The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-03-24
WATER SUPPLY FROM The
GREAT LAKES.

Advance sheets nave Deeu IeCeiseU
of the report by experts OF the inter-
national Joint commission OF the Unit
ed States and Canada on the extent
and causes OF pollution OF boundary
waters of the two countries, appoint
ed in order to fulfil treaty obligations
entGed into between the United
States and Great Britain, Jan. IL,
1909. For investigations into the ex-
tent and causes of the pollution OF
boundary waters, the commission had
the services of DR.. A. j. Mclaughlin
o. the Z. S. public health service, DR..
]. w. S. Mccullough, chief health Off
Ger of Ontario, and DR.. John A. Am
yot, professor Of hygiene OF the Uni
versity of Toronto. The field studies
covered the paiod from April to Oc-
tober. 1913. and related to the waters
OF the Rainy river, parts CT Rainy
lake and the Lake OF the Woods;
that part OF Lake Superior known as
Thund 81 Bay; st. Mary's river. Lake
| st. Clair, Detroit river, portions OF
Lake Erie, the Niagara river, the
western and eastern ends OF Lake
Ontario, the st. Lawrence river to
Cornwall. and that portion OF the st.
John river which forms the interna-
tional boundary between Maine and
New Brunswick. Seventeen labora-
| toriss were operated at different
points. samples OF waters were taken
from 1,4O0 samphng points, and more
| than 1900 samples were examined
bacteriologically.
| The report shows that in certain
| localities in the great lakes and in
all their connecting waters, dangerous
!sewase-poIlution exists but that the
| bulk Of the great lakes waters re-
mains unpolluted. The sources OF
pollution in the order OF their import
ance are shown to be sewage from
cities, sewage from vessels, and the
/ in svitable pollution due to the run-ofr
/ from various watersheds following
/ rains and thaws.
/ The distance that pollution may
travel in portions of the lakes was
] also demonstrated. At the mouth OF
/ the Detroit river, serious pollution
was shown to extend normally NOR
! than 10 miles into the lake, and at
other places sewage-pollution was
shown to extend as far as Is miles
| from shore.
| The distance Of cities from ION -
| OF pure water in the lakes, the great
cost OF extending pipelines to these
zones, and the engineering difficulties
involved in placing intakes beyond a
7o-foot depth made 1t impracticable in
most instances for those cities to Sc
cure pure water from the lake with
out tr satment. The present positions
OF intakes are such that there is not
single municipality using water
+ from the great lakes, or their connect
ing rivers, which can be said to pos
sess a safe water-supply without tr sat'
ment AS might be expected, the
waters most grossly polluted are IN
| tbs connecting rivers, along which are
situated large cities.
Lax or inefficient methods Of puri.
fcation are shown 20 exist In certain
places. In others. while publication
lis attempted It Is not properly cheek
| I'd DIV CallF UdLLeI1dl tOI LiJi iiiS
port emphasizes the fact that methods
OF publication must be up to date
and thorough or they are worse than
useless, because they engendsr z
false sense Of security. To be thor
ough, the efficiency OF methods ot
publication must Big controlled b.
, systematic examination of the treated
water. and in order to be complete
reports on water-sUppiy must bt
based also On comprehensive sanitary
r surveys in order that sources OF occa
, s.onal as we'll as constant pollution
y may be known.
$ The report, says the Journal Of thu
!; American Medical Association, merit;
e careful study by every one interestet
s | in questions OF public health and /,
Z r>~f,rf-- s-------i--. - tho -oo-rc r.