Evening star., 1913-12-03
REPORTS RIVER WATER
IS ''HEANLY POLLUTED
United States Health Officer
Advises Against Bathing
Beaches on Potomac.

That the location Of bathing beaches
of raw river water would be an unjus-
tifable exposure to infection of persons
bathing therein is the conclusion reached
by John F. Anderson, director of the
hygienic laboratory of the United States
public health service. in a report read at
the gathering of civic workers in the
White House Monday night.
Congress has asked the Commissioners
for a report on the desirability of estab-
fishing bathing beaches along the river
for white and colored persons. This plan
is disapproved by the representatives
of 12O local civic organizations who, al
the meeting held at the White House.
adopted resolution favoring the locat-
ing of swimming pools on Fairgrounds
and at other convenient places.
In his report on the condition of Po-
tomac river water near Washington.
which was prepared at the request of
Edgar S. Martin, supervisor of play
grounds, Director Anderson states that
tests made indicate a water heavily pol
luted. The report, in full, is as follows:
Report by Mr.. Anderson.
II have your letter of the 26th in which
of the District of Columbia are interested
in the location of swimming pools
throughout the city and that a committee
has been appointed to make recommenda-
tons in regard to the location of these
pools. You ask my opinion in regard to
whether it would be preferable to locate
the swimming pools in various parts Of
the city and use the filtered Potomac
water or whether it would be equally
satisfactory to have the pools located
near the Potomac river SO as to use the
untreated water from the river. In reply
to THE l would state the following:
"Since July we have been examining q
large number of samples of the raw Po-
tomac river water collected between a
point in the river known as Three Sisters
and Giesboro Point, both of which are
above the outlet of the sewage pumping
station. These samples frequently con-
tanned the colon bacillus (which is taken
as an index of pollution) in amounts as
small as one-thousandth of cubic cent?
meter and always in amounts as small as
one-tenth of a cubic centimeter; and the
number of bacteria in the water collected
from the above mentioned points was fire.
quently as high as $4,000 per cubic cent?
meter. Such findings indicate a water
heavily polluted, and in my opinion per-
sons bathing in such water, unless the
water has previously been treated by
some method of publication, would un-
dOubtedly be exposed to Infection with
certain water-borne diseases.
Same Conditions at Rock Creek.
''We have also made a considerable
number of examinations of the water
Of Rock creek and have found practi-
cally the same conditions present there
as have been detailed for the water in
the Potomac river.
From these findings l must neces-
sarily conclude that the location Of
bathing pools near the banks Of the
Potomac with the utilization of the raw
river water, or the location OF the pools
near Rock creek with the utilization of
the raw Rock creek water, would be
an unjustifiable exposure to infection
of persons bathing therein.
For many reasons it seems to me
that the plan that has been suggested
OF having a number of bathing pools
located in different portions of the city
is by far the preferable one. In this
be used. SO that there would be con-
tinual stream passing through the pool
and the possibility of Infection thus
greatly reduced, and the bathing pools
would De rendered much: more acces-
SIDie TO many more people than II To-
Gated in one single locality.
II can be OF any further assistance
to you. either by furnishing data or
Dy appearing before your COMMITTEES
and discussing the subject / shall be
very siao II you will call upon me"