The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1914-11-21

at war. ~.
[ STATE BOARD
tCcnuinusd 1rona yhses oae.y
tecting the rights OF community
against transgression through the
failure of others, as we'll as protect
ling It's own health and interests from
possible shortsighted policy. Many
OF the progressive states have long
since recognized the great advantage
of centralized. authority oyer the de-
sign, construction and operation of
all water supply and sewerage sys-
TENS.
No Protection ut Present.
In West Virginia, 1t Is time that the
state board Of health be given, by
definite legislation, the above men
toned supervisory powers. At the
present time there Is no law requir-
ing that plans for sewerage con-
struction be submitted to- the state
board OF health for approval; and in
all parts Of the STATE, water systems
can be constructed without thoslight-
est interference from that body. The
4 people have no protection whatever,
unless later the water can be proved
bad, in which case Improvements
may be required under general pow
ers which the board possesses. Much
sewerage construction has been UNI
dertaken by the developers OF real
estate, and each Of these gives
thought only to his own sewerage
problem. In most cases the effect in
the past has been to get the sewage
en- the development as quickly and as
cheaply cs possible, regardless OF, the
effect on neighboring settlements. AS
no supervisory authority worth men
tioning has been exercised, few Of the
systems have been built according to
good practice, and many foul condi-
tons have arisen. Usually the sys-
TEN built by one promoter does not
| fit in with that established on the
neighboring development. When
public systems are finally built, there
will be such conglomeration of
small isolated systems as to make
| the problems OF fitting them into a
comprehensive scheme most difficult
The Public Benefit.
With the institution OF personal
examination of private water sup
plies, the public will receive the de
rect benefit of suggestion made from
a first hand knowledge Of conditions,
and assistance can be rendered in
procuring new supplies where old
ones have been condemned. After
the state has been gone over in this
way, the knowledge of the condition
of it's water supplies, both public
and private, will be most COM
taken towards reducing the high
death rate from typhoid fever and
other water-borne diseases which
now exist. In thickly settled COM
munities 1t is impossible to main
tain well waters in a safe condition,
no matter what safeguards are at
tempted 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 in
thickly settled communities, how
ever small, and that is for every
body to take water from the public
water supply where one exists, and
where there is none, to have one in
stalled as quickly as possible.
An Urgent Need.
The urgent necessity Of creating d
water district for each municipality
covering its entire suburban pIpula-
i ton Is reflected in the decrease of
water-borne diseases in cities where
the water supply is under the careful
supervision. Of a skilled chemist with
full authority, over suburban settle
ments where separate systems are
4 maintained, and where the source Of
supply is often questionable and In
adequate. The Importance Of state
1 control over all water supplies is here
! apparent, for the exchange OF d
! grossly polluted water supply for one
not much better would be OF little
benefit.
Few people residing contiguous 70
the West Fork liver, 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 guam
'tity Of water yielded by the catch
ment area above the city, which
amount is in excess of the yield Of
/ the watershed tributary to the great
Catskill reservoirs from which the
City OF New York obtains major
portion of its water supply or ap-
proximately four hundred million
gallons daily.
In West Virginia 1t Is not a ques-
ton Of conservation Of the water
supplies, but the preservation OF tue
| natural purity and wholesomeness Of
the sparkling mountain streams Of
the state, famous for their GOODNESS
and salubrity.
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