The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-02-05
SUPPLY OF CITY WATER
CITY SANITARIAN BUEHLER DE-
CLARES 1T Is POLLUTED.
METEOROLOGICAL Analysis Shows Pres
ence of 3,4OO Bacteria-Mr. Davis
PrOnOunces Charge Absurd.


the water supply of Indianapolis" said City
Sanitarian Buehler last night. 81 have
never made a statement in reference to the
water before. but l feel from all that I
have learned and that has been ascertained
by scientific methods, by my personal
knowledge of typhoid cases in the city in
families that use city water, that impure
water is getting into the city water mains.
Whether water from Fall creek or from
the river or the canal is admitted to the res
ervoirs by secret pipe or by accidental
means. perhaps unknown, whether with or
without the knowledge of the water com.
pany, am not prepared to say, but am
sure that impure water has been taken from
city water mains and equally sure that the
reason for it should be found"
DR.. Buehler said he had been Investigate
ing the water supply for months and had
knowledge of continuous ARCHAEOLOGICAL and
chemical analyses of the water. The scien-
tific analyses were made, he said, by Ansil
Moffatt, in whom he said he had implicit
confidence.
Moffatt reported yesterday the result. of
several months special study of the water
from psychological and chemical basis.
The Investigations were made for and at
the expense OF an afternoon paper which
printed them in detail DR.. Buehler says
while they were made for a private pur-
pose, still he had full knowledge of them
and will accept them as official. MoffatI,
he said. was city chemist" although he
received no pay for holding this office, and
the Council had never exercised its author
ity, as provided in the charter. by creating
the office and appropriating money for the
incumbent's salary. Moffatt did much an
alytical work in the Health Board labora-
tory under the Taggart administration,
list" City sanitarian Clark, who was in
charge during the Taggart administration,
said then that Moffatt was an excellent
chemical analyst.
CHEMISTS STATEMENT.
Moffatts statement is as follows:
From the bacterial cultures have made
OF the city water since the first of the year.
L am satisfied that there is some radical
defect in the system. / could not say that
river water is being used, but the supply
January.
Since 1 have been connected with the
City Board of Health L have made thou
sands or cultures of the city water, but
l recall few times when the number of
bacteria TO the cubic centimeter has run
higher than $50. In some of the recent
tests it has run as high as 3.4O0.
1.-The fact that Ii has run so high in lnese
tests would not of itself suffice to condemn
the water, If IL were a normal condition.
1t Is the fact that the cultures have shown
SO much bacteria at one time and within
a few hours conditions so entirely different
that has aroused our attention.
This, in connection with the fact that
the number of cases of typhoid in homes
where only city water is used is so much
larger than ever before, and is so much
larger than in homes where only driven
well water is used strengthens my feeling
a a on ic
Cultures taken by Moffatt were secured
variously. DR.. Buehler says the pollution
does not affect the driven wells from which
the water company gets its supply. They
have been tested The pollution, he says
reaches the reservoir. He does not think
high water in the river or Fall creek can
means by which the inferior water reaches
the reservoir and the homes of the peo-
pie. The reservoir has been several times
questioned by the Board of Works and an
Improvement on il has been several times
urged. Tests by DIR. Bueher and Moffatt
show the presence of large quantities of
cate that river water has reached the res
ervoir questioned but were diScernible in
much less quantity.
WHAT ANALYSIS SHOWED.
Reports of analysis made by Moffatt for
twenty-one days in January water taken
from the public hydrants at Massachusetts,
avenue and st. Clair street. Pennsylvania
and Market streets, New Jersey street near
Washington, and Massachusetts, avenue and
New Jersey street show the presence of
bacteria per cubic centimeter ranging from
forty-eight on Jan. II, to S.4O0 on Jan. %
On five days of the twenty-one the num-
Der exceeded LOCO, and on two days 1900
On five days 1t exceeded 400. Coincident
with this increase in the number of bac-
terra there has been a noticeable increase
in the number of typhoid fever cases and
IL has also been noticeable that the disease
+. "A. w. Davis, vice president of the In
dianapolis Water Company, says the state
ments OF Moffatt and his conclusions are
absurd. MIR. Davis says 10000 people i'm
indianapolis are using city water and that
the number of cases cited-seventeen-is
insignificant in indicating that the water
supplied is in any way polluted or that it's
use is responsible for the number of cases
He also asserted that Moffatt is not a
competent bacteriologist and that there
was no possibility OF pollution of reservoir
from seeDage because any water that per-
colated from the river bed to the reservoir
passed through sand and gravel and was
fully filtered. He said the company was
now putting in the sand filtration system
not because the supply from the driven
wells, which are being used. was INSULT
cient. but for the purpose of augmentinS
the supply Tor the use OF a larger consump-
ton.
City Sanitarian Buehler SAYS the Board
OF Health will act aggrSssively.
Water Company Meeting.