New-York tribune., 1909-09-21
PURIFYING THE CRorON.

\ careful search for typhoid germs, we are
told, has been made in the CrOtOn region. but as
yet none has been found. wherefore some are
said to doubt whether there are any and
whether the epidemic has its origin I'm the water
supply. Still the weight Of official opinion in
clines 10 the belief that CrotOn water plus the
sewage OF a considerable part Of Westchester
and Putnam counties is not quite so far above
| suspicion as C;esars wife ought to have been.
and there is accordingly much talk about the
necessity OF filtration at a minimum cost which
is nonchalanty estimated at $20O00OOO or
| more. "a few years ago they spoke OF one
| third Of that sum as the maximum; but, of
! course we have grown since thenD Even so,
| it is conceded that the filtration scheme would
be largely experimental, since we are lacking
| in knowledge and practical experience in such
works; though 1t is not made convincingly
! clear just why should all be so lacking I'm
the knowledge which study, observation and IN
vestigatiOn give, after all these years of talk
ing about filtration and all these years OF sue
cessful practice of 1t by other cities.
We have ourselves for some time regarded
| filtration as probably an ultimate necessity. II
| may be that il is even now time TO begin work
on the installation of 1t. But we have not con-
| sidered and shall not consider it to be the first
| thing which it Is desirable TO do for the safe
| guarding of the water supply, or the thing
which would most quickly afford relief from the
present conditions. II would be better to pre-
vent the pollution of water. And even If fltra-
| ton is introduced as Il final safeguard we should
still think it desirable to employ every precau-
ton against pollution. just the same as though
filtration were not practised or were Impossible.
Now, it would be worse than folly to try to
conceal or deny the fact that reasonable pre-
cautions against contamination have not been
established in the CrOton Valley. Something
has been done no doubt After dozen or more
years Of talk sewer system is being installed
at the village Of Mount Kisco, though how eff.
cient it will be when it is done is n matter Of
grave uncertainty. But we have heard of moth
ing of the sort at any of half dozen other
villages which present about as great a menace
as does that one. The simple fact is that New
York City has taken for itself the water rights
of practically the whole region from White
Plains TO Carmel and Brewsters, and from near
the Hudson to the Connecticut line, and has
thus deprived all the communities there which
are pOpulOus and growing, of what they have
regarded as their natural privileges of drain
age. OF course, the sewage OF that great Donu-
latlon cannot be bottled up nor sent away ON
aeroplanes. Some disposition must be made of
it, and to our mind that has all along been and
is to-day, the primary problem of the purifica-
tiOn of our water supply
The way TO purify water is 10 purify it. and
the first process is to shut out the influx of con-
Eliminating matter New Jersey is setting the
example with plans for a trunk sewer from
paterson TO Newark, with interceptlng sewers
from all adjacent communities. Such trunk.
sewer from Carmel and Brewsters to White
Plains with branches from all the villages In
the region, would eliminate nine-tenths of the
causes OF pollution Such a sewer system could
doubtless be completed in much less time than
the proposed filtration plant and at One-thrd
the cost. lt should, of course, be supplemented
Dy an efheient sanitary police system through
OUT the whoie region. In this way the readest
leiel could be obtained, 1t would not interfere