Connecticut western news., 1917-11-29
HEALTH COUNCIL MEET
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can say any mere than anyone else here l know that we could ntt use the we'll water We had to carry water all through the month of September up to October when they stopped pumping the we'll water into the pipes. Since that we have been using reser voir water entirely and the water is very nice. The reservoir Water is fine when they keep the we'll water out of 1t but we are all afraid of what will come. think that many of us feel that the chemical plant has shown us kindness, and has shown that the river water gets into the well.
 Dr. Brown: Do you know anything about the character of the soil between the river and the well?
 MT. Fuller: No, only by hearsay. l have been told that it is gravel but I don't know from personal observation
 Dr Black: Can MT Lyles tell us what date the pumping was stopped from the we'll? ......
 Mir Lyles: No I can't Dr. Black, not positively. bat it was very early in October after we had the first good heavy rain but we have had rain enough since to take care of the town s needs. Last year we pumped very little because of the wet season, but this year we began pumping earlier. The reservoir furnishes 64 900 gallons a day, the storage capacity is about 5000. 900.
 Dr. Black: How large ;s the water shed?
 Mr. Lyles: The water shed comes from the top of the mountain.
 Dr. Black: Is there any danger of pollution getting in there?
 MT. Lyles: None at all; it is not a public way, no houses or road near it at all, it is right up the side of the mountain. We own on the upper side three or four hundred feet above the reservoir. It is controlled by us.
 Dr. Black: Hive you observed any evidence of the presence of odor in the water during September and October?
 MT Lyles: We could not get but a little, cannot give the exact date of that. until some time in September. No question but that the odor was getting in there. Of course the chemi- cal and waste from the chemical plant was undoubtedly running through the river very strongly, but it was three months before the we'll showed any indication of it. It took lcng time for it to get in and long time for it to get out
 Dr Black: Is the chemical plant still polluting the river?
 MT. Lyles: No, should say not.
 Dr. Black: Have you made any ob- servation of the soil near the river?
 MT. Lyies: The, soil near the river is all fine gravel. It does not go down to rock.
 J. l.. Parsons: MT. Chairman, it is generally understood that there are several esspyols which empty into this Blackberry River above this we'll and of course we think it may contam- mate the water in this we'll.
 (At this point the report of the special analysis of water from the we'll was introduced
 Mr Durrett: In the spring when we commenced operating the plant had defective apparatus which did not hold some of the by-prnducrs and of course in operation great deal of this got away and ran down through into the stream This material does impart very disagreeable odor and taste. We have finally succeeded in getting this fixed up so that there is no further leakage We have been digging holes to take care of the waste. but these fill up very quickly. and it is going slowly through, but we expect to eliminate that by building tanks and spreading it along our tracks and this will elimi. nate all contamination of the stream.
 Dr. Black: Are these tracks on your own premises.
 MT Durrett: Yes. they are our de- livery track.
 @. How long since the pollution ceased?
 Mr. Durrett: Some time in May but the first of May we started up and there was more or less leakage of tar for three months About the first of May we began operating and the rlant has been running continuously ever since.
 Q. Is there any complaint Dr. Lee with reference to the odor of the plant in the town? Do. you ever notice any odor aside, from the water supply?
 Dr. Lee:>I have heard some com plaints.
 MT. Scutt: Last night as came out of the shop I noticed very strong Odor of the chemical and as I went along down the street saw MT, Dur. rett's car in front of the Post Office, and I wondered if MT. Durrett had brought the odor with him from the chemical plant We notice the odol almost any time. MT. Fuller: When the wind is ir the southeast it is very distinct.
 Dr. Adam was called at this point to give his views of the situation.
 Dr. Adam: do not know as I have