New-York tribune., 1892-01-06
DANGER IN CROTON WATER
ri Is GRADUALLY DETERlokAliN''
EXPERTS SAY THAT FURTHER CONTAMINATION

rxpFRrs SAY THAT FURTHER CONTAM1NAIaoN
NAY CAUSE Az EPIDEMIC OF DISEASE
DR. Edward " Martin and Alfred l.. BecDc, cic""'
Of the Health Department. ycsteriay sent to 'ic p"'
OF Health final report upon the Crotoh ""'' =.
IL WAS based on the investigation which they hi"" ,
summer aud contains many results Oh al''N'o "
water which were made in August sequence -
October. when there evidence that INC "''''
con animated by sewage. Many sources oil o'"''''
,otio, are described in the report but the aha,
lave failed to show any trace OF sewage sihoc ''o
vember g. The chemists sum up the results Vi '''
invcs igatiOns as follows: - -.
Up TO July 81 OF this year the large nuii,odde de ~
Snan ,sster a. SUPPLIED to York city. by D.
Waller and by ourselves. have SHOWN ui.llo' no
ave feS", made On 70 the % Hbpys date ntres found
From that time to November thirteen sai.PcS ,hont
taken weekly from six different localities t'rouSnoH ,H
the city VIZ; from the saIchoiso a' r,,ryoir' tho
and thirty .ftlst, the central IarA hts1IsUr,, in
rHrs St Mott and state sts Ntiitcs detected
In one more of these sample. up % N1ivc re-
suits the time ocrHpd H5 by o@P Sg eReSbS% lepReber
" o. ' nritcs we're found from week week in all oi
'' rIe exceptional occurrence Of nitrltes In Croon
dcave OF marked deterioration IN the Sml5hg nnnIog
quality Of the waie e & rodoI oe o' anavsis o Of the
samples collected the area covered by lnspeciS'
afford explanation Of TN, detcri2Stloh' Df'e"s
suth Wi,h hnt fey executions the streams. lakes and
reservoirs on tho shed show evidence Oi
ination more or ln,s marked. Considering the los
period Of drouth which had pr vailed on
shed previous aud during our lnspe'tlon anu VIII ~
had allowed the accunllt.lon ol tNcep",ai', "a, nd
quantities Of poluting material ready 10 De mail
there can bc doubt that such rainfall wouu " TSo
materially inc Creascd the contamination fouiu' Inv
innr con timed dry weather had had effect III ne
ces,tatlng the use Of storage water from
a verr large percentage of the total ,uppN.; l
water i'm several instances exhibited the Dan ItHaI1.
ties due to practical stagnntion during warm weather
in reservoirs containing mnon hot,"mp as'%po''"s
The water Of SolOri Reservoir and its outlct the
East l,ranch Of peci1ly lad Character Dot' iron.
organic accumulation Of the Prd"'o c Hsgl'e 10 he not
that from July II and during the time Of our inspection
one third of the entire water supply was drawn iron,
this source that the deterioration Of me supply ~
Indicated from the analysis. after the above
date. When all Of the above facts nrc consu.tT .m @
decrsaSe In the organic purity Oi 'roVoh ""'e ioh'
as q necessary consequence. , ,.,
On November g. although the drnrth still continued
the nitres in CrDton had disappeared ms Is eN-
slpplv OF water from dom Reservoir wa eNhai,tei
and that the beginning Of c"der weather stTttn u
circulation of the water stored IN tiie one, ih,
by which the agencic, Of agitation. oxidation sht
c;c.. brought into play 50 rs to cheot paf'ai
publication. c,.
a, found by our investigation to exist at the present.
time on the Crpton watershed is Of most '"ri9, cha
artnr and requires immediate attention. There Is
nothing morr important to the health 0f community
than the purity Of il, water supply The danger 10
the city o: New-Nort from outbreak OF Npnon
fever or other kindred disease on TIE ,rgon ws'eS n
plainly apparent In the light of the hctS It ,or'l III
thi, report. This danger must increase win te pro
gTc>-ive deterioration e tho watr supPy ana unu't
existing conditions such detenn1tion wnic IL nsV, ~
gradual s in opinion inev'abl'. II Is therrior'
Ot paramount importance that prompt AM em'ient
already existing on the watershed ana 10 peNc'' ""'O
pollution from new sources.
A copy Of the report will be sent to the Mayor