Connecticut western news., 1917-11-29

pr Black: Do you think the odor during the early part of the summer was due to alga?
 Dr. Adam: don't think so. We have had that taste too, bat tlIat tasre has always been sort of fishy taste, and the two tastes l shouli say were entirely different.
 Dr. Black: Did you say you got this odor during the early part of the sum mer? So far the people say that the taste was noticeable during September and October.
 Dr Adam: I do not think we have used any of the water since the early part of October, I should say that 1t was earlier It was more noticeable in some parts of the town than in others. It was much more marked in the motning than la>er in the cay, when it hal stood in the pipes all night. 1 There We're pIaces in the village where you would rot notice it nearly as much, especially the eastern part of the town, not nearly as bad there as in the center of the village. would cer- tainly say that we had i' for three months.
 Miss Peirce: I am almost positive that 1t was in August, about the middle of August, that asked Dr. Lee what was causing the water to tsste so.
 Dr. Lee: I think Miss Peirce is right as it was m October that we took the sample from the well aud got the odor and taste The odor was very ap- parent before that time.
 J. l.. Parsons: It was at the annual town meeting held early in October that the protest was made and com- mittee appointed to vestigate.
 pr. Black: Is any of that committee here?
 l.. H. Adams: l do not know as l have very much to say, but as a mem- Der of that committee I would say that m attempt was made to get the matter before some representative of the chemical plant and take it up with him. I think MT. Roberts tried to get an appointment with MT. Barnum, but was unable to do so as MT. Barnum was taken sick There has been no meeting of the committee except the meeting with MT. Jackson, Dr. Lee, MT Lyles, MT Roberts and myself went to the reservoir and down to the we'll and MT: Jackson tasted the water and thought ne could decect the smell of the chemical at that time, and also thought he did in the river. ], myself, felt very sure that could detect the odor then. I want. to add my personal word in regard to the water. l think pr. Lee gave wrong impression when he said that the first complaints came quantity of complaints early in the season. also want to say a word with reference to the pollution of the well by the chemical plant. I went to the plant early in the spring and watched the f1owage of the waste into the stream. It seemed to flow along on the bottom of the stream and could see that when it ran by the dam it would be at the bottom Of the river and the suction would draw it into the canal, and it would seem to me chat the pol lution might come from the canal more than from the river.
 Prof. Winslow: It is evident tbat there are two very distinct questions here. In the first place that the waste from the chemical plant is going into the river and into the we'll as shown by the testimony presented here this morning There is no question but that condition ought to be stopped. AS understand the company has taken steps, and is willing to take further steps to stop it. But the ther question, the more difficult one, is the question as to whether the waste goes through the soil. If the sand is of the right character we get a complete and satis- factory filtration. It is quite possible that the chemical waste could pass through the soil and pacteria could not. The only way this could be deter mined is by analysis. Three analysis have been made on May 2, June l., and September 7th, all of which showed the water to be of excellent quality. The only analysis which Re have of the Blackberry River shows that it was highly polluted.
 Dr. Black: Is it necessary to use this supply during the winter?
 MT. Lyles: We may have to. This town uses about five times the amount of water that it ought to in the winter.
 Dr. Black: The point which want to bring out is that the we'll can be protected from contamination by the river by analysis, that is they can be made monthly and as soon as any analysis shows pollution the supply could be stopped, but from the amount of saDd and gravel which we find there pollution might be very unlikely. | Q. MT. Chairman I would like to refer 10 MT Durrett's disposal ot this waste. would like to ask how far d from the stream is the place where they dump the waste. MT. Durrett: should say about 1900 or 2000 feet. The surface between