Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1903-03-27
VILLAGE WATER ANALYZED.
SAMPLES FROM WESTERN AQUEDUCT
WEST RIVER, WEssELH0EFT SPRING.
Tested by State Board of Health-Two Found
Good but West River Sample Showed Pres
ence Of Sewage Bacteria-The Report as
Rendered by the Laboratory Of Hygiene.


The danger which menaces people in
the use of contaminated water sup
ply was fully set forth in paper on
ga Laboratory Study of the Water
Supplies of Vermont" by the chemist
at the laboratory of hygiene in Bur
lington, which was recently published
in bulletin issued by the state board
of health. The paper was of special
interest because some of the munich
palities in which typhoid fever was
prevalent were shown in this paper to
be using impure water.
Its statements about Brattleboro
were vague. "We have but little data
on the West river supply" it said,
Though what has been done shows
duct supply of Brattleboro is one of our
tamination, but at most times the bac-
well filtered in its passage through the
Frequent analyses are advisable to
this class. - Dr. II. L. Waterman, the
local health officer, reports no typhoid
fever in town and the analysis made in
November of the various sources of
water supply showed good results. An
alysis of samples taken from the West
river at pumping station, the source of
the Crowell water supply, from the
Wesselhoeft spring and the Western
aqueduct by DIR. Waterman was report
ed Mar. "a from the Burlington labora-
tory and the West river sample showed
the presence of sewage bacteria. 1t must
be remembered, however, that the
sample was taken at time when the
river was swollen by the rains and nat
urally muddy and disturbed. The la
boratory chemist, in his paper, says
that in the summer months the pres
ence of sewage bacteria in the water is
sometimes caused by cattle pasturing
near or in the brooks, ponds, or
springs; or, by the vicinity of the
travelled highway, with its dust, etc. /;
by. camping. hunting, and picnickipg
parties But in the laboratory, not
knowing the causes, it is their custom,
as it should be, to condemn any sam
Pile containing bacteria characteristic
of facial matter. The report Of the
laboratory analysis is as follows: Sam
pies collected March 13, '03. examina-
tion, March IA.
Source of sample, tap, Wesselhoeft
spring; turbidity, none; sediment,
very slight; color, 0; odor, none. Parts
in LOCO, 600, total solids, $50; nitro
gen as nitrates, .3O0 loss on ignition,
10; nitrogen as nitrates, 600; fixed
solids, 60: free ammonia, .0O6; hard
ness, 72.9 albumipoid ammonia, .046;
chlorine, g; microscopically, negative;
bacteria, in one cubic centimeter, 100
Remarks, biologically and chemically
is good quality.
Source of sample, Western aqueduct
tap, turbidity. slight sediment, slight;
color, 0; odor, none. Parts in 1,0O0.-
O0O Total solids, 10l.0; nitrogen as
2.0O0; loss on ignition, 30.5;
nitrogen as nitrates, GOO; fixed sol
ids, 70.5: free ammonia, .OO4; hard
ness, 100: albuminoid ammonia, .056;
chlorine, 20; microscopically mega
tive; bacteria in one cubic centime-
ter, 500. Remarks, biologically and
is a good quality.
Source of sample, West Riv er at
Pumping Station; turbidity, distin net;
sediment slight color, 40: odor.
distinct earthly. Parts in 1,0O0,000, ,
total solids, $50; nitrogen as nj
,rates, ITO; loss on ignition, 26.0; nj
trogen as nitrates, 900; fixed solids,
10: free ammonia, 01S; hardness. AS;
ammonia, .122: chlorine,
g. microscopically, much amorphous
and vegetable debris: bacteria. in one
cubic centimeter, 1900 B. Coli, pres
eut: B. Coli, per C. C. Remarks,
is unobjectionable biolog-
cally shows the presence of the bacil
us coli communis Sewage bacteria.
NJ. j. Wiltse, Director