The Republican journal., 1897-11-04
The City Water.

DR.. S. W. johnson, Health Officer of the
city of Belfast, has furnished the following
statement for publication;
My attention has frequently been called to
the lmpurlty or unwholesomeness of our
water for drinking and culinary purposes and
L am free to confess that was seriously dis
turbed myself by the unrelishabe taste and
smell OF the water in my own house. 1 at
once set out upon thorough investigation
OF the matter and found, as is frequently the
case, that my alarm was more attributable to
ignorance than to really polluted water. The
water all smells and tastes alike from the
standpipe to the pond and in the pond 1
drew some from the boiler at the works and
found the same dsagreeable odor. There
is to be seen in the pond and well, upon the
Shore close to the waters edge, and upon
every leaf and stick in the water, a minute
vegetable growth which botanists call algp,
and upon the presence of this depends the
bad smell and taste of the water which has
caused all OF this discussion and the many
predictions of a fatal epidemic ahead of us
In the eighteenth volume of Ziemsson's Cy-
clopedia of Medicine you may find this mat
ter taken up and ably discussed. 1t is abso-
lutely harmless, IS unavoidable, and is a nat
ural growth that occurs in all lakes and
ponds, rivers and small streams, in both
salt and fresh water. heavy shower or
rain storm, or a few nights cold enough to
form ice, will completely do away with the
whole trouble until next year. 1 will add
further, as an act of common courtesy to the
Water Co. and relief to the anxious minds,
that the standpipe, the whole system of pip
ing and the well, have been thoroughly
cleaned out, and further that with the pres
ent arrangement at the station it is impossi-
bic for any fish, or even the spawn Of fish, to
get through the pump and into the stand
pipe. Further, if this bad smell and taste of
the water had been due. as many honestly
thought, to decomposed and decomposing
fish, or any other animal matter, one-half of
the people using the water would have pas
sed through the undertakers' hands and the
other half would be fast preparing for them.
Very Respectfully,
S. W. JOHNSON, Health Officer.
1t is reassuring to know, from medical
authority, that the consumers of city water
are not in danger of being poisoned, and that
there need be no apprehension of an epi-
demic. The facts remain, however, that the
water is found unpalatable as beverage and
unit for culinary purposes, and that wells
long disused have again cen pressed into
service, that lively trade in spring water
has resulted, and that about every man you
meet is carrying a jug or pail of water. The
evil may originate AS DR.. johnson suggests,
but many believe that the appearance and
quality of the water would be improved at
all times if the pipes were regularly flushed
Letting a barrel or two of water out of a
hydrant may do some good, but could not
not flush the pipes to an apprecable
extent. On two occasion when hydrants
were opened for fire purposes more mud
than water issued. The action of the city
government at its meeting last Monday even
ing would indicate that it thinks something
should be done in thus direction. 1t author
lied and instructed committee to see that
all the hydrants in the city are flushed at
once, and to request the superintendent Of
the water company to use all means possi-
BILE so provide pure and wholesome water
for use in this city" The contract provides
that the water company shall furnish water
for flushing CUTTERS" 1t is of course for the
interest Of the Belfast Water Co., to supply
its customers with good water. and it il
hard on consumers to pay water tax and
be compelled to buy water elsewhere
The recent rains raised the water in Little
River so that the water went over the dam 3
inches deep. The hydrants were opened YES
terday and thoroughly flushed under the di-
rection Of Alderman Rankin and Superinten-
dent Bird and an Immediate Improvement
in the quality OF the water may he expected.