The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1888-03-30
REMARKS ON analysis

No. 8. See cut No. 2. Well situated in
principal business block of tn" city. Open
well. about twenty feet deep. A large
| number of business men and families yet
water from this well The wa.er is
totally unfit for use.
Ii. Well at The central school building,
depth 100 fl. Surface water excluded by
iron tubing-water good.
No. 10. Attention was called to this
well because of the number Of cases of
| typhoid fever in the family; il is in the
outskirts of the town in lhinly settled
region. The vault is fifty feet away and
| full. Analysis shows the water to be bad
We trace six cases of typhoid fever to this
well, five i'll the family and The sixth a
woman who went there to do washing.
No. 1S River water taken from point
above the city and above the creeks that
enter from The swamps on the south. The
analysis indicates that the excess of
albumenoid ammonia is in all probability
| vegetable. The small amount of chlorine
shows absence of sewage The water for
river water is good, much better in fact
than the water supply of many cities.
No. 10. Water from the well at the
Catholic church, the chlorine and niirates
are high, the trace Of nitrites in the pres.
ence of the excess of nitraics is bad.
No. %. Fourth ward school, well over
100 feel deep Good.
| No. II. Is from Gnuld's Lake and No
% from Hopkins Lake. OF course no
person expects TO use water from either
FOR household purposes A glance ut Their
surroundings would convince the most
skeptical that they were totally unfit for
such use.
The analysis was made because these
lakes were talked of as IN source Of ice sup
| ply for the city and the results demon
s'rate that they are wholly unfit for that
purpose. 1t is very commonly believed
idea that water from an impure source is
purified by freezing. To n certain extent
this is true. but the publication is not
complete enough 10 permit of the use of
ice from such all impure source.
So much for the present water supply
but what fer the future? While the analy
sis Of the river wat as given in the table
Is good, il certainly should not he used
until series OF examinations made under
different circumstances and at different
seasons Of The year have been made and
with equally favorable results.
The deep wells so far as tested, give
good results. 1t is probable that series
Of deep wells, located away from the
populous portion Of the city would give
water of The quality and quantity desired.
For the present and until proper alter
supply is obtained we can protect our
selves by either Of the following methods:
Hrst. Boil all the water used for drink.
ing. II ice is used 10 cool it, put the ice
in separate vessel, and not directly into
the water TO be drank This precauiiOn
is very simple one and is probably the
most effectual
Second BY the use of a properly con.
structed filter. Where filter is used it
must he allowed to stand portion of each
day with no water on it. giving the air a
chance TO enter and purify it. unless this
precauiion is Obsei we'd the filter soon be-
comes source of pollution Instead of a
purifyer.
As time and opportunity for work al.
lows l shall present to the people of
Owosso the results of farther analyses
covering other portions of the city.