The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1911-09-05


met in regular session this morning,
with Chairman Haviland and Com
missioners Stoker and Bradshaw in
attendance. at@
Aside from allowing bills, there was
/ little business transacted, other than
receiving the report of Expert Lewis,
a summary of which is published in
another column, and the report of DR..
w. B. Mack, relative to the results of
analysis he made of the city's water,
which follows:
DIR. p. J. Mangan, Humboldt County
| Health Officer, Winnemucca, Ne
| vada.
Dear Sir: In compliance with your
request that we make a sanitary ex
animation of the public water supply
of Winnemucca and render to you an
opinion as to it's fitne for domestic
use, ] beg to submit the following re-
port:
Introduction.
Tn order to intelligently report on
the fitness of a water supply for do
mestic use it is necessary to consider
all that can be elarned from a careful
study of the topography of the region
furnishing the water together with the
results of meteorological and chemical
examinations of the water itself. In
no instance should absolute reliance be
placed on the rsult of any single ex-
amination, no matter how carefully
done. Accordingly / spent August 81
and % in Winnemucca, visiting the
reservoirs and well of the Water COM
pany and collecting specimens of the
water from both sources for laboratory
study. That from the reservoirs was
collected from the lower reservoir, that
from the well was taken from the
pumping plant at the well.
Sanitary Survey.
The water supplied to Winnemueca
during about eight months of the year
is derived from several springs situat-
ed in the mountains from FIVE to nine
miles to the south of the town. Dur
ing an average period of about four
months each summer this supply is in
adequate and an auxiliary supply is
secured from a well situated near the
south bank of the Humboldt river.
close to the bridge on the principal
business street of the town. During
the period when the well is in use
water is supplied to the mains from
both sources. In discussing the water
from these two sources in this report
that first mentioned will be referred
to as mountain supply the latter as
the well supply.
J.. Mountain Supply.
The mountain supply is collected
from numerous springs in the noun
tains and carried in closed pipes to
reservoir situated at the lower end of
the canyon, about four and three
fourths miles from town. These springs
and pipe lines are well protected,
there are no people living among the
springs nor above the reservoir and
there is practically no danger of this
water being contaminated with human
waste unless by an occasional hunter
or sheep-herder, danger to which all
surface waters are, at times exposed,
but which in this instance may, in my
opinion, safely be regarded as negligi-
BILE. From this reservoir the water is
conducted in a closed pipe to two con-
crete reservoirs situated about three
fourths of mile south of town and
from there distributed to the mains
supplying the town. just before en-
tering the lower reservoirs the water
passes. through power plant, used to
generate current for lighting the town.
The reservoirs are fenced, are well
protected, are clean and appear to be-
well cared for. The only weak point
in the system furnishing the mountain
supply is at the power plant. There is
no evidence of any contamination at
this point, but it should be well looked
after to insure that none does occur.
This water is clean, clear, cool and re-
freshing and appears to be as nearly
iedal as is often met with in sufficient
quantities for a public supply.
Well Water.
The WELL seventy feet deep, furnishes
an abundance of clear water by pump
ing
The location of the well and its sur
roundings are not ideal. A place some
what further up the river would have
been less subject to contamination had
it been chosen. However the some
what Objectionable conditions prevail
ing in the immediate vicinity of the
well are well within the control of the
sanitary authorities of the town,
rather than the Water compand,
and they should be considered re-
'harged with the duty of remedy
ing IneiH. ABOUT 10 rect TO tHt
east Of the we'll corral ad
iacent to a lievry stable. The river
is about the same distance to the north
and east and across the street there is
a hog-wallow, with pools Of stagnant
filth. However, in order to contami-
nate the water in the well, the fecal
matter from the stable and hog-wallow
must, in dry weather, pass for con-
siderable distance through the soil, the
quality Of which appears to be Of such
a character as to constitute reason
ably efficient filter. In wet weather,
especially in time of cold, the danger
Of contamination from these sources
will be much greater than at present.
archaeological Examination.
2euntaiA Supply.
There were but = very few colonies