The San Francisco call., 1901-12-07
Spring Valley Company
Must Stop Supply
ing It to City.
Supervisors Health Commit
tee Hears Testimony Of
Experts.
Recommends Passage Of Resolution
by the Board Finding That Source
Is Contaminated and Shall Il
Be Abandoned. 80

The Health Hospital Committee OF the
Board of Supervisors met yesterday and
recommended the passage Of a resolution
ordering the Spring Valley Water Com
pany to Immediately discontinue supply
ing its consumers with water from Point
I,obos Creek This action was taken
after three expert city officials, each pur-
suing an independent investigation, had
reported that the water is contaminated
and a menace to the health and lives OF
those who drink 1t.
There is hardly a doubt that the
board viii adopt the resolution and in
that event the corporation will have TO
draw on its other sources at the rate Of
900 gallons daily to supply the inhaD-
itants of the Richmond district, a large
portion of the Western Addition and part
of North Beach, who are at present using
the water Of Lobos Creek.
The first report presented to the COM
mittee which had ordered the taking OF
expert evidence on the exact condition OF
Lobos Creek and it's watershed was
that of City Engineer Grunslxy, who pro-
nounced the supply unsuitable for hui
man consumption. His report says:
Lobos Creek Is Polluted.
As heretofore stated in my progress report on
the investigation Of water supply for 19OO-O1,
Lobos Creek is not to be considered desirable
source of supply and I do not believe that IL
would have again been brought into use had
it not been for the fact that water is low IN
the peninsula reservoirs Of the Spring Valley
system.
No assurance can be given that Lobos Creek
water be kept unpoIluted. Owing to the
density Of population in it's watershed the
possibility Of pollution must be recognized and
the danger of such pollution will continue to
increase with the increase Of population Lo-
hos Creek should not be considered suitable
source OF water supply for domestic use.
The drainage basin Of the creek extends as
far south as Twin Peaks. including the entire
AInshouse Tract. and has visible outlet.
All the run-on from the upper portions thereof
including limited quantity of sewage. is abb
sorbed by the sands south Of the park.
City Chemist Green stated that he
would not care to condemn the water
from the limited investigation he had
made. ION account Of the presence Of
nitrites," said DIR. Green, "the water is
suspicious for drinking purposes, but the
archaeological examinations are neces-
sary to determine if it is polluted. The
water Of the deep water wells close to
the sea hold large solutions of sodium
chloride, the presence of which, however,
|. is not always due to surrounding sew
age"
Water Full of Bacilli.
City Bacteriologist Kellogg testified
that he had examined samples Of the wa
!. ter and found that the bacilI ran about
1900 to the cubic centimeter and in some
, cases 1900. Some of these were the '.colOn
bacillus" showing intestinal formation.
Kellogg stated that should typhoid ba-
cilIus get into the water the danger to
health would be aIarmingly increased.
DIR. H. L. Ryfkogel also made bacterio-
logical examinations and corroborated
the findings of DR.. Kellogg in every es-
sential detail. He said that to render
Lobos Creek water potable from a bac-
THEOLOGICAL point of view it should be
n subjected to such filtration as will re-
i duce the bacteria to less than 100 per
Il cubic centimeter.
Z Attorney kellogg of the Spring Valley
Company requested that the hearing be
postponed in order that further examina-
Il ton of the water could be made and that
It Chief Engineer Schussler might be heard.
e Kellogg would not answer question as
to the reason why the Lobos Creek water
e was utilized when, according to Schuss-
| a
= never-failing supply of pure water.
: Chairman D'Ancona ruled that the bur-
e den of proof was on the company to prove
that the water. which was admittedly
e contaminated, had been subjected to per-
e feet filtration extending over a period OF
e one year. DR.. D'Ancona had pursued an
y independent investigation and put the fol-
lowing question to the Spring Valley Com
I raDrasaptafivas xz-ho x.-ara r,,,ot,Ta
o to answer them in the Affirmative:
n Efficiency of Filtration.
L Has systematic Investigation through
rainy season ever been made to determine il in
fact such filtration does occur. or if on the
contrary much of the water is surface water
a reaching Lobos Creek without filtration?
2 Has a series Of analysis extending through
out an entire year been made to determine il
the efficiency of the filtration is maintained
under different conditions of rainfall throus hOut
a the year?
i g. Has a systematic series Of chemical and
: bacterioIogical examinations been made
throughout entire year to determine the
actual efficiency of the filtration?
n T. Has a systematic chemical analysis been
e made showing positively the absence Of pred
ucts and derivatives of animal digestion, putre-
, faction? etc.
Drs. Kellogg, RyfkOgel and Green and
City Engineer Grunslxy agreed with Dr.
D'Ancona that the questions contained
the specific requirements to make the wa
. ter potable Representatives of the Rich
mond District Improvement Club urged
" immediate action on account of the imni-
nent danger to the health of those who
9 drank the water which was drained
D through cemeteries and inhabited dis
sr tricts. They deprecated Attorney KellOgg's
10 remark that the Point LobOs Improve
,r uent Club was satisfied with the water
n and that they were not Influenced BY good