The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-06-16
MOIL||L|'S
WATER BAD
Analyst Duncan Reports
Upon Six Wells Out
There.

| can, Food Commissioner and Analyst,
on the water supply of that portion Of
the Moiliili district along Beretania
street from the rice field, Eva of the
Baseball grounds, TO the Moilin
| church, the residents dependent on
such supply are in some danger. The
report is in part as follows:
The water supply is obtained main
~ from wells, a few residents, how
| ever, obtaining their water from ar
tesian wells of the rice fields.
THE land is mainly coral formation,
either appearing at the surface or COW
| cred with few inches of earth. The
wells of this district are sunk down
| in the coral a few feet and only tap
the surface water, which rises to with
in a few feet of the surface. None OF
the wells are in any way protected
from surface seepage, and from the
we'll known porous nature of coral con-
| tamination with surface water may
easily take place. In general the wells
are covered, some having a cement
rim around the top and boarded over
1.-THE nature of the contamination to
which these wells are liable consists OF
drainage from cesspools, from ponds
where washing is done and surface
water
I'm judging the character of these
waters main reliance is placed on the
nitrogen items; j. e., free and albumi-
mold ammonia, and nitrogen as nitrates
and nitrites. Well waters of good
quality should not contain nitrites, Or
only as a trace; where it rises to
measurable quantity it shows that con-
tamination has probably taken place.
During the winter season, at the
request of the city sanitary officer,
number of wells of this district were
examined and the analyses touched
upon in my monthly reports at that
time. For the purpose of comparing
the winter and summer season water,
L embrace these analyses in this re-
port.
! w. l. H1lC1 LiOII OcpclilSSC
lodging house. The lot is about 60 feet
wide and contains lodgings on three
sides. The place contains two wells,
one near Beretanfa street, the other
so feet makai of the first; the cess
pool is located between the two wells.
| These wells differ markedly in the va
rious analytical items ard, from the
/ jcrIo Mt iAac nd
nitrates, are polluted. The. same
| waters examined November 10, 1908,
show a much higher content of I'M
| oxidized heterogeneous matter, the con-
| Eliminating matter al that time being
in a fresh state.''
Mr.. Duncan gives the winter and
summer analyses of No. 1, well near
Beretania street, to which the forego-
ing general remarks apply, and then
comments on the analyses of No. 2,
we'll sixty feet makai of the first, thus:
No. ,. Nieka-Japanese lodging
house, Eva of baseball grounds. Depth
of well, eight and one-half feet. This
well is said to be not used for drinking,
but only for washing. The high figure
for nitrates and trace for nitrites casts
suspicion on this water"
Comments on the analyses given for
the remaining wells investigated are
as follows:
No. s. Kauai-welI about two hun |
dred feet makai of Beretania street |
and about seventy-fve feet makai of
pond where washing is done. Depth of
we'll, seven and one-half feet. This is |
one of the worst waters examined |
The we'll is almost in a direct line with |
the pond and, no doubt, receives drain
age from it.
No. 4. agatani-Japanese lodging |
house, Waikiki of baseball grounds. |
Depth of we'll, ten feet. This water is
high in nitrates and contains a meas
urable quantity of nitrites. 1t is pol
luted.
mo. 5. All Powell supplying poi
shop. Depth of well, six and one-half
feet. This is the worst water of the
list. AT the time samples were taken
it was uncovered, which is probably it's
normal condition. Across the street
there are number of lodging-houses
and the drainage from these cesspools
probably finds its way into this well.
For the purpose of comparison. an
analysis of this water, made November
10, 1903, is given. AS remarked in No
is much higher in the first analysis than
in the second, the pollution at that
time being in a fresher state.
NO. 6. Well near old Government
quarry. This we'll is at least one hun
dred feet from any source of contami-
nation. The analysis shows it to be
badly polluted and the communicating
matter to be in a comparatively fresh
stage.
LAS the presence and amount of
nitrites affords the most valuable indi-
cation of water pollution, I examined
a spring near the old Government quar-
ry for this presence. Nitrites were pres
ent in only a slight trace.
There being some question as to the
district being affected by the tides. sea
water was also examined and found
free from nitrites. The indication these
results afford is that the pollution of