Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-03-04

our Water SupplS--An Interesting
/. Essay on the subject.

comes settled does It's surface waters be-
come contaminated, and the difference
between that obtained from rivers and shall
low wells, and even the rain water, in the
same locality. is only in the degree Of their
impurities.
1t has been proven by microscopic inves-
tigation and chemical analysis that the 60
called mountain or snow fevers" met with
in the Rocky Mountain regions are caused
by disease germs, which, after floating hun
dreds and thousands of miles through the
air, have been precipitated with the sn w.
Rivers are open sewers into which most Of
the filth Of the land is washed by the rains.
WHENEVER banks are thickly studded with
towns and manufactures, the water becomes
so impure in some known instances as to
kill the fish.
The present practice OF emptying all the
filth of cities into the sewers, and through
them into the rivers, is rapidly intensifyiDg
the noxious properties of these waters, and
from which they cannot be purified by any
artificial system of filtration.
The popular opinion that running water
purifes itself by oxidation of all of its i'm
purities is no longer tenable. The best au-
clare "that there is not river In the United
Kingdom of sufficient length to rid itself
by oxidation OF its impurities. 'ln lake
and river waters the oxidation OF organic
matter is so extremely slow as to render 1t
almost impossible that animal matter once
introduced can be completely resolved into
inorganic compounds before the water
reaches the sea-
Shallow wells, when located in an homo
geneous stratum, which is interspersed with
privy vaults and sewers which are con-
siTucted of porous brick or other ma, erial
through which their contents readily eXude,
contain the most impure of all surface
waters
Directly a district becomes cultivated,
evidences of animal contamination begin to
show themselves in the water running over
and through it.
Owing to the much more rapid oxida-
ton which takes place when water polluted
with organic matter, percolates through
porous earth, deep wells and springs fed
from impure sources generally contain very
much larger proportions Of inorganic COM
pounds. The previous history of such
waters, however, is often Of comparatively
little consequence, because the contamina-
ton Is generally very remote, and the risk
OF the survival OF zimotic germs conse-
quently very slight.
The eXcrementiticus matters which exist In
sewage are sometimes possessed of intense
" infectious properties; and sewage mixing
with water, even in the minutest proportion,
is likely, by such properties, to spread
epidemic diseases among populations which
drink the water.
The existence of an infectious property
in water cannot be proved by chemical anal
ysis, and is only learned, too late, from the
effects which The water produces on man.
But though chemistry cannot prove any eX-
listing infectious property, 1t can prove, If
existing, certain degrees of sewage contain
ination; and every sewage contamination
which chemistry can trace, ought to be held
to IL cluoe the possibility OF infectious
properties
Nearly the whole of the animal matter
which gains access to drinking water con.
sists of sewage, that is, solid and liquid ex
crements.
The evidence Of previous contamination
implies much more risk when It occurs In
water from rivers and shallow wells than
when 1t is met with In the water of deep
wells or Of deep seated springs.
IN the case of river water, there is great
probsb ility that the morbifc matter some
times present IN animal excreta will be car
ried rapidly down the stream, escape de-
composition, ard produce disease in those
persons who drink the water. In the case
of shallow wells also, there is a rapid pas
sage OF polluted surface water before the
organic matter hss been completely Oxidized.
In deep we'll and spring waters this risk is
very uncomfortable, and may be regarded
as nothing If the direct access of water from
the upper strata be rlsidly excluded, be-
C luse the excessive filtration to which such
water has been subjected IN passing down
ward through so great thickness Of soil or
rock and the rapid oxidation Of the organic
matters contained In waters when the latter
percolates through a porous and atated
soil, afford a considerable guarantee that
all noxious constituents have been de-
stroyed.
Water for dietetic purposes is classified as
follows:
1. Reasonably safe water.
=. Suspicious water.
B. Dangerous water.
Water may be regarded rs reasonably
safe when it IS derived from deep wells (say
one hundred feet deep, or from deep seated
springs, provided that surface water be care
fully excluded.
Shallow well, river or flowing water which
exhibits the smallest proportion of previous
sewage contamination is suspicious Dan
gerous water is that which is derived from
shallow wells, rivers, etc, which are known
to receive sewage either directly discharged
into IL or mingling with it as surface drain
age.
All the water used in this city belongs to
the third class of dangerous water.
| quote from conclusions of Rivers Pollu-
ton Commissioners of Great Britain, viz:
cor the different varieties of potable
water, the best for dietetic purposes are
spring aud deep we'll waters. They contain
the smallest proportion of organic matter,
and are almost always bright, sparkling,
pslatable and wholesome, while their uni
formity Of temperature throughout the year
renders them cool and refreshing
In summer and prevents them
Such waters are of inestimable value to
and their conservation and
utilization are worthy of the greatest efforts
Of those who have the public health under
heir charge"
1t is a remarkable fact, that In the his
tory of this city, which is one of the
oldest In the country, that there is no
record Of any investigation of the kinds Of
soil or strata upon which we live. Below As
feet we are as ignorant as were the
Indians who preceded us. We all are like
The old astronomer who, giving his whole
attention to the heavens, came to grief in
itch. The probability is that the soil for
some hundreds Of feet is composed Of al
.ernate strata of sand, gravel and clay. If
10, then we have water of the
pest quality of easy access. This can
only be determined by experiment. II
he experiment prove successful the bene-
its are incalculable. We thereby eliminate
)ne of the principal sources Of disease. We
water, a prolific cause OF dyspepsia, and
'emove one of the standing excuses Of those
who qualify the water" to prevent sick
hess h O.