The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1910-06-01
The Care Of The Drinking Water Supply

Health is Of first Importance in all occu'
~pations, since it governs the ability OF the
individual to do work. The progressive
ness of a community is governed by It's
heaIthfulness, and this h~ealthfulness Is
measured largely, directly or indirectly
by the purity Of It's drinking water. AL
most our entire rural population and the
inhabitants OF q majority Of our small
towns get their supply OF drinking water
from springs or from shallow wells. 1t is
to call attention to the often improper sur
roundings Of these sources OF drinking
water that this article is written.
The principal diseases supposed TO ,oe
communicable through the drinking water
are typhoid fever, cholera. dysontery and
other diarrhoeal affections. cholera Unfair
|tum; animal parasitic diseases, 'enterlc
fevers scarlet fever. OF the diseases men
toned typhoid fever cholera, ~dysentery'
cholera ~infantum and scarlet fever may
also be carried by milk; enteric fever n
typhoid by flies, and typhoid by raw oys-
tiers and raw fruit. In order that the water
supply or any Of the other !agencious men
toned may carry these diseases it 10 hrst
necessary for them to become lnfecoed
with the specific Infection which communl-
Gates the disease. The infection OF all OF
the sources mentioned except mosquitoes
is derived from the ejecta OF a patient SUI
fering from the disease.
It Is q fact proven by statistics that the
water borne diseases begin to increase IN
July and are at their maximum during
August and September, decreasing in oc-
tober.
The Spring.-The ideal conditions for
the spring are that It's watershed is unln'
habited, that the watershed does not con
tain stables, barnyards, pig pens, privles'
c~esspools or cemeteries; and it SHOULD not
be traversed by railroads nor highways
for all OF these make infection possible
The freedom from'all of these objections
Is not always obtainable. The spring
should be ditched around in such a way as
to carry off all of the surface water, .both
during a downpour of rain and from pond
ed areas. and never allow 1t to be over.
flowed and filled with filth or trash OF any
kind. The surroundings must be scrupul'
ously clean. The spring itself should be
walled with rock and covered to prevent
trash from falling into 1t.
The Well.-Too many Of our wells are
located in the barnyard, in order thai
water may be convenient for the stock,
regardless Of sanitary conditions. Inc
source OF the drinking water for the family
should be removed from any such possible
danger Of infection. The well should be
located on a well drained area, remote
from barns, pig pens. privies, cesspools
cemeteries or. drains, and should be cemen'
ted from the edge outward to the distance
of several feet. Above the surface OF this
cement, a tight box should be built and 6
tight fitting Owe provided, if buckets are
used. The pump is much TO. be preferred
to the bucket because it lessenst the danger
Of trash falling into the well. All waste
watef should be drained off and no water
| allowed to spill back into the well. Nc
puddles should be allowed to form nearby
in which hogs might wallow. The hog is
a great gatherer Of filth, and by wallowine
in a puddle which drains into a well, there
is great danger Of infection.
Deep wells, properly protectedto prevent
an inflow of surface water at the top, are
m no nreferred to either shallow wells Of
springs, especially in the southern part o.
this state.
r. E. Keitt.
Chemist S. C. Experiment Station