Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1894-05-25
rnE CITY wATER.

of Health by Chemist Herbert r. |
Smith of the Board.
The board of health at their recent meet |
ing In this city incidentally considered the |
question which had been brought before |
their attention as to the sanitary condition |
of New Ravens water supply, and after
discussion, referred the subject to Pro-
fessor Smith of the Yale medical school
requesting him to make an examination of
the city water and report his finding to the
board. DR.. Smith has completed the work
and last evening reported to the board as
follows:
YALE MEDICAL SCHOOL,
NEW HAVEN, Conn, May "a, 1894.
Prot; O. A. Lindsey, N D., Secretary State
Board of Health:
Dear Sir-As directed by the state board of
health, I send you the following statement
concerning the examinations which have
been made of the New Haven water supply
for the board. Before stating the results
OF these examinations, however, permit me
to make some general statements concern
Ing the odors which are found In water
supplies, and their causes. Water of good
general competition, when stored In reser-
voirs, frequently develops odors which
1aoW great diversity VI cuntaceoEs pus
which usually pass away after longer or
shorter period, leaving the water as before.
Water analysts have recently devoted much
attention to this subject, and while much
remains to be learned concerning this some
times troublesome matter, and especially
concerning the means of prevention, there
has accumulated considerable amount of
accurate information concerning the causes.
The doors may be grouped into three
classes:
First-The doors resulting from the
vegetable and animal matter In the reser-
voir. These odors are disagreesble odors,
and from the nature of the causes produc-
| ing them are associated with other pro-
ducts of decomposition, and with large
| numbers of bacteria. The changes &C.
companying these odors are of such q
character that We must regard them as
highly Objectionable aud injurious to the
health of those using the water.
The second class of odors are those
impaired to the water by the various or
sanisns which are growing in 1t, for it is
found that among water plants, just as
produce odorous principles, and some do
| ciples become abundant In the water,
i
| ouliar doors. It is believed that not
| only the large plants growing from the
bottom in the shallow parts of the reser-
voirs may produce odors in this way, but
that the microscopic plants diffused
through the water may do 80. The odors
produced in this way are described ss being
vegetable in character, or grassy, such as
that produced by the microscopic organ
isms belonging to the genus snsbeaa, or
aromatic; such as IL produced by the dia-
toms asterionella and tabellsria.
A third class of doors are such as are
impaired to the water by the physical dis
Indignation of delicate organisms. These
| are not putrefaetive odors, but are due to
odorcus principles which exist In the or
ganisms, and which are impaired to the
water when the organisms are destroyed
by any physical force. The organisms
producing this class of odors are,
as far as known, delicate In flu
soria. 1t seems that certain of these
organisms, but fortunately only q
| few of them, contain odorous principles,
just as certain insects are known to do,
and like them, they do not emit this odol
during their life, but upon being crushed
or other wise broken open become odorous.
The odors which are known to be pro
ducsd In water In this way are all of 8
fishy character. 1t does not resemble de
cayipg fish, but is rather that of crude
fish oil. It has frequently been attributed
to the decaying of feb 10 the eervics pipes
but it ia very different from the putrefac
tive odor which would be produced in this
way. The infusoria to which odors OF
this sort have been ascribed are certain
species of the genus urozlens, dinobryon.
cryptomonas, synura and others. The
odor appears to be due to q very minute
quantity of oil, which can be seen In the
organisms by microscopicsl examination
and which has been separated in the form
of a minute quantity of a strong smelling
| oily material by extracting large numbers
l of ursglena with ether.
The odors which have recently given
cause for complaint in the New Haven wa
| ter supply have been associated only with
Whitney lake and Dawson lake. The wa
ter of Dawson lake has been subjected tt
monthly analyses for several months
past, and has been found to bs
of excellent quality. The sample taker
on the 9th of May showed the usual good
competition, and but moderate numbers
of the common vegetable organisms usually
/ found In reservoir waters. Samples of wa
| ter taken from Dawson lake and Whitney
lake on the 21st and 22d of the month, al
the time when the odor was much com
planned of, were examined by DR.. William A
Sstchell and Mr.. Harry Doty, the gentlemen
having in charge the microscopical exam
nations of water for the board
The Dawson lake water was found
to contain large numbers of colonies OF
uroglena. The Whitney water contained
the same organisms, and in addition there
! were large numbers of dinobryon. The
other organisms found In the water were
of the kinds usually found, and were not
excessive in number. The examination oil
these samples sho conclusively the origin
of the odor of the waters coming from
thts, two reservoirs, and show that the
odors belong to the third of the three
classes above mentioned. That the odoI
was. due to the breaking up of these organ.
| isms, and to no other cause, was shown
ccnolusIvsly- by the following observs-
tions:
First-That the water freshly collected
from the lakes presented little or none
of this odor. Second-That violen,
agitation Of the water in the bot.
ties In which 1t was collected
quickly developed the fsh-liks odor.
These organisms are present In large q uan-
| titles in the water of the lakes, to which
they do not impart their characteristic
odor, but ON passing into the water pipes
they auffsr disintegration and impregnate
the water with their odor, which is, there
fore, disagreeably apparent when the water
is drawn from the faucet. These organ
isms are very minute, and the total amount
of concentrating material which they i'm.
part to the water Is 30 small as to escape
detection in the ordinary chemical anaiy
| sis. While, therefore, it is apparent to
| senses of taste and smell the composition
of the water is affected very little by it's
presencs.
Concerning the effect of water contain
ing this material upon the public health, 1
would say that 1t is the Ballet that the ma
terisl is not injurious in itself in the min
ute quantities present in the water, and
that the only evil results following the use
| of the water are those incident to the dis
agreeable taste and odor.
At present no means Is known of pre-
venting the development of these organ
| isms In the reservoirs, though It Is to be
hoped that the studies that are being made
of the organisms may lead to such happy
results. When the reservoir develops these
organisms there is, therefore, nothing to
be done, If the use of the water cannot be
discontinued, except to endure the odor
| and tast while 1t lasts; fortunately, this
period Ia usually short.
would further say also, that the odor
and taste in the water can be much i'm
proved by prolonged boiling.
l am, respectfully you're,
HERBERT e SMITH
Chemist to the board.
WALLINGFORD.