The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1909-10-07
LETTERS ON THE
WATER QUESTION

The following letters from the
Mayor to the State Board of Health,
and from the latter to tire Mayor,
Council and City health officers,
bring ont Few points in the water
which will lie OF interest TO the pub
lie. Nhiie the Board ondeavors to
justify heir report and their methods
Of ar iving at ls upon their visit to
this city, the point is constantly
made more emphatic that the present
water being furnished to the city is
unfit for use. The Board says the
Council should do all possible to en-
deavor to clean up the area draining
into the spring, but admits the con-
ditions are very bad, and gives warn
ing that every care must be taken to
prevent disease. The letters follow:
Hood River Oregon, Sept, 10. 1909.
Oregon State Board OF Health,
Portland, Ore.
Gentlemen: Your letter of recent
date with copy of report made to one
W. l.. Clark Is before me, and to
say the least is paradox. In the
first place you were requested at
least three times by our city health
officer to come up and take up this
matter with the City Council. Your
Mr.. Yenney telephoned me that he
would come and would notify me the
date but failed to do SO. Instead you
come here and spend the time in Geo
ret conference with the representa-
tives of tho private water company
and their financial hackers.
Now the question arises, why you
as public officials tried to avoid the
city officials or the public? Why did
you only examine one water plant?
There are several, and while they
are small they all have some bearing
on the future water supply of Hood
River. You apparently did not dis
cover that not mo o than one half Of
the residents of Hood River are sup
piled from what you term as the low
or spring. You seem to think that
the flow of the lower spring is con-
stant. am not personally familiar
with the measurements this season,
but in former years it is matter OF
record that the flow is doubled dur
ing the irrigating season, which is
positive proof that IT is surface drain
age OF the very worst kind
Now as to the upper supply. 1t is
owned by private individuals, not
even by the water company and Is be-
yond the jurisdiction of the city.
The Water Company buy approXi-
mately 10000 gallons of water per day
from the irrigating company which is
delivered almost directly to their dis
tIibuting system (probably good
deal more direct than you we're led
to believe. This we hoped to have
your help to prevent being delivele ed,
as drinking water to the city, and 1t
IL is in your province to take notice
of such matters please take up this
matter at once with the water COM
pany and take steps to have them
clean up the water they are bringing
into the city.
The city will gladly do sll that
they can inside the city limits and
outside, too, where they have juris-
diction, which would be in case they
owned the source of supply. The CITY
will Co. operate with you in every way
possible in this case. We are forced
to depend entirely on your authority
aud assistance to prevent hlthy and
diseased water being sold IN the city.
Now as to your answer to that d.
rect question, as to whether 1t is neo-
essary for the city to look tor another
source OF supply. You say NO. Now
if it is necessary Tor the water com.
pany tn buy 10000 gallons per day OF
dirty irrigatlng water to keep up
their supply it seems that your opin
ion was tar fetched. Now II you had
looked little closer when here you
would have found a stream almost as
large flowing direct from the irriRnt
ing ditch into the lower spring.
This fact was discovered by our
health committee in following up
your instructions to take up the mat
ter of removing danger of contamina.
tion.
Ihe city four years ago bought q
source of supply and own it, and this
year have further added to 1t, and as
soon as legal requirements can be
complied with will install supply
of clean water; hence can see no good
reason why they should try to spend
money trying to do anything with an
uncertain supply out side OF theil
Jurisdiction. We will be glad to have
any assistance you can give us in this
matter, hut we do not care for any
instructions second hand. The City
council of Hood River are public
officials and so are you, and any bus
mess covered in the premises shoulc
be public. Meanwhile go over thu
matter closely and see II your con
clusions do not need adjusting. l
they do not, get in and see that thu
water company complies with tn
nnra fnnd lars nnd GaaHa daliVerlnl