The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1907-07-02
PURE WATER.
A Communication From the Health OF.
fieer Of Bennington.

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The Banner has performed a dccid
cd service Ia the people by printing
the state BOARD OF llcalth's circular
ON the Cure for Consumption
Every one should read this important
paper n your issues Of Saturday and
Monday
May I ask n little space on another
subject equally as vital % our Citi.
zcusg Il has been the practice. for
several years. Ia frequently test the
domestic water supply in Vermont. not
only In the larger cities aud villages.
but those of the smaller communities
bennington ~ and has been no eXcep-
ton to this rule. therefore. u is With
some surprise that n recent eNamlna.
ton Of the wells NJ North Bennington
has been received by few with sus.
piciun. People. generally are demand.
ing action rather than criticislng the
health authorities in this respect The
original test OF thirteen widely scat
tered wells uf April and MAY this year.
we're supplemented last week by spec
linens from ten more sources. The
state laboratory has not made r..
port a. yet upon the last named, which
included three systems 81 running
water. pipcd from distance 90 North
bennington
Quite aa thorough an examination
was made In North bennington village
In May aud June. 1903. aud only one
yell of the dozen examined at that
time. vas found free from suspicious
81 pollution. This well. In 1907. Il
pronounced polluted by sewage
ON being asked by n prominent
citizen OF the North village for an "a,
PLANTATION of the analyses Of the thlr.
teen samples Of drinking water from
wells located In that community. nr
~ 4 Stone. director aud hacterinlo.
gist. writes after particularizlng ns 90
two. which show n water which ia
receiving pollution and has been pol
luted extensively In the past" One
/ he says. rs particularly had" Here
are his conclusions. The other an.
alyacs show waters which have r..
ceiycd u large amount of pollution IN
the past. OF what Is more probable
l from polluted soil These latter
analyses do not indicate immediate
danger. provided one can be- sure that
no fresh and uniltcrcd sewage can en-
ter the we'll"
II Snch a conclusion had been reach
"a concerning the water system OF
this. or any other considerable village
the first thing to be- done would be- n
, rigid inspection Of the water shed
That two old wells are condemned "a
not an exceptional experience for ai
most any village depending upon wells
aud D. not an occasion for hyatcrical
uttorancos. lint the geological sur
yey furnishes n key 10 the situation n
North Remington. In the opinion Of
the writer. From the map II ~ shown
that the soil varies from n foot orHo "a
some sixteen or more feet Below
this ~ n stratum of clay hardpan In
spots. In others the rock comes up q
the soil. below all which ~. FIRST shell
rock then sound rock. aud below MI
these n stratum where pure water mas
be- expected n this be- so. and Their,
are deep wells already existing I,
show II. the first duty ~ To protect
such wells aa those Of the Graded
school. the town pump. the one neal
the v. u Waist mill. from surface con
tamination. until the village govern
mcnt pcrfectH its method aud inaugu
rates q public supply from an uncon
taminatcd source.
ilouscholdcra aud others who's
wells show prior pollution" SHOULD
at once remove old closets. rubbisl
piles of rottlng refuse. open pipes from
kitchen sinks discharging upon th'
surface and sure 10 leech downwar,
into some neighbours we'll All thes'
things are Of immediate necessity.
II may possibly be- n solution Of th'
water question NJ North Remington
IN view Of the geological condition %
it, site. that artesian wells might h
bored through the lower rock founda
ton. As Dr. Stone has suggested IN
vigilance essential. every one interesi
ed should give his words candid cod
nideration.
lf L. Stillson. Health Onicer.