The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1916-02-22
St, Louis Expert Who Secured
Samples Says Water Sur
passes severest Tests
Possible.
LITTLE DANGER HERE
Water Does Not Contain Even
Permissible Number of Co.
lon Bacilli or Typhoid
Germs.

Keokuk people need have no worry
concerning the city's water supply.
Chemists who have made the tests,
recently, declare that judged by the
seyerest standards, the water supply
Of Keokuk 10 excellent. Samples
which were sent for test not only con-
form to the rigid tests, but are
superior to the requirements, and tho
water Is safe without question.
There need be no concern over the
condition Of the water supply of the
city Of Keokuk, according to w. f.
Monfort, consulting chemist Of ST.
Louis, to whom samples of Keokuk
water have been sent. The chemist
has taken the samples through the
most severe tests, and fnds that the
keokuk water which comes through
the pipes and into the cups and
glasses of Keokuk homes does not con-
tain the full permissible number Of
organisms of the colon group. This
means that there need be little worry
over typhoid carriers in the water
The result of the tests have been for
warded to the city hall by Prof. Mon
fort.
Under the head of the present quail
ity of Keokuk supply the chemist
says:
The attempt to establish
standard for hygienic purity of
public water supplies has not re-
suited as yet in a definite and
final expression of the permissible
number of colon bacilli. 1t is
matter upon which doctors are
likely to disagree. However, in
the present instance, the samples
Of finished water from Keokuk
which have come under the writ
er's hands, have without excep-
ton not merely conformed to the
sg severe standard set up for waters
used on carriers; they have been
superior, in that there was not
contained the full permissible
number of organisms of the colon
group. 1t may be said, therefore,
that this supply judged by the
severest standards, is excellent.
There has come to my know
ledge no fact established by exam
nations conducted with reason
able care nor consideration which
is at variance with the conclu-
sion that the supply is adequately
purified and safe beyond ques-
ton"
Samples are Obtained.
With view to locating the source
OF recently reported complaints re-
garding the quality of the city's water
supply, Mr.. Monfort writes that he
began his inquiry into the condition
of the plant of the Keokuk Water
works company on January l, 1916.
He sets out in his report to the coun-
Gil that he finds that the water de-
mand is well within the capacity of
the filters. No Irregularities are
found. The operation Of the plant is
careful and under good control, the
report states. No unusual sources
Of error could be established. The
equipment Of the plant seemed cap
able of giving good results under
faithful administration.
The meteorological content of raw
water, the efficiency Of filtration and
supplementary sterilization were ave-
nues followed in the test.
Samples for the archaeological
examination were received on Janu,
airy s and 10. In getting those of
January 10. special care was taken
to make them representative, the
chemist asserts. All bottles were
sterilized with dry heat for an hour at
temperatures above 160 degrees, cen
tigrade The water at each sampling
place was allowed to run from forty
five minutes to two hours.
Results Of Tests.
The results of the examinations
are given by the chemist for both
January and January 10. The lat
ter table is given here: