The San Francisco call., 1909-02-27
ALAMEDA STRIVING
FOR SAFER WATER
Measures Taken to Prevent
Recurrence OF Recent
Ailment

ALAMEDA, Feb. 26.-The chamber of
commerce : has adopted resolutions
urging the Peoples water company to
map of its mains and gates leading
from all sources of water supply to the
city of Alameda. This action has been
taken in order to form the basis for
future protection to the city's supply,
the alleged contamination of which
caused an epidemic of stomach dis
order.
FAVOR HETCH HETCHY
1t is set forth by the chamber of
commerce that the water company
would be meeting its views by per-
manently shifting its supply from the
Fitchburg wells to Alvarado. The or
ganization also went on record as
follows:
Whereas the present water supply for the city
Of Alameda is inadequate to meet the growing
demands of this city; therefore be it
Resolved. that the Alameda chamber of COM
merce recommend that the city of Alameda place
itself in touch with the Hetch Hetchy or other
Sierra water supplies in order that Alameda may
get as soon possible pure supply OF water of
sufficient quantity to meet the growing demands
or this city.
Officials Of the water company are
strenuously making an effort to trace
the cause of the recent sudden and
widespread illness to other sources than
the water supply.
The company has an employe max
ing house to house canvass, gather
ing data as to the illness which has
been attributed to the contaminated
water supplied from the Fitchburg
wells.
The water company is inclined to be-
lieve that the epidemic was the result
of the use of impure food products sup
piled by family tradesmen, but the re-
port of the archaeological expert has
evidenced to the satisfaction of the
health board that the epidemic was
caused by the presence of germs In the
reservoirs, washed down by recent
storms.
UNSANITARY CONDITIONS
DR.. j. Emmett Clark, president of the
Alameda board of health. with DIR. ]. j.
Ellis, also of this city, made visit to
the wells at Fitchburg and thoroughly
inspected them shortly after the cpl
demic made its appearance. While no
fault was to be found with the wells
themselves, the inspectors found sani-
tary conditions in the vicinity anything
but satisfactory. DR.. Clark declared
they found the Fitchburg reservoirs in
an 'indescribably filthy condition"
Dead bodies of dogs, calves and cats
were right in the line of drainage from
the hills and the water, washed down
from the upper levels. flowed over the
partially >decomposed animals and
finally down into the soil around the
wells. It is the opinion of the Alameda
board of health that leaks In the cas-
ings of the wells allowed the infected
water to gain entrance into the reser-
voirs and to be distributed throughout
the Alameda mains.
Samples of the water submitted to
meteorological experts were analyzed
and found to contain double the num-
Der of bacilli that the water under
normal circumstances should support
DR.. L. W. Stidham, city health Of
ficer, today stated that the water COM
pany had shut off the supply from
the Fitchburg wells and would not
use it again until repairs satisfactory
to the board of health had been made.
One of the improvements suggested by
Doctor Stidham was the use of force
pumps at the bottom of the wells
bringing the water from the bottom
Of the pipes by air pressure and thus
aerating 1t to a certain extent This,
he declared, would prove beneficial.
EXPLANATION NOT SUBSTANTIATED
Early in the days of the epidemic
officials of the water company declared
1t was caused by broken sewer which
infected the water in the mains. but a
close inspection by the Alameda board
of health failed to substantiate this
rumor, for the sewers were found to
be in good condition without a trace
of a break.
DIR. Stidham declares that the water
now supplied from the Alvarado wells
and Lake Chabot is not of as good
quality as that from the Fitchburg
wells before the storms He states
that when the Fitchburg source of sup
ply is thoroughly changed to suit the
board of health he will allow the Ala
media water to be drawn from that
source again, as he believes it is the
best water around the bay under prop
sanitary conditions
He also declared that several fami-
lies in the west end of town were
stricken with illness from the water
after the supply from the Fitchburg
wells had been shut off, but said this
was caused by the bacilli from the I'm
fected wells clinging to the sides of
the mains and mixing with the pure
water from the other reservoirs.
The board OF health considers that
all danger of further illness from the
water is now at an end, and that the
water company will take good care in
the future to see that it's sources of
supply are not befouled.
BODY RESCUED FROM
THE DICCECTJN(S TADv