CHEMICAL (PARTS PER MILLION)

BACTERIOLOGICAL

RESULTS OF WATER ANALYSES

* Delayed in transit.

† Frozen.

MOUNT UPTON

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 Mt. Upton, made by Mr. C. M. Baker, assistant engineer, on April 12, 1917.

Mt. Upton is an unincorporated village of about 400 inhabitants, located in the town of Guilford, Chenango county, on the New Berlin branch of the N. Y., Ontario & Western railroad, about 9 miles north of Sidney. There are several private sewer systems in the village, which discharge without treatment into the Unadilla river. These sewers serve about half the population, the rest of the houses being served with privies and cesspools.

The water supply is owned by Mrs. C. G. Brooks of Norwich, N. Y., and is derived from the springs and a well located on a hill about one mile west of the village, also from a well located in the western edge of the village. The supply was first put in operation about 1900. The well in the westerly edge of the village, however, is used only as an auxiliary supply, and was put in operation about ten (10) years ago. From the spring the water flows by gravity into an adjacent covered reservoir, and the water from the nearby well is pumped into the same reservoir. From this reservoir the water flows by gravity to the village. The water from the well in the edge of the village, however, is pumped into a small tank on an elevated tower near this well and when this supply is used the water from the reservoir is allowed to flow into the tank before entering the village. As this tank is at a considerably lower elevation than the reservoir, the pressure in the distribution system is thus reduced. There are in all 4 or 5 miles of mains, all of which are 2 inches in diameter. This supply, however, is used only for domestic purposes, no fire protection being provided. Practically all of the population of the village is served by the water, there being in all about 100 service taps, none of which are metered. Since there are no meters nor other method of measuring 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 about 40,000 gallons per day.

The storage reservoir is constructed of concrete and is covered with a wooden roof. Its capacity is about 18,000 gallons. The elevated tank is constructed of wood, is 13 feet in diameter by 16 feet high, and has a capacity of approximately 16,000 gallons.

The pumping equipment used in connection with the auxiliary well consists of a 4 h. p. Fairbanks-Morse & Company, gasoline engine belted to a small double acting plunger pump.

The spring from which the supply is regularly derived consists of collecting tile laid below the surface, which collects the ground water and discharge it into a collecting basin constructed of masonry and provided with a wooden cover. From this collecting basin the water flows by gravity into the storage reservoir. The well located near the spring is curbed to a depth of 6 feet with stone and is drilled for the rest of the depth. No information could be obtained, however, regarding the depth of this well and the strata through which it is drilled. A wind mill pumps water from this well into the reservoir. The spring, the reservoir and this well are located in pasture land, the springs and reservoir being enclosed by fences, however, while the well is not so protected.

The well in the western edge of the village, used as an auxiliary supply, is located at the foot of a steep hill. The well is 6 inches in diameter and drilled to a depth of 165 feet through gravel, clay, sand and rock, water being obtained from the rock formation. Definite information regarding the extent of these various strata was not available at the time of the inspection. The pump house is a frame structure located directly over the well, a mound of dirt being thrown up about it so that no surface drainage can find its way into it. The pump house is provided with a concrete floor and the pumps are located in a concrete pit, about 6 feet deep, and the engine is supported on

timbers at the top of this pit. A barn is located within about 125 feet, and a school house, with outside privies 150 feet from the well. These buildings are, however, at considerably lower elevations than the well, and there seems to be little possibility of contamination of the supply from these premises.

Samples of 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 water satisfactory in physical quality with respect to color and turbidity, and also a water that is low in hardness. The figures for nitrogen in its various forms are low, as are also the figures for oxygen consumed and chlorine. The bacterial counts are usually low, but colon bacilli are frequently present in 10 c.c. inoculations, thus indicating the presence of active contamination. It is probable that this contamination is caused by the rapid infiltration of surface wash from pasture land into the ground water tributary to the supply, and that it is of animal rather than of human origin.

As a result of this investigation it may be concluded:

1. That the water supply of Mt. Upton is derived from a source which is subject to some indirect pollution by surface wash from pasture land. 2. That although apparently adequate for domestic purposes, the supply is inadequate for fire protection.

In view of the above, I beg to offer the following recommendations to be acted upon by the owner of the water supply:

1. That a larger area about the springs and reservoir and including the well located nearby be enclosed by a substantially constructed fence, and that drainage ditches be provided to divert surface wash from this area. 2. That adequate area be enclosed about the well in the western edge of the village, and suitable drainage ditches provided to protect this source of supply from pollution by surface wash.

3. That consideration be given to the development of an adequate supply for fire protection.

Finally, I would recommend that copies of this report be sent to the owner of the water supply, the local health officer, and the sanitary supervisor of the

district.

ALBANY, N. Y., May 24, 1917

Respectfully submitted,

THEODORE HORTON,
Chief Engineer

BACTERIOLOGICAL

RESULTS OF WATER ANALYSES

NEWARK

(N. Y. Custodial Asylum for Feeble-Minded Women)

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

I beg to submit the following report upon plans for water filters at the New York State Custodial Asylum for Feeble-Minded Women, Newark, N. Y.

Plans and specifications for a proposed filter plant for treating the Erie canal water for hot water purposes at the Newark Custodial Asylum were approved by this Department on November 27, 1916. Later, plans for modifications in water main connections, not affecting the proposed filtration plant, however, were approved on March 3, 1917.

On April 17, 1917, drawings Nos. N-2677-D9 and N-267S-D9, prepared by the Norwood Engineering Company, contractors for the filtration plant were submitted by the State Architect. These drawings showed slight modifications in arrangement of the piping system connected with the filters, but the essential features of the design remained the same as in the plans previously approved. The details of the coagulation feed apparatus were not given, however, and upon request drawing N-4-D59 of the Norwood Engineering Company was submitted by the State Architect on April 23, this drawing being followed on May 3 by a copy of a letter from the Norwood Engineering Company, giving a detailed description of the method of operation of the coagulation feed device.

From an examination of these drawings, the numbers of which are given above, it is evident that no material change has been made in the plans previously submitted and approved on November 27, 1916. I would recommend, therefore, that these plans be approved.

ALBANY, N. Y., May 3, 1917

Respectfully submitted,

THEODORE HORTON,
Chief Engineer

NEWBURGH

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

I beg to submit the following report on an investigation of the sanitary condition of the public water supply of Newburgh, made by Mr. C. M. Baker, assistant engineer, on April 4, 1917.

General information

Location.- Northeastern corner of Orange county, on west bank of Hudson

river.

Population.— 27,876, all of which is served with the water.

Source of Supply.-Washington lake, which is fed by small brooks having a watershed area of 8.8 square miles.

Consumption.-4,900,000 gallons, an equivalent of 176 gallons per capita

per day.

Distribution System.- Forty-two miles of water mains, ranging from 4 to 30 inches in diameter.

Service Taps. 4,750, only a few of which are metered.

Pressure.-30 to 130 pounds per square inch.

Storage.— Washington Lake, 1,000,000,000 gallons; Lockwood basin, 36,000,000 gallons.

Purification.- Sterilization with liquid chlorine, formerly with hypochlorite of lime.