Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-08-05

WASHINGTON, Aug. All IS not
pure water that sparkles. Many
persons confuse clear water with
clean, and think that because water
sarily pure. On the contrary, water
that appears best to the eye may be
vilely polluted. 1t may be clear and
yet contain the invisible and deadly
germs of typhoid fever or other in
testinal disorders. 1t may also con-
tain considerable poisonous matter in
solution.
A polluted water supply is evil
dence of the existence of bad sani-
tary conditions which it is of the
utmost Importance to remedy: The
most important consideration in con-
nection with the farm water supply
is to get clean water The main
sources of water for farm use are
streams, springs, cisterns, and wells.
The majority of supplies are derived
springs are often used. In rarer in
stances, where other supplies are
difficult to obtain, stream water is
used.
Prepared to Give Advice
Specialists in rural engineering of
riculture have given considerable
study to the problem Of getting pure
water supplies for the farms of the
country. They are prepared to give
advice to anyone interested in the
subject.
With the growth of population and
development of industries there is
progressive pollution of streams, so
that in the more thickly settled re-
gions streams not already contami-
mated or subject to pollution are very
rare. Water supplies from running
streams should, therefore, never be
used for household purposes unless
no other supply is available. If sur
face water must be used, it should be
clear and should be boiled twenty
minutes. Other processes of purifi-
cation, such as f1ltering, treating
with chemicals, or distilling, are also
sometimes used, but under farm con-
ditionS are attended with uncertainty
and expense. Under ordinary condi-
tions surface water of any kind
cion.
:, Deep. wells, as a rule, are less
likely to be polluted than shallow
ones. Polluted surface water. how
ever, often gains access to both deep
and shallow wells at the top. Shall
the soil. Deep wells may be like
wise polluted through the soil or
through rock assures. Sound casing
is protection, but even with this
protection surface water may follow
the casing to the bottom and thus
enter the we'll.
Remove Pollution Sources
The logical first step in securing
clean well-water supply is to remove
all the sources of possible pollution.
Among the worst of these are the
open privy vault, the teaching cess
pool, and barnyard filth. A we'll in
ordinary pervious soil located lower
than and within 100 feet of any of
these is almost certain to be pol
luted. Even though the well is To-
Gated on higher ground than these
sources of pollution, heavy pumping
ground-water level that polluted or
contaminated water will be drawn
into the well.
The open privy vault and leach
ing cesspool therefore should be
abandoned, and a sewage treatment
should be used instead. Sewage,
garbage, manure, or other wastes
should never be dumped into lime
stone sink holes or fissured rock, and.
above all, into old abandoned wells.
An old we'll used for this purpose is
with and pollute the water-bearing
stratum from which the other wells
in the vicinity draw their supply.
Stops or other waste water should
never be thrown out of the back
door or window upon the ground. If
the PIGS and cn1ckenS must run at
large, they should at least be kept
away from the well. A box built
around the pump and filled with
manure in winter is an extremely
unsafe and indecent way to prevent
the pump from freezing.
Should Safeguard Well Carefully
- Tight, concrete manure pits, i'm
pervious floors, and water-tight
drains are desirable features for
farm buildings. If these are beyond
the farmers purse, the manure pile
should at least be placed at a safe
distance from the we'll. The well