Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1911-06-28
SEWAGE AKD
WATER PROBLEM
Both Intimately Connected
in Practically Every
Community
A QUESTION FOR EXPERTS
Address of DR.. Arthur Lederer
Before American Medical
Association.

Los Angeles, Calf, June 2S.-Wirh
thirteen different sections in session.
at once, the doctors assembled here
Tor the sixty-second annual session
OF the American Medical Association,
had their hands full of work today.
Better sanitation Of cities, improve
ments in public health which would
save annually millions of dollars and
cut down the death rate were among
the subjects discussed.
Address on Sewers.
Los Angeles, Calf, June 2S.-Com-
paratively few of the larger cities in
this country have completely solved
their sewage and water problems ac-
eording to DR.. Arthur Lederer. chem
ist and bacteriologist of the Sewage
Testing station, OF the Sanitary Dis
trict of Chicago, who spoke before
the Section on Preventive Medicine
OF the American Medical Association
today. DR.. Lederer also declared that
it is probably true that very few riy-
ers in the United States are safe raw
for drinking purposes; that smal1
communities as a rule pay attention
to their sewage problem only when
they begin to smell it. "The odor of
fresh sewage is not repugnant. as is
commonly supposed" the speaker
said.
In small bulk it appears a slight
yellowish, fairly turbid liquid, con-
tanning very varying amount of
finely divided suspended matter, as
well as coarse. The layman invari-
ably pictures sewage as the dark, pu.
trid liquid found in stagnant sewers
or septic tanks.
"As rule, the sewage problem can
not be spoken of without touching up
on the water problem. The sewage
problem of one today may become the
water problem of another tomorrow.
Pollution of surface waters is, in
many cases, an interstate affair. and
usually to prevent or eliminate such
pollution the good grace and will of
many small communities have to be
depended upon. Concerted action by
such communities is hard to obtain,
and in some cases, almost hope
less task. There are several reasons
for this: Various communities sell
dom agree as to the amount of pollu--
tion they are responsible for. Some
communities depend upon the water
supply they are polluting others do
not. Naturally, the ones which do not
are in no hurry to remedy the con-
| dition. Lack of funds. Lack of an.
probation of the common good.
1T is true that the temptation to
discharge raw sewage into the large
| watercourses is great We can only,
! remedy this evil with difficulty. A
| reasonable line must be drawn some
where. The trade wastes of our large
i industries have to be discharged.
Many of the trade wastes can be puri-
fed but partially. We have therefore
to confine ourselves to trying to keep
the large common drinking reservoirs
such as are represented by the Great
Lakes, in good, wholesome condi-
ton. The introduction of the purifi-
cation of sewage is an educational
task, much more SO than the purifica-
ton of water supply. You can DEM
onstrate to the people in a community
that the death rate from intestinal
disease is rising and that the water
supply is responsible for it. The
people will fight for a pure water
supply and get it frequently In spite
of franchised water companies and
empty treasures. Unfortunately, the
discharge of raw sewage by one COM
munity in most cases effects another.
Small communities, as a rule. pay
attention to their sewage problem only
when they begin to smell it. Their
usual procedure in such a. case is to
have the engineer, who in most cases,
is civil engineer by training, draw
up design for septic tank or the
like. Right here is where we need
most enlightenment. Many of us.
have seen the sewage disposal plants
which do not operate properly, and
many have seen the plants which are
failures either on account of faulty
design or on account of entire lack Of
intelligent supervision. The state
legislatures and the state boards Of
health, in the middle west in particu-
lar, are just beginning to awaken to-
the fact that proper sanitary engin-
eering advice by men of special train
ing is as valuable to these small COM
munities as anything they may do to-
further the health Of the people. An
inefficient sewage disposal plant, or
a neglected plant. represent waste
of capital and energy.
Raw sewage may actually purity
itself during storage prolonged for
weeks, to state where 1t Is impossi.
BILE to differentiate it from fresh clear
water by physical inspection, except
it be for mineral sediment and
growth of algae at the bottom.
''The aim in modern sewage dispo-
sal is to get rid of the small amount
of suspended matter present as quick
i ly as possible. and then to oxidfze
the fresh liquid on biologic filters
should additional treatment be re-
quired.
;. "In the last few years, the disin.
fection Of contaminated waters has
made great strides and has actually
!. lowered the death rate from intestin-
al diseases wherever 1t has been In
'telligently applied"