The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1912-07-12

prepared at the request of the
Commission on the Conservation
of Natural Resources of the State
of Vermont.)
Where does our water come
from? Even in Vermont most OF
our water comes from the ocean
The great spiral storms that are
daily reported by the Weather
Bureau at Washington cover thou
sands of square miles and their
winds bring clouds from the ocean
to drop their burden of moisture
on the land. 1t should be remem-
bered that the ocean surface of
the earth is three times as large
as the land surface. The ocean is
the great magazine of water that
supplies the land-however remote
from the shores. But the imme-
date sources of the water we use
are wells, springs, brooks and
rivers In an uninhabited region
these sources would supply wa
ter entirely pure and safe. If the
sources are dangerous in popu-
lated regions it is because of the
action of men.
1t is now perfectly well known
that many of the diseases most
fatal to men are communicated
from the sick to the we'll by means
of infinitely small germs-living
organisms-many of which may
live for a considerable time in
water. These disease germs are so
minute that a thousand of them
would not if laid side by side ex-
tend across the period used in
writing this article. They are
wholly invisible to the naked eye
and the finest microscopes are
needed to distinguish one kind
from another. They are in effect
the seeds of disease. Several kinds
may be conveyed from invalids by
water to healthful persons and
may produce in them the disease
existing in the patient. Typhoid
fever comes from taking into the
system typhoid germs as certain
ly as wheat seed sown in the earth
produces a wheat plant. From a
typhoid patient millions of germs
are thrown cut in the excrement.
These germs are more dangerous
than are the drugs marked "Pois-
on" in the apothecaries shop for
there is no known antidote for
typhoid germs. If they are once
lodged in a mans body under
certain conditions, a run of ty-
phoid fever is inevitable.
Since there are many kinds of
disease germs that may be con-
veyed from the sick to the well |
by drinking water, it is exceed
ingly important to secure the |
sources of water from cOntamina-
ton. The history of one case will |
make this clear. A village of some |
two thousand inhabitants in YER
mont was supplied with water |
from a reservoir made by dam |
ming a brook. This brook ran thru |
farm lands. In one house was
patient having typhoid fever. 1t
was winter and the excrements
from the invalid were thrown out
on the snow. By the melting of
the snow the disease germs were
carried to the reservoir, and were
thence distributed to all the US
ers of public water. Typhoid few
er broke out all over the village
but was limited to those using
public water. Thus the epidemic
was traced to its cause. The germs
of one endemic disease were con-
veyed through drinking water
from the mucous membrane of an
invalid to the bodies of hundreds,
and of these many died. The care
lessness or ignorance of one per-
son caused the death of scores. In
this case the germs of disease
were carried in surface water
down slopes that were visible.
But the water that falls in any
region does not all at once run
off as surface water. A large part
sinks into the earth through the
loan, the sand or gravel, and
through the loose rocks, until il
comes to some continuous I'M
broken surface of clay or rock
along which it slowly trickles I'M
til it comes to the open air as a
spring. Some of this ground wa
teri is caught and held through
the summer by vegetation; some
is held by the earth, maintaining
its moisture, but a large part pass
es down to the impervious layer
of clay or rock and runs, out of
sight, carrying with it coluble I
matter from the soil and rocks and I
also carrying any disease germs /,
that have been scattered on the
surface of the soil. It is therefore
to guard not only the {
surface water in the form of {
brooks and rivers, but the ground
water that finally unites with the
surface water. Wells and springs
are all fed by the ground water.
The clearing away of forest
growth, the blowing and smooth
ing OF the surface the draining !
OF swampy places have all lessen ,
ed the flow of ground water. On
land the rain flows off
quickly. A heavy rain floods the
brooks which quickly drop away
to a much lessened body of wa
ter. All the processes of cultiva-
ton have tended to hasten the
flow of water from the land. II
is quite certain that the annual
rainfall in Vermont has not ma
terially changed since it has been
inhabited by white men, but it is {
certain that the water
flows off more quickly and the
surface flow is greater, while the
ground flow is less. The swamps
L |