New-York tribune., 1891-08-26
DANGER IN CITY WATER.
RESULTS OF CHEMISTS INVESTIGATIONS.
uHE cRoroN FOUND TO BE BADLY POLLUTED
RECKLESS DISREGARD OF THE
OF HEALTH.

RECKLESS DISREGARD OF THE
LAWS OF HEALTH.
The Health Board yesterday considered the report
prepared by DR.. Edward W. Martin and Alfred L
Beebe, the department chemists, who had compieleu
an inspection OF one part of the Croton watershed III
clgding Reservoir "IS and the cast braneh Oh 'alo
Croton River and its tributaries 10 point one i'o
above the village Of Croton Falls Reservoir co'
ssts of two basins-SodQm Reservoir ana BOG niV'A
Reservolr-connected by tunnel The oonioineu uiea
drained by these Is seventy square miles, Oh winch
that part drained by Sodom Reservoir is much the
lsrger. Bog Brook Reservoir WILL when comp@ten'
serve practically as an overflow from Sodom reservoir
thus largely Increasing the storage capaci'y Inis
latter is estimated at 1900 100000 galohs' Al Pes
eut Sodom Reservoir only is In use. since July 10
10000 600 gallons of water have been drawn from us
reservoir daily This is onethrd of the entire supply
passing through the old and aqueducts to this CITY,
An inspection of the banks OF Reservoir was
made for the purpose OF locating probable sources VI
contamination, with the following results
Beginning on the side of sOdom Reservoir at the
dam and travelling eSt the chemists found at engineers
oo,ce an uns.nend earth vault overfowed at high water
on city rroperty at the cement testing house uncemeeu
earth vault on the waters edge at high water on V9
property; the assistant engineers ONCE sNoio'
tanning three horses and uncementd earth NsuV ~"
-, rrou b,ob vasar mark The office IS 10 be used IS
a keepers house and IS on city property on the bSFn
estate an uncementod earth vault fifty feet rom hgn
water mark city property uraih running IV ,,
land down steep slope into reservoir, near MluuieVo
a small brook south Mddetown Bridge entering eser-
yor from the east. Upon this arc prvy on the "''
edge provided with apparently tight wooden ooAeS' uo
latter nearly full focal matter barn and hen hou W
recty over brook two schoolhouse Garth vaults on "de
edoe an upoccuped pg-stye south side Of highway az
north end Of reservoir and about 500 feet rom ia "
drain which latter down steep bank INTO resoN
and several other similar nuisanceN
The drawn from SodOm Reservoir passes lI0'' VI
gatehouse at the TO basin immediately beIo" inc
Iatter, where it rises in fountain some heen Ie m
height. At this point very strong oior oi ,
hydrogen noted, indicating that the w$'er ~ vi,
reservoir contains vegetable organic matter IN sVe Vi
decay. The stones In the river immediaVF oco" 'u'
'o''-'"-' -, t -. o.or,h,po iron rust Most
OF tho odor sulphureted hydIogen Is remover Iro %
,cr nv its acr,tnq nj the fountain. We were Informed
that the bottom and banks Of the reservoir VIZ w
thoroughly cleared OF vegetable growth Delofe "oos
We were also Informed that the sites OF humOef oi
prlvies several barns and stables ana the quarters o
,bcd nv the sborers engaged in building the reservoir
were not cleaned before the latter was hooaeu' ms
information was furnished by number OF inc pro"en'
citizens Of Brewsters. -,
tou e river Mt point fifty feet below the fountain ana
the analysis showed no trace Of nitritS' but - o
chlorine in chorides, 0l23 of nitrogen lp nltates anu
nitrte and o3 Of abunnod ammonia In parts by weight
vi one hundred thousand.
of the east branch OF the CrOtoh iINer Ine 'A'NiO
say -, .,,
This stream the fountain at Sodom reservoir
frs northery for short distance and then IN gehe
southwesterly direction to Croton Falls where ~ JOINS t
middle and west branches the CrotOn River, passing
through the of Sodom and Btewstes on us way
Its only tributary of importance Is Topetta brooK "cn
,ster dow through the side of Brewsers, and joins
the river at southwest extremity OF the town. Al III
snAton of he banks OF the and its tributaries was
made for purpose of locating probable sources OF con
taminaton following results Between the Souo
lDam and Sodom Bridge find the quarters oil WOfKDeh
employed ON reservoir located just below the DAM on seeI
eank about fifty above river seventeen feet nom euee
of bank garbage and refuse thrown out on bank on cS
ofopery uncemented vault and pgstye seVen'S'h'o
feet from edge large manure heap twenty
fleet from edge; also stable containing eishu
horses TWENTY-FIVE feet waters edge an uncementea
hearth vault thirtys feet from waters edge
! Several other like nusances are mentioned From
lSodom Bridge to the Mud Brook RESERVOIR INC
tchemists found other nusances, lneluohg lne loo"
ing: -
rae.orx or the NeT-York Condensed MIX Company on
,s4r,s edge south bank. washings from vacuum pans
tanks factory in general arc DISCHARGED directly
snto river Old prvtes oyerbang the water New prves
situated distance from the river as SHOWN o' to
nap Permission inspect old pvies was refused oy te
superintenden who stated that when the company was
reimbursed by the city for expense IN ouohg ne" preS
Rand for time by employees going TO and coming nom
txame the privies would be used altogether. VIC
Therefore conclude old pvies are still In use we
took sample Of from the river at the factory NO
washings factory were running into the river a'
ahis time.
The analysis showed a faint trace OF mtrltes III
ihe sample of water. From the bridge at The mix
factory to the Rcd Bridge" just below the junction
of Tonett Brook with the river thirteen nusances were
found including small stream Of filthy water running
from a barnyad, and several garbage heaps on the
waters edge. trace of nitrites was found In the
water below the junction. Between tho . Red
BRIDGE TO the White Bridge" distance OF a
quarter of q mile the chemists found six sources
Of contamination, including stable for ten horses on
the bank OF the river. In the next half-Mle they
saw eight minor nuisances and slaughter house,
ten feet from the river with filthy yard. The
house reehed with blood and ofal, and had foul
odOr. There also was a pig pen on the waters
edge. An analysis Of water taken just below the
slaughter house showed strong trace of Dtrites and
other evidences of contamination
At Brewters, on the Tonetta Brook, the chemists
found fifteen of water pollution, the worst OF
which the sewers emptying into the brook and
closets of the railroad station and other buildings on
the edge OF the stream. sample of water was
taken from Tonetta Brook at its junction with the
river. This sample analyzed with the follow
ing results:
by weight
in 100000.
IwV "a