed and also from trespassers

thereon.

Samples of the water were collected at the time of the inspection and sent to the Division of Laboratories and Research for analyses, the results of which together with those of previous analyses are recorded in the appended table.

VOL. II-14