The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1914-11-24
STATE BOARD SHOULD
CONTROL WATERWAYS

1 tecting the rights Of community
against transgression through the fall
tre OF others, as well as protecting
its own health and interests from pos.
sible shortsighted policy. Many Of
the progressive states have long since
recognized the great advantage OF CEN
tralized authority over the design,
construction and operation OF all wa
ter supply and sewerage systems.
No Protection at Present
In West Virginia it is time that the
state board of health be given, by def.
mite legislation, the above mention.
ed supervisory powers. At the pres
ent time there is no law requiring that
plans for sewerage construction be
submitted to the state board OF health
for approval, and in all parts of the
state water systems can be construct.
ed without the slightest interference
from that body. The people have no
protection whatever, unless later the
water can be proved bad, in which
case Improvements may be required
under general powers which the board
possesses Much sewerage construc-
ton has been undertaken by the de-
yelopers OF real estate, and each OF
these gives thought only to his own
sewerage problem. In most cases tho
effect in the past has been to get the
sewage on the development as quick
ly and as cheaply as possible. regard
less of the effect on nelghboring set
Elements. As no supervisory author
ity worth mentioning has been exer-
cised few of the. systems have been
built accordingto good practice, and
many foul conditions have arisen.
Usually the system built by one pro-
moter does not fit in with that estah-
lished on the neighborlng develop
ment. When public systems are fin.
ally built, there will be such a con-
glomeratIon OF small isolated sys-
tens as to mako the problems OF fit
ting them into a comprehensive
scheme most difficult.
The Public Benefit.
With the institution OF personal eX-
animation Of private water supplies,
the public Will receive the direct bene-
fit of suggestion made from first
hand knowledge of conditions. and
assistance can be rendered in pro.
curing new supplies where old ones
have been condemned. After the
state has been gone over In this way,
the knowledge of the condition of its
water supplies, both public and priv
ate, will be most complete and great
step will have been taken towards re
ducing the high death rate from ty-
phoid fever and other water borne
diseases which now exist. In thickly
settled communities it is impossible toj
maintain we'll waters in a safe condl- i
ton no matter what safeguards are
ATTEMPTED in the matter Of caring for
sewerage and drainage, as so many
different polluting influences exist
that are entirely lost sight of. There
is only one remedy to be applied II
thickIy settled communities, however
small, and that is for everybody to
take water from tho public water
supply where one exists, and wnero
there is none, to have one Installed
as quickly as possible.
An Urgent Need.
The urgent necessity Of creating
a water district for each municipality
covering It's entire suburban popula-
ton is reflected in the decrease OF wa
ter borne diseases in cities where the
water supply is under the sareful SUI
neryision Of O skilled chemist With
frl1 authority. over suburban settle.
ments where separate systems are
maintained, and where the source OF
snnp1v is often questionable and in
adequate. The Importance OF state
control over all water supplies Is here
apnarent, for the exchange Of gross
" polluted water supply for one not
much better would be OF little benent.
Few people residing contiguous to
the West Fork river, one OF the many
excellent streams of the state, from
which the city of Clarksburg draws
its whole supply for potable and COM
mercial uses, realizes the huge quan'
tity of water yielded by the eaten
ment area above the city, which
amount is in excess of tho yield Of
the watershed tributary to the great
Catskill reservoirs from which the
city OF New York obtains major
portion Of It's water supply or ap'
proximately four hundred million gal
Ions daily.
In West Virginia it is not ques-
ton of conservation Of the water sup.
plies, but the preservation of the ma
tural purity and wholesomeness Of the
sparkling mountain streams OF the
state, famous for their GOODNESS and
salubrity.
Children Org