The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1910-04-13
WATER OF LAKE
I MERGED KEEPS
OK MARK
Health Officer McNutt Is Com
WINGED by Reports of Drs.
Blue and Mccoy
Sea Birds, Not Sewage, TO
Blame for Presence of Ba-
cillus Coils COmmuniS

question OF public interest, the issue
being between the Spring Valley water
company and the citys health officer,
DR. ". F. McNutt Jr. The health Off
Ger informed the water company of the
results Of various analyses by the
health boards bacteriologist and chem
list OF samples of water taken from
Spring Valley pipes, and handed to it
copies Of the reports made to him. In
reply, the water company contended
that the analyses and reports had no
significance, resting its case on the eX-
limitations and reports made at its
request by DR.. Rupert Blue, formerly
federal health officer in san Francisco,
and by DR.. George W. Mccoy. an expert
bacteriologist and chemist. who served
rs Doctor Blues assistant, and is still
here. The report Of Doctor Mccoy was
fled with the health board by the COM
pany and after examining it, Doctor
McNutt expressed himself as entirely
satisfied.
Health officer McNutts analyst
found. according to the reports sent to
the company, that there were bacilli
coli cOmmUnis in the samples tested.
This. said Doctor AIcNutt, indicated
contamination by sewage. The water
company cited the reports of Doctor
Blue and Doctor Mccoy TO show that
Il indicated nothing OF the kind. To
this view Of the matter Doctor Nc
Mutt has now subscribed, and there is
no more controversy.
Besides the points set forth in the
Blue-McCOy reports, the water COM
pany declares that Lake MERGED is
springfed and depends in no way upon
surface water. which IS. in fact, care
fully drained away from the lake in
stead Of being allowed TO flow into II,
and so must be free from any contami-
nation. A painstakng investigation,
according TO the company. showed that
the only possible means Of cOntamina-
ti0n was the occasional presence on the
shores Of the lake Of seagulls flying in
from the ocean 10 rest. The company
SAYS that men have been engaged for
the purpose Of keeping birds of all
kinds away from the MERGED source.
Furthermore. 1t is pointed. out by
Spring Valley that Lake Merced-which
s. in reality TWO lakes a mile and a
half long Joined by A narrow channel
at the westerly end-has a distinct
strategic value 10 san Francisco, a fact
heretofore noted by military experts.
Inasmuch as 1t does not depend at all
on waters naturally or artificially
transmitted TO il from elsewhere, it
would be impossible for an invading
enemy operating farther down the pen
Ursula TO shut il off as a source of
supply TO the beleagUered city. In case
g such an invasion MERGED would be
- citys mainstay and best wartime
asset
The report Of Doctor Blue was high
ly favora BILE TO Lake MERGED but in its
correspondence with the health officer
the water company chose to rely upon
the findings of Doctor Mccoy. because
Doctor Blue had gone away and Doctor
Mccoy remained in san Francisco, and
so was at hand for any further expla-
nation that might be desired.
The following is the text of Doctor
NcCoy's report which settled the mat
ter:
san Francisco. January :. 1910.
The Spring Valley Water Company,
San FranciscO-Gentleme
In response 10 your request for a
brief summary Of my comprehensive re-
port upon my meteorological examina-
ton, made under the direction of DR..
Rupert Blue, L. S A, Of the water from
various parts Of your system, have to
state that, judged by archaeological
standards. the city water supply gen
orally is Of a very high degree Of purity
and quality.
There is no evidence of contamina-
ton in sources. collecting grounds,
storage reservoirs or distributing sys-
TENS.
The water OF Lake MERGED. which
forms a very small proportion Of the
city supply, is Of good quality, whole
some and safe for human consumption,
while the water coming from the Ala
media and San MateO counties sources
is Of excellent quality. better than the
water consumed in the majority of the
large cities Of the country
The supply has been subjected TO the
most searching tests and has been
found TO be devoid Of dangerous for
eign matter or organisms and is Of
excellent quality for drinking purposes.
The part that Is not subjected TO
natural filtration is collected from
grounds practically all privately con-
trolled and therefore guarded against
any possibility Of contamination or pol
lution-
The principal meteorological evil
.dence Of contamination Of q water sup
ply is the presence Of colon baciIli In
considerable numbers. These organ
isms have been notably absent from
the large majority Of the samples ex-
- mined, and when present have been
found in such small numbers as not to
constitute a reflection upon the quality
and wholesomeness Of the supply.
The presence Of colon bacilli, even
IN the number found IN Lake MERGED
water. is Of no material significance,
and they should not be considered as
Indicative Of pollution. unless there is
also evidence Of human termination;
they exist in enormous numbers in raw
oysters and are always present in sur
face waters and in the intestinal tracts
of all warm bIooded animals. In the
case Of the MERGED supply the evidence
points 70 the water fowls upon that
3 body Of water as the only source OF
contamination, and that Of course, is
not dangerous. The percentage Of
MERGED water used is so small that
when diluted as il is with pure water
ii may be left out of consideration as
2 possibly dangerous contaminated
supply
THE significance of the presence of
colon baciIIi in water depends entirely
upon the number Of bacilH present
and the source Of the water. From deep
well waters and from subsurface
waters those organizations should be
absent or at most present in very
small numbers On the other hand
they are present practically always in
surface waters and are of no signifi-
canoe unless found in large numbers
or unless there is direct evidence of or
2 strong suspicion that they indicate
human contamination. Neither of these
conditions exists in relation to the San