The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-04-12
WATER FROM WHITE RIVER
Prof. Floyd Davis Makes His Report Up
on 1t to the City Board of Health.
Samples Taken from Above and Below the
Pond-CIty Water Now Potable, but He
Fears for the Future.

Some days ago the Department of Public
Health employed the services OF DR.. Floyd
Davis. of Des Moines. Ia. TO come here and
make an analysis of water. TO see whether
or not the straw-b board works at Mobiles
vile pollutes the clty's water supply and
to give testimony in a case against the
straw board works In the federal court.
Professor Davis finds. as have ell others.
that the health of the citizens of Indianap-
oils is daily menaced by the water con-
sumed for domestic purposes. His conclu-
sions are, in effect, as follows:
I'm complying with your request, here
with hand you brief statement of my
views of the White river water pollution
atNoblesville by the American straw board
works. From an examination of the pro-
cess of manufacture, l find that large
amount OF albuminOus substances ex-
tracted from straw is carried daily into
White river. and that these substances are
in condition to render the water unit for
human consumption. They are of a cha--
acter that readily undergo decomposition,
generate poisOns and In warm weather
they are q most favorable pabulum on
which all kinds of germs multiply aud de-
velop. The albuminOus substances are
not dangerous until they undergo fermenta-
ton and decay. This however, soon takes
place. and the river water is then
injured by them. The process of natural
publication may remove large amount or
the organic matter as would be shown by
analysis. but il certainly cannot entirely
remove the nitrOQouOus pOlsOn5 and germs
that develop from and upon 1t.
81 have not yet analyZed the river water
to determine its nature. but l would GER
tainly say 1t must be suspicious. and 1T the
present amount OF straw-b0ard pOllu-
ton continues the city's public water will
eventually be injured by it. Two samples
of water were taken from the vicinity of the
straw board works = one from the trough
that connects the works with the settling
pond; one from the channel below tho
dam. Both samples under analysis prove
mint to flow into any stream that must
form the basis of the water sup
ply for a city. About so per cent.
of the total solid matter in the wash water
is removed in the settling pond, but only
20 per cent. of the decomposng substances
is there removed. The dam is not filter
in any sense. nor is it a nice hanIcal straner
Il have examined the gallery OF the
water works and the surrounding soil to
determine the source of the city supply.
The soil is loose drift gravel that allows
water to penetrate 1t with ease. Some of
the gallery water must come from the
river by percOlatiOn, for il has only few
feet of gravel TO separate it from that body
of water. As your city grows the draft
upon the river supply will increase"
DR.. Davis also called attention to the
fact that we'll water should not be used. as
il ia unfit for domestic use.
I'm conclusion" he said. while the city
water supply is. at present. very good and,
/ believe, fit for all domestic purposes, the
question of its continuing so becomes -
very serious one when We consider the
amount of pollution now flowing into the
river at Noblesville and other places above
there. 1t appears to me that the State and
the city boards of health should exercise
every duty that the law provides to pre-
vent pollution OF your water supply. AS
the health of your people depends largely
upon the purity of the water they drink.
laws cannot be too soon and too vigorously
enforced. The straw-b0ard- works and
other manufactures should be compelled
to dispose of their refuse without flowing
it into yonr public water supply and thus
jeopardizing the health of our citizens"
Professor DAVIS also prepared analyses
of the samples of water taken from above
and below the pond at Noblesville. They
are as follows:
Samples Of Wash Water A6ore Pond Parts per
100000
Loss on Ignition Observation-Disclosures 2,2O4-OOO
Chlorine. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS $1,000
Free ammonia. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS LIS
AlbuminOid ammonia. SOC
Nitrogen In nltrltes considerable.
Nitrogen in nltrateS. considerable.
Wash Waller BeLOir POuf-Pdrts Ie1 / 600 600