The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1908-09-17
DUTY OF The STATE
Head of Ohio Board of Health
Holds State Should Protect
Water From Pollution
OF VITAL INTEREST HERE

There is increasing difficulty in find
ing pure water supplies for our cities
and towns. Wells give out and
streams are becoming more polluted
with sewage each year. The question
Of protection of the water supplies
we have is becoming more important
each year. The current number Of
Municipal Engineering magazine has
a paper read before the American Pub
lie Health Association by DR.. g. 0.
Probst, secretary of the Ohio state
Board of Health, which offers one
method of meeting the difficulties.
DR.. Probst thinks that in the first
place it should be the duty Of the
state to protect from pollution, as far
as possible, all sources Of water sup
plies Of which use is being made
Municipalities might be given power
to protect themselves, but this is
grant Of power that municipalities are
very slow to make use of. For in
stance, in Ohio municipalities have
authority under the law to prevent and
punish pollution of public water sup
ply within a distance of twenty miles,
but no use has been made of this power.
And why twenty milesT How far
may dangerous pollution Of streams ex-
tend? The old English commission said
there was no stream in England long
enough to recover itself. True, the
streams i'm England are not very long.
Was ST. Louis hurt by Chicago Many
think so, and the United States govern
ment was appealed to for protection.
Suppose Chicago should admit it, but
say to St. Louis; Remove the little
pollution we contribute to your water
supply by proper methods of purifca-
ton. -
The question coming up in all popu-
lous states is: Can the streams and
watersheds that must furnish public
water supplies be kept free from con
tamination by laws and inspection?
This may be possible for some Of the
states, but not for the great middle
west territory, where usually municipal
and industrial waters must go to the
streams.
Should these waters be purified in all
cases where the stream is used i'm any
part Of it's course as public water
supply, or should water publication be
depended upon for projections
We cannot settle this problem for all
communities in general terms. Each
community affords problem of its
own. We may have to cleanse the sew
age Of the town above and purify the
water Of the one below in order to
protect the latter. In other cases who
shall purify it's sewage or the users of
the water below be made to filter it9
The state, as see it, can best settle
such questions. 1t may do this by
giving adequate authority to some com
mission to control all sources of public
water supply, and to prohibit the use
of its waters for the disposal of NUM-
cipal or industrial wastes without the
permission Of such commission In
stead Of creating special commission
for such work, it is much better in my
judgment, to give this authority to
the state or provincial board Of health
The Ohio state board Of health now
has control of all water supply and
sewerage systems in the state under
new law which puts the matter on
equitable basis by means Of a provision
for joint commission in cases over
which there is contest and insures com
pliance with the final orders by MAX
ing officials neglecting to obey them
subject to $500 fines. Tt is expected
that the new law will aid materially in
improving the public health in Ohio.