The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1916-01-07
Beware of Water Taken From
Wells and Springs in the City
Health Department Says
Most of Them are Full of
Disease Germs.

E. b. 10
"The old oaken bucket the moss Gov
cred bucket that hung in the well"
about which the poet sings, will soon
be thing OF the past in Fairmont If
the plans of the city health depart
ment for the coming year are carried
out.
Back on the farm" to quote from
a popular song, the,well or:spring was
usually sanitary and afforded supply
of pure water for the old homestead
BECAUSE there were few houses in the
vicinity.
But in city where the streets are
lined with houses many OF which are
occupied by foreigners and others who
pay little heed to cleanliness, to safe
guard the public from disease It is nee
essary to bring water for domestic
purposes from distant sources, to puri-
fy it by artificial means and to pro-
tect it from contamination by iron
pipes.
In Fairmont the city water Is rid
OF disease breeding germs by the use
of chlorine gas, a plant for this pur-
pose having been in operation for near
ly two months with. very satisfactory
results, according TO the report of the
city health department for last year
handed to Mayor Anthony Bowen by
DR.. G. M. Ramage, citw health officer,
yesterday. A number Of wells and
springs still in use in Fairmont, how
ever, according to the department OF
health threaten to be sources of cpl
denies OF typhoid fever and other con-
tagious diseases. The portion of the
report OF the health department re.
garding wells and springs follows:
"The'- examination, of 30 wells and
springs in the city of Ftairmont dur
ing the past year has revealed the
fact that four-ffths or so per cent. of
them are polluted and unfit for use
without boiling the water. This is
found to be true in all wells in old
settled communities. It has been i'm.
possible heretofore to condemn wells
found to bepolluted for the simple rea-
son that we could not guarantee the
city water supply, but nowswhen wells
are found to be unfit for use they Will
be promptly condemned"
In describing the effect Of chlorine
gas used In purifying the city water
the health report says:
"This system briefly, Is an apparatus
which injects into the water before
it goes into the pump at the pump sta.
tion, a solution Of chlorine gas. This
gas is powerfully dtsinfectant, killing
Immediately all the disease produc.
ing organisms and bacteria In, the wa.
ter, forming insoluble chlorides and
chlorates which sediment. Any chlor-
inc which is not bound before the wa.
ter reaches the reservoir escapes into
the air. Therefore the only effects on
the watr ar good and beneficial ones.
This system is approved by the United
states government, by the cities Of
Detroit, New York, Philadelphia, Chi.
cago and others.
SThe greatest capacity Of the ap.
paratus Is not sufficient to make the
water injurious to metals or the health
of people drinking it. The first cost
OF installation was about $500 and
the yearly maintenance will be about
$500. Now the department Of health
viii know that when typhoid fever
develops. the city water cannot be
the cause. The cause therefore will be
first from wells or springs"