The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1910-06-17
THE CARE OF THE DRINKING
WATER SUPPLY.
Clemson Extension WOrk.-Ar-
ticle N.

Health is of first Importance in all
occupations, since it governs the
ability of the individual to do work.
The progressiveness Of a community
is governed by its healthfulness, n
this healthfulness is measured large
ly, directly or indirectly, by the pur-
ity Of it's drinking water. Almost our
entire rural population and the in
habitants Of a majority of our small
towns get their supply Of drinking
water from springs or from shallow
wells. It is to call attention to the
often improper surroundings OF these
sources of drinking water that this
article is written.
The principal diseases supposed to
be communicable through the drink
ing water are typhoid fever, cholera,
dysentery and other diarrhoeal affec-
lions, cholera infantum, animal para
site diseases, erteric fevers and
scarlet fever. Of the diseases men
toned typhoid fever, cholera, dysen-
terry, cholera infantum and scarlet
fever may also be carried by milk;
enteric fever and typhoid by flies;
and typhoid by raw oysters and raw
fruit. In order that the water sup
ply or any Of the other agencies men
toned may carry these diseases it is
first necessary for them to become in
fected with the specific infection
which communicates the disease. The
Infection of ell of the sources men
toned except mosquitoes, is derived
from the ejecta of a patient suffering
from the disease.
It is a fact proven by statistics that
the water borne diseases begin to in
crease in July anu are at their maxi
mum during August and September,
decreasing in October.
The Spring-The ideal conditions
for the spring r that its watershed
is uninhabited, that the watershed
does not contain stables, barnyards,
pig pens, privies, cesspools or Gene
teries; 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 ditcned around in such a
way as to carry off all of the surface
water, both during a downpour OF
rain and from ponded areas, and new
er allow it to be overhowed and fill
ed with filth or trash of any kind. The
surroundings must be s~crupulously
clean. The spring itself should be
walled with rock and covered to pre-
vent trash from falling into it.
The Well.-Too many of our wells
are located in the barnyard, in order
that water may be convenient for the
stock, regardless of sanitary condi-
tons. The source of the drinking
water for the family should be re-
moved from any such possible dan
ger of Infection.
The well should be located on a
well drained area, remote from barns,
pig pens, privies, cesspools, GENE
teries or drains, and should be CO.
mented from the edge outward to the
distance of several feet Above the
surface of this cement, a tight box
should be built and a tight fitting
cover provided, if buckets are used.
The pump is much to be preferred to
the bucket because it lessons the
danger of trash falling into the we'll.
All waste water should be drained off
and no water allowed to spill back
into the well. No puddles should be
allowed to form nearby in which hogs
might wallow. The hog is a great
gatherer of filth, and by w%allowing in
q puddle which drains into a we'll,
there is great danger of infection.
Deep wells, properly protected to
prevent an inflow of surface water
at the top, r to be preferred to
either shallow wells or springs, es-
pecially in the southern part of this
State. T. E. Keitt,
Chemist S. G.. Experiment Station.