Norwich bulletin., 1915-06-21
GIVES CLEAR BILL
 TO CITY WATER
No Typhoid Germs In It Says State
 Laboratory Report. a

ANO y pIIO4u SS11IlS Ill LUS city WdLGIs but some unsatisfactory conditions in the samples from Fairview and Stony Brook reservoirs is the report from the state laboratory received on Saturday by Dr. N. B. Lewis, the city health officer. Yet the water is reported per fectly safe for drinking purposes and the result of the examination shows that the authorities must look else where than in the city water supply as the source of the eight or nine typhoid fever cases which have re- gently developed in the city.
 The last cases to develop were those Of a man on Firth street, whose brother had previously gone to the hospital with the disease, and a little girl in Broad street family
 Two other sources of infection are left open to investigation now, con- taminated milk or the possibility that en to use while the city water had its unpleasant fishy odor and taste. may have been infected with typhoid germs.
 How Farview Water Tests.
 The report on the sample of water from FairvieW reservoir was as fol- lows:
 Color, 40; odor, peaty; sediment, slight gray; turbidity, 15; solids, vola- tile 20, fixed 34, total 54; effect on
 
 albuminod. LAO: nitrogen as nitrites, 000;' nitgoren as nitrates, .00; oxygen consumed on 10 minutes boiling, Il; chlorine, A; normal, 2.6; alkalinity, IS; total hardness as CaCo3, IS; bac- teria per c. C. on gelatine at 20 degrees in 48 hours, 1900; bacteria per c. c. on aga at 37.5 degrees c in 4S hours, 24O; per cent gas produced in lactose bile broth with 10 c. c. water, 10; per cent. gas produced in lactose bile broth with l C. c. water, 10
 Conclusions-The water is low in mineral matter and is soft. The sam- pie submitted is rather highly coIored, possesses a peaty OdOr and is noder- ately turbid. The figures for organic constituents are about what we would expect to find them at this season of the year and the chlorine figure is somewhat in excess of the normal for the region.
 The number of bacteria growing on gelatin is high, but the number grow ing at body temperature is moderate and, although gas producing organisms were found in one cubic centimeter volumes of the water, the colon bacil- Jus was not isolated
 The water appears to be safe for drinking purposes at the present time but is very unsa tisfactory because of it's physical properties and high bac- terial content.
 TToF1 OGcny broOk HeSeFVotFs The test of Stony Brook reservoir water produced the following report: Color, 15; odor, earthly; sediment slightly gray; turbidity 20; solids, vo- latile 24, fixed 36, total so; effect on heating, charred; free ammonia, .O12: albuminoid ammonia, 300; nitrogen as nitrites, 900; nitrogen as nitrates, DO: oxygen consumed on 10 minutes boiling, AS; chlorine, 40, normal 2.6; alkalinity, 10; total hardness as CaCo3 lS; bacteria per c. c. on gelatine at 20 degrees c in AS hours, 1S,500; bacteria per c. c. on agar at 37.5 degrees in AS hours, 250; per cent gas produced in lactose bile broth with 1 c. C. water, 0: per cent. gas produced in lactose bile broth with 10 c. c. water, 0. General conclusions-The water is low in mineral matter and is soft. The sample submitted shows a moderate color. possesses an earthy odor and is quite turbid. The figure for albuminoid ammonia is high and the chlorine fig ure is somewhat in excess of the nor nal for the region.
 The number of bacteria growing on gelatin is very high, but the number growing an agar at body temperature is only moderately so and no suspicious organisms were found.
 The water is apparently safe for drinking purposes at this time but is very unsatisfactory because of odor. IuTD1QlIy ana large bacterial content all of which are very likely due to the presence of harmless algous growths in the reservoir.
 AIeous Growths Make Taste. It is the opinion that the recent bad taste and odor to the water is account ed for by the 100000 gallons of water | in the one mile of 24-inch pipe leading from Fairview reservoir which was let into the system while the repairs | weer made in the Stony Brook reser- voiT line. When the city is supplied from Stony Brook, this F,airview end of the line is practically a dead end. No water from Fairview was used all winter and the water in that section became practically stagnant, a condf- tion which was favorable to large all gous growths, and the algae infection came from the Stony Brock water. pr. Lewis does not believe that water from Bog Meadow had anything to do with it.
 Suggestions for the Future.
 As there is no blowoff in the Fair view pipe from the reservoir to liar lands corner Dr. Lewis recommends that a six-inch blowoff in this 24-inch pipe be installed a short distance below the dam, through which the water can be blown off two or three times a year. This would serve to clear out the water from this dead end whenever the Fair view line was not being used for any considerable time.