The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-02-09
WATER SUPPLY'S PURITY
MAYOR BoOkwALTER WILL TAKE
STEPS TO INSURE 1T.
Result of an Inspection Made by the
Water Company-Protest to the
Government.

Mayor Bookwalter says steps will be
taken at once to protect the purity of the
Indianapolis water supply. The exact plan
has not been determined but its effect will
be TO keep the city constantly supplied with
samples of the water taken from the taps
in the city which will be analysed daily.
There is TO be no cessation of this system
Of inspection and by it the city believes
that every time impurities appear they will
be detected.
The recent analyses have served only To
emphasize the need of vigilance If there
Is any source of pollution the Health Board
win take steps to ascertain it by more than
an analysis Of the water.
The Indianapolis Water Company has
cent inspectors to the seventeen cases re-
ported during January as having typhoid
fever. The company estimates the number
Of users of city water at 10000. 1t assumes
that seventeen cases is a small fraction of
The population when comparing the use of
the water with an epidemic. 1t is argued
that any continued pollution of the water
during the twenty-one days cited would
have created epidemic frightful in its
character The inspeC ton Of the cases was
for the satisfaction of the directors of the
company. The reparts to the company
show no such number as 3S612 Virginia ave-
mo connection with such a number. At S2S
North Alabama street the family expressed
surprise that sickness had been reported
as there had been none. The same was
true at 1917 North Pennsylvania street. The
summary shows that nine of the cases re-
ported used city water, three did not use
It. three used IL part of the time and two
who used city water reported no sickness
That Is what Inspector Whiting, of the
Water Company, reported. In most of the
cases Whiting found other causes, such as
vaults. bad cellars and the like.
PLANS FOR THE FUTURE.
The water company's plans for the future
supply of indianapolis are made clear in
its correspondence with the army inspection
board. which recently visited this city. The
letter to this board. written Jan. "a, shows
that the present supply is from wells 800
feet deep. The air pressure system which
brings the water 10 the surface is regarded
as source of anxiety. as a break in the
machinery would be dangerous To aug
ment his supply the sand filtration sys-
TEN Is being Installed at a cost OF si50.O0O.
The supply OF water for this is to come
from the canal. but the company. realizing
that this supply will be scant some months
OF the year. purchased the site of the old
Schofield mill. The company has arranged
for suction pipe and machinery TO take
water from Fail creek ar the point of the
Schof1eld dam and bring IL 10 the filter
beds. The company called attention TO
the low water that characterizes White
river during the summer and the inability
OF that stream TO care for sewage: also the
inefficiency of the systems of purifying
sewage should they be adopted TO permit
its outlet into Fail creek
In view OF these facts and the great re-
sponsibility resting on the company its sup
ply OF water for city drinking the COM
pany asked that no sewage be placed in
Fall creek White river. The protest
was placed solely on the ground of protect
Ing the purity of the Indianapolis supply
In a subsequent letter to Senator Bever-
fdge the company disclaims interest in any
proposed location for the post but said IL
would have been neglect OF duty and an
esfoppe' n the exercise of its riparian
rights IL the situation had not been made
plain 10 the government. The same letter
. said that the company desired the army
post and that IL might come had sub
scrtbed 81. l0e TO the technical school fund
Representative Overstreet. I'm a letter TO
the company. said he had talked with the
secretary OF war and that the secretary
thought the sewage question would cause
no trouble. as the growth OF the city north
ward would enable connection with the
city sewer system. The secretary also
said an extension of the water mains to the
Dost would be necessary.