The San Francisco call., 1895-11-18
Noe Valleys Supply Investigated
by Her Bad-Water Com
mitfee.
REFUSE FROM THE VILE OOzE.
The Almshouse Sewer May Contami
nate the Source for Richmond
District.

The water supply of Noe Valley was par
TALLY investigated yesterday by the COM
mittee of three residents appointed for
that purpose at the bad-water meeting
held last Thursday night. But the exam
ination of intermediary reservoirs was
enough, without seeking the distant origi-
nal sources.
The committee was satisfied that the
condition of the water is grave cause for
apprehension and the Board of Health
will be notified so that rigorous and ex-
tended official investigation may be made.
College Hill reservoir, situated near
Holly Park, was visited first, for, as the
the water supply for everything in sight,
even as far as Hayes Valley.
The committee consisted of DIR. ]. B.
Plymire, Health Officer A. B. Kinne and
w. j. Cuthbertson, all of whom acted only
in the capacity of private citizens inter
ested in the common cause of their neigh
borhood.
In addition to samples of the water
that will be examined later under the
miscroscope, they took home number of
junk curlo souvenirs raked out of the
College Hill reservoir. There was q piece
of old garden hose, some old bones, a
sardine can, a broken medicine bottle,
pieces of crockery, glass, and a sample of
the thick, blush black mass of decaying
vegetation that forms part of the unknown
treasures of the deep. And all these
things were secured from near the waters
edge, without more extended search
among the irregular bottom that is formed
of small broken stones, down among
which impure matter may lodge without
the possibility of removal.
''Tne water looks all right" said A. B.
Kinne last night. land there is not'much
of the dirty matter on the surface, but
when you get on one side of the reservoir
with the wind blowing toward you over
stagnant pool. But the man out there
says it is as good water as you can get, but
don't agree with him in that.
''He told us that the reservoir was sup
piled by the surplus from the direct main
from Crystal Springs reservoir. But when
the main supply runs low the water from
this College Hill reservoir runs back to
make up the deficiency.
''The water isn't fresh. 1t is stagnant
and it smells like marsh water. 1t is like
the smell that comes from Mission Bay.
1t is not a rotten smell, but stagnant.
marshy smell. 1t certainly is not good
water to drink, and l wouldn't use it at
all if | could get any better.
"The man at the reservoir told us that
tucy Wclc piOWllS Oli IHc wafer every
night, by opening the dydrants and the
supply was getting low in consequence.
every body round here says the water
is worse than it has been for years, and it
is getting worse every day.
''The condition of college Hill reservoir
is in itself sufficient to cause the bad water
we are getting. l don't know what the
condition of Crystal Springs reservoir is.
1t may be bad or it may be even worse
than the College Hill reservoir, and that
is even worse than Lake Honda.
1--WE incidentally visited Lake Honda.
1t is close to and just below the County
Almshouse, but it does not supply this
valley. 1t supplies the Richmond district.
The lake is really a cemented reservoir,
but the cement appears full of cracks and
seams and in places where it has peeled
off the stone of the cement is exposed.
Not fifty feet away from one of the walls is
the outlet of the Almshouse sewer, higher
than the bottom of the reservoir.
"Unless both reservoir and sewer are
perfectly tight there isa chance for seepage
into the reservoir; and it does not look to
be at all impossible.
"There is considerable sediment in sight,
and the water has the appearance Of
curdled milk streaked through it. l don't
think that reservoir has been drained in a
long time.
"We got bottleful of the water to
analyZe for indications of contamination
from the sewer.
.At both places the men in charge were
strangely secretive and cautious about the
water, and at Lake Honda the man was
indignant and denounced me for having
trespassed. He claimed there were thirty
six fine muslin screens with layers of
charcoal between as filter at the outlet,
but informed me that no one but an en-
ploye might be allowed to see them.
"The whole matter will be brought to
the attention of DR.. Lovelace of the Board
of HaalthO