Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-11-21


Public water supplies. 1444; dug wells,
923; drilled wells. ia; springs, 500;
ponds, 53S; streams, 1872; rivers, 17S:
cisterns, IL; ice, IL. The samples
classed as public water supplies have
come from both service and ground
sources, and so are doubly classified.
One noticeable feature in this con-
nection is the increase in the drilled
wells of the State.
These drilled wells and deep driven
wells are quite successful in the State
in yielding safe and satisfactory
drinking water. This is especially
true of the driven wells drilled in the
GRANTEES. The wells drilled in the
calcarious slate formation are a gam
BILE pure and simple. They may yield
good waters and they may yield sim
RE sewage This formation is full of
seams. which may connect the well
directly with sources of serious pol
luton in which case the pollution is
practically piped in the well. Wells
! in this formation require frequent
analysis, even when pure at the out
set, as new sources of possible pollu-
ton arise with every increase in the
| position about the well.
Public Water Supplies.
AS noted above we have examined
1144 samples from the public water
supplies of the State, and these sup
plies are from all possible sources.
They comprise samples from all class
es Of surface waters; from dug wells,
driven wells, drilled wells, and from
springs.
These samples are derived from
both the large water supplies and
from the small aqueduct supplies, and
are quite complete for the supplies OF
the State. although the list does not
include all the supplies. Lacking thf
service of an inspector we have to de-
pend upon the water companies ant
the health officers of the various
towns to furnish us with samples, and
in few cases we were unable to OBJ
tam samples from either of them.
THE public water supplies in oul
list now number 133 With the eX-
ception of three supplies. which are II
use only during the summer months
these supplies are examined foul
times a year. On many of these sam
pies we now have figures for ST,
years, and hope to be able to presen
f,ii review of the conditions O
these supplies in our next report, witt
approximately normal analysis of eacl
of the supplies for each season of tn,
year.
New Laboratory Wanted.
'The legislature of 1913 granted al
increase in the laboratory appropria
ton to meet the need for enlarged
equipment and extra assistance. Tn
less the work is to be considerabl,
curtailed a similar increase will b
absolutely necessary for the legisla
ture of 1915.
"A bill was presented to the legisla
ture of 1913 for modern laborator.
building This was not obtained. |
will be necessary to again ask for thi
building at the forthcoming session
Not only are the present quarters i'll
!, adapted to the work of the laborator
and too small, but our lease of tn
present quarters has but two years t
run, and can probably not be re
tnewed 1t will be practical i'm
! possibility to find quarters in the cit
, for a laboratory. even as satisfactor
as the present one
) The need of an Increase in tn
laboratory appropriaIion which wi
: enable us to employ three men on flu
time and the need for suitable build
| ing are the imperative needs Of tn
laboratory at the present time, an
) are essential to the continuance of tn
present amount of quality and work.