Norwich bulletin., 1911-01-09

When measured on Sunday by Supt. Corkery, Fairview reservoir showed that 1t was 278 inches below high wa ter mark, and still holding it's own, which has continued for the pest three days The rain of Sunday night to- eether with the moderate weather ought to add quite a little to the sup ply or at least provide enough more to take care Of the consumption and keep the pond where it is for the rest of the week. There was a good sized stream-about a half pipe full-com- ing into Fairview from Meadow brook Sunday afternoon.
 At the pumping station the work is practically completed. so that if it was desired the machinery could be put in operation at short notice. It will not be operated, however, until the report of the state chemist upon the condi- tion of the water is received. It is be : lived that this will be such that by making the changes along the brook which the water board had under con- sideration all trouble can be overcome.
 Visit to Watershed.
 On Saturday State Chemist J. A. Newlands came here and visited the the purpose of looking it over, it being desirable to much such an inspection in these cases, if possible, as a better report can be made thereby. In re- gard to the situation, he would make no statement, but will submit a report to the commissioners this week, to- gether with a report on the four Sam- pies of water submitted to him for analysis. There are many places which are having water examined now, and the laboratory at MiddletoWn is kept busy on the water test, many here. By Wednesday, however, it is expected that the report will be here.
 Object of Water Analysis.
 On the interpretation of results of water analysis the laboratories of the state board of health issue the fol- lowing:
 Pure water, strictly speaking, does not exist in nature. All water con- tains substances in solution and sus- pension which have been taken up from the rock and soil with which the water comes in contact Even rain collects carbonfc acid gas, ammonia, particles of dust, etc, as it falls through the air. As one eminent au- thority puts it, Tn proportion as these substances are present and in propor- tion as they are objectionable in char acter the water is impure" It Is obvi- ous, therefore. that no definite table of contents can be given for a pure and wholesome drinking water. It must however. be free from poisonous met ais, it must not contain disease pro- ducing bacteria. and it must be free from fecal contamination. As no single test, either chemical or meteorological will reveal it's sanitary quality, the opinion of the analyst must be based upon a consideration of the data ob- tained from the analysis and of the physical and sanitary conditions about the water supply. The following brief outline will give some idea of the method of Interpreting the various tests:
 Color is due to substances in so1u- tion such as tannin from decaying leaves, iron salts, etc.. and is mea sured in terms of the platinum cobalt stand ard.
 Turbidity is due to the presence o1 fine particles of clay, organic matter micro organisms. etc, suspended i'll the water, and is measured in terms of the silica standard.
 Total solids. When 8 certain amount of water is evaporated to dryness in a weighed dish, the increase in weight represents the total solid matter which was in solution and suspension. By i heating the dish in a. radiator" the volatile matter, which represents ap- proXimately the organic matter is driven off and the remainder represents the mineral or fixed solids.
 Hardness is calculated entirely as