The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-02-03
The KIND OF WATER
SCRANTON DRINKS
VIEWS OF A CHEMIST AS TO ITS
PURITY.
DR.. Chamot, of Cornell, at the In
stance ofthe Green Ridge Woman's
Club, Tells What lie Thinks of
Our Water Supply in the Light of
Personal Examination and Scien.
tific Analysis.

Clnc Analysis.
The following correspondence. pub
lished by request, is self-eHplanatory
and of general interest:
Cornell University, Chemical Depart
ment: Laboratory of Sanitary Chemist
ry and ToXicology.
Ithaca, ~ y, Dec. 90 1899.
The Green Ridge Womens Club, Scran-
ton. Pa.
Ladies:-ln accordance with the wishes
of your corresponding secretary. MIS-.
Dounce. ! have visited the system OF
water works controlled by the Scran-
ton Gas and Water company and have
examined the water sheds of the sources
of supply. / have the honor to submit
to your consideration the following brief
report of the results of the investiga-
tion:
LAKE SCRANTON.
Only a hasty examination was possible
in the time at nay disposal. AS far as
could be Judged from such ii cursory IN
srection. the surroundings. with the eX-
ceptiOn of the Objectionable features
mentioned below, are excellent. An cf-
fort is evidently made by the water
company to maintain all in proper con-
dition.
Almost midway between the head
and foot of this lake II small brook emp
tes. This brook is said to be the out
let of an upper reservoir and has upon
its banks Il large barn and severa! cot
tages. all within sight from the lake
driveway. Believing from appearances
that the waters of tn" stream might
possibly be polluted, IA sample was taken
for analysis, at point In mid-stream
about nifty feet from the driveway en-
circlng the lake; this sample is desig
hnta 10 i'm H.
pended to this report.
1t We seen that the results of the
analys. ,tify the apprchensions stat
ed. The am at the time and poirt
of samping was undoubtedly polluted !;
ii is by far the worst of the samples ex-
amined.-. Nhsther this pollution is the
result bf the barn. etc. up stream, or
of other sources yet more distant or IS
due to the backinl up of roadside" drain
age. | do not consider myself now IN
possession Of sufficient facts to state.
No other evident sources of pollution
could he detected In passing around the
lake, save the most rcprehcnsib'c prac-
tice of draining the roadside bitches into
the reservoir. 1t is IA matter of great
surprise that amy company should per-
init any such serious and obvious source
Of contamination To exist Even if we
assume that, with the relatively im-
mense body Of water A the lake, IA little
WASH anu ufolllhSf from A lOau Is PROD
ably harmless. from an aesthetic point
OF view the water can hardly be said to
be drinkable. Moreover the harmless
ness of this small amount of filth in
the great dilution of the lake Is open to
question.
SAMPLE II was taken from the head
of the lake just tC, one side of the gate
house. Tho results of the analysis show
but little evidence of the COMMUNICATING
influences Just discussed, hence ii Is cyi-
dent that the great bulk of water dis
charged into the reservoir is above re-
proach and thar this pure water so di-
iutes the impure as to render the pres
ence of the latter non-crident. The
restigos of contamination can be de-
tected only in the number of anacrohic
forms present, the slight production of
hydrogen sultid. the amount of free am
monia, etc.
RESERVOIRS LYING IN THE VAL
LEY OF ROARING BROOK.
Reservoir No. Z, as it is called by the
Keeper of the toll gate-the lowest rcser-
voir of the water system, and said to be
the distributing reservoir of the city
supply--is admirably situated and Is well
cared FOR. Nothing Objectionable could
be detected in the SURROUNDINGS. Sam
pies OF the water were taken, and ap-
pear in this report unde" the designation
of Sample III. The analytical results
show that the impurities present in the
water OF the reservoir above and dis
charging into No. T. have not wholly dis :
appeared. This latter reservoir, lying
between ElmhurSt and Moscow or more
properly mt Elmhurst, rs the most an.
satisfactory Of oil examined. Ii is NOT
as well cared f"r as those before mem
TONED, nor are it's SURROUNDINGS flee
from objection. Around it can be seen
an aggravated case of deliberate road
side drainage into IL water supply. II
II also quite obvious that part OF tie
drainage OF Moscow mot necessarily lis
sewagc) must find its way into the brook
and thus into the pond. The results of
the analyses bear out this assertion.
SAMPLES from the Elmhurst reservoir
are designated as Sample ", and were
taken a, the foot Of the pond midway
across the dam.
ire necessity Of returning To Ithaca
with the samples taken. In order that
reliable results might he obtained, pre-
vented the visiting Of the third and
urpeSmost basin--Lake Henry.
ANALYTICAL RESULTS,
In the analyses which follow all the
tests made have not been given dat,
Of minor Importance being omitted. Re-
suits stated are averages.
Sample l.
Free ammonia-trace.
Almubiroid ammo cnia-0lS, parts per
million.
Nitrogen asl nitrites-.0.olO PARTS per
million.
Nitrogen as nitrates---l,5sI parts Der
yuillion