New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1914-03-11
State Experts
Render Report
Fail TO Locate Definite
Source Of City Waters
Contamination.
Must Sterilize Supply Until
Reservoirs Are Built
A bove Ground.

When one sees the extensive and
mlnutely detailed report of the State
Board of Health on the water situa-
ton in New Ulm he ceases to be
surprised at the length of time it
took to prepare it. Also, the aver
age citizen would wonder why it was
necessary to use up so many words
to cover the subject and would prob
ably murmur cred Tape" and decide
he would let the Health Board strug-
gle thru the 80 odd pages of type
written matter that the State Board
employed to try to tell New Ulm
what was wrong with the water sup
ply.
The 80 pages contain a complete
history of the typhoid epidemic and
the search for it's elusive cause and
to one who has the time to read care
fully show evidence of strenuous eff
forts to locate the trouble. Maps
showing the location of the city's
underground reservoirs and the pos
slble sources of contamination were
prepared and submitted and exhaus-
tive reports upon the work of search
ing, for positive information as to
the cause of the pollution and the
method Of disinfectinc the supply are
also given. It would be impossible
to give the report in full in the
columns of the Review and it is too
complex in it's details to be abridged.
However, the following table gives
summary of the possible sources of
contamination as discovered by the
investigators:
. (a) A inch pipe near top of
west wall receiving water and oil
waste from triplex pump (probably
Is to 20 gallons per day.. This
waste water passes thru an open
pail and drain before being returned
to the cistern.
(b) Seepage thru west and south
walls near floor.
(c) Trap door in floor of pump
ing station.
cistern No. 2.
(a) Five inch open pipes in
ceiling, Origin and purpose unknown.
These were dry at time of inspec-
tion.
CD A 2 inch pipe contributing
dr'ppings from auxiliary pump.
(c) A inch pipe thru inch
casing, space between permitting en-
trance for waste material.
(d) A wooden trap door in floor
of telephone booth over cistern.
(e) An opening in ceiling contri-
buting leakage near water heater.
Clogging of sewer might force waste
from station toilet to back up to this
point and leak thru opening in cell
ing into cistern.
cistern No. 8.
(a) A plank covering at ceiling.
CO. Seepage thru cracks in east
wall.
(c) Proximity to toilet and drain
system
| Following this table the report
states positively that most of the
contamination was coming from sur
face waste rather than from under
ground seepage. It also states posi-
lively that the hill reservoir was
+horoly investigated and that no
source Of pollution could be found
there, that the reservoir contained
comparatively little. sediment and
that appeared to be Of the nature
of oxide of iron and that there were
no openings permitting the entrance
to the supply Of organic matter.
The report further insists on con.
tinued sterilization of the water and
advises prompt action to replace the
underground cisterns with above
ground reservoirs since no positive
source Of pollution can be located
and removed.
The "Goosc Town" spring is re.
ported fit for use and the Waxsiphatj
Springs show slight contamination
due very likely to surface contamina
ton which can easily be remedied
Recommendation were also made on
this point leading to better protec-
ton of the springs at the surface.