Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1908-12-15
Another Water Question.

i RuoiN AatOACSt 10 ulIGCtcu tU Ill
subject of water supply through tn
controversy at South Paris, / wish t
call attention to another grave question
probably affecting wider territory.
refer to the danger of poisoning fror
the lead pipe so commonly used for sur
plying drinking water.
The great natural purity and softnes
OF our spring waters, due to thei
granite origin, renders them more liabl
to lead contamination, for, as rule, tn
softer the water the more readily does /
dissolve lead. Neither can our harder
waters be considered safe. If the hard
ness is permanent" that is, not improv
ed by boiling, 1t is usually due to sui
pilates of lime and msgnesia and pro
tects the pipe by coating it with tn,
extremely insoluble sulphate of lead
Yet the frequent remark, "Well, oul
waters all right for it coats the pipe" Is
not justified. Although my own water
is otherwise excellent and coats leac
pipe heavily, l found lead in 1t while
Analysing a sample at Bowdoip College
where l was then assistant in chemistry
Some doubt having been expressed re-
garding my conclusions, l asked Pro.
lessor Robinson for his opinion, which,
after examining the test, he gave as fol
lows: "You may tell-so and so-from
me, that the water contains lead and in
dangerous amount" Not caring to lei
mere convenience outweigh my own
judgment, backed by that of Professor
Robinson, have since that time brought
by hand or otherwise all water used for
drinking, ETC., from a distance of more
than sixty rods-no pleasant job at this
ason,-although my subsequent analy-
ses showed the amount of lead to be
very slight-not far from one part in ten
million.
This is trifling, however, compared
with the situation at West Paris, to
which my attention was called some
time ago through analysis of water for
friend. At that time | was unable to
follow up the matter, but last summer
| obtained samples from other families
in the village and found myself obliged
to condemn four out of the six and to
call another doubtful. Thinking by
that time the matter was one of public
Importance reported it to the chairman
of the board of health, who later sent
six samples to the state laboratory for
analysis, four of them waters had not
tested. / am told one was pronounced
pure, the other five condemned for lead
ranging in amount from three-tenths to
one and five-tenths parts per million
from three to fifteen times as much as
that in my own water previously con.
demned by Professor Robinson.
l regret an apparent tendency in some
quarters to minimize the gravity of the
danger indicated by this official report.
accumulate there rather than to be
and the proportion contain
ed in these waters is by no means so
minute as a mere glance at the figures
seems to show. Moreover, in such small
the poison has no well marked
A professor In the Maine
Medical School told me five years ago
that recent investigation of water sup
plies,-I think in Vermont-had shown
cases of lead poisoning from
drinking waters. Many of the persons
affected had been treated for various years
for chronic diseases without success, and
had been cured or at least much benefit
ed by changing the treatment to that
usually employed for lead poisoning.
My informant therefore believed it prob
able that poisoning by such small
of the metal was much more
dangerous than it had been considered,
as it might closely resemble
almost any chronic disease instead of
showing its own characteristic Symp-
toms. Then, too, some are far more
resistant than others, and a man in good
health may throw off the poison for
"ears, yet be affected by it if once weak
ened through some other cause.
understand that when other work
permits it, suspected waters may be
analysed by the director of the State
of Hygiene at Augusta with
out expense to citizens of this state, and
hope those who are using lead pipe
will arrange with him for such analyses.
| cannot think it at all likely that the
danger is confined to this one locality,
as have just found lead in
water sample from another town, and in
view of the usual nature of our water
supplies and of the large proportion
condemned in these Investigations,
cannot urge too strongly the impor-
lance of avoiding this grave menace to
public and private health. Even if
allowed TO run at its full capacity, all
water flowing through lead pipe should
be suspected unless proved safe by
analysis.
RoREsr : RENsoS