Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1914-02-13

The public water supply of Rockville i
derived from two driven wells. each %!
feet deep, situated near the northeast cor
ner Of the township, just north Of the Bal
timore road and close to what is calleC
Horner's Lane. The supply was installed
in the year 1897. when about four miles
of mains were constructed serving nearl,
the entire town, the pipes being laid il
almost every street. At the present time
it is estimated that about 80 per cent. Of
the towns population are users Of thi:
supply
SURROUNDINGS Or WELLS.
The wells are in the valley of Monkey
Run and but little if any over 100 feet
away from the stream, on a lot 200 feet
long by 100 feet wide. AS Monkey Run
drains considerable portion of the towns
most populous district, it is, of course, a
badly polluted stream. Monkey Run, as il
passes the pumping station. is said to dry
up in summer. and as there is not much
likelihood of lessening in the amount Of
liquid wastes being discharged into it from
the town at its upper end above the sta
ton during this season, it seems quite evil
dent that the liquid must seep into the soil
from which water is taken to supply the
town. About 400 feet south of the wells
is an earth closet situated on higher ground,
within few feet Of aspring flowing through
an intervening fiat meadow toward the
pumping station by means of an OPEN
joint tile drain, passing less than 100 feet
from the pumping station and discharging
into Monkey Run about 100 feet north.
This privy is of the usual common type
and is unprovided with a vault, its con-
tents being allowed to rest upon the soil
AS its back is not tightly closed the contents
are exposed and there is not the slightest
doubt but what in time of rain focal mat
ter is washed into the small stream flowing
from the spring and thence through the
open-joint tile drain past the pumping
station and into Monkey Run. The general
surroundings about the property on which
this privy is located are in addition very
unsanitary.
In November. 1918. a case of typoid fever
occurred at the house to which the privy
belonged, which for three weeks went I'M
recognized. and the excreta from the pa
tient were deposited in the privy. No
attempt whatever was made toward dis
infection. After the case was diagnosed
as typhoid fever. the feces we're disinfected
with lime and buried in the field back of
the house. 1t is not known, however, just
how perfect the disinfection was.
To the south of the pumping station lies
the Baltimore road, upon which are situated
at least ten houses within 500 feet of the
wells. all provided with privies. the ground
being higher than the wells and sloping
toward them. About 800 feet west Of
the wells, upon hill sloping directly to-
ward them, is situated farmhouse which
is provided with cesspool. Farther to the
west, as far as Montgomery street, lies that
portion Of the town draining to Monkey Run
and therefore in the direction of the wells.
The houses in this drainage area are prac-
tically all provided with privies. and their
liquid household wastes are discharged
into the street cutters draining into Mon
key Run. On Baltimore road near Mont
gOmery street are three houses from which
the sinks and bath-tubs wastes are piped
directly to branch Of Monkey Run North
of the pumping station. on the opposite
side Of Monkey Run and just outside of
the corporate limits, are several hog pens
said to be used occasionally during the
year. although not in use at this time. In
back Of the pumping station and about so
feet from the wells is privy which is kept
locked and used only by the engineer at
the station. This privy is provided with
a wooden box and its contents are removed
at intervals. taken into the woods several
hundred feet north Of the pumping station
and there burned with gasoline.
PROBABLE CAUSE Or OUTBREAK AND PREvEN-
TIVE MEASURES ADOPTED.
AS a result of DIR. Lumsden's examina-
tion on February 2. all indications seemed
to point toward the water supply as being
the cause of this outbreak, other possible
causes being eliminated almost entirely
by his investigation. In every one of the
seventeen cases the patient had used town
water more than any other water supply,
and at each house where case occurred,
town water was the only source of supply.
QUALITY Or WATER SUPPLY.
There are no records Of any analyses of
the water from this source of supply. with
the exception of a sample collected by DIR.
Mannar on January 81. 1918. for chemical
examination. On February 2. the day Of
my first visit to Rockville samples for bac-
THEOLOGICAL examination we're collected
from each of the wells and from taps In
different parts Of the town. On February
8. after the hypochlorite had been put into
operation. further samples were collected
from each Of the wells. from tap in the
Gould's triplex pump. the latter sample
being the dislnfected water. and from a
tap in the town.
The water Is said TO become turbid and
somewhat muddy several hours after very
heavy rains. seeming to Indicate that en-
trance Of surface water is permitted by
some means. and on February 8. when the
small steel tank in the pumping station
was cleaned. large amount Of silt was
removed.
The results of the chemical analysis of
the sample collected by DR.. Mannar show
no organic matter present. but high nj
trates determination and chlorine con-
tent somewhat higher than normal show
pollution Of the water at some distance
from the we'll
The psychological analyses have not
been entirely completed, but from the pre-
limihary figures available the number Of
bacteria in each of the wells appears to