The New York herald., 1922-01-15
EXPERTS DECIDE
TOKILL WATER BUG
Ashokan Supply to Get Copper
Sulphate Treatment
for While.

Synura, that pesky protozon which
Of Catslxill water-and there are few
who aren't these days--took the entire
attention of w. w. Brush, deputy chief
engineer. and DR.. Frank L. Hale, bac-
teriologist of the Department of Water
Supply, yesterday. They spent the morn
ing at the Mount Prospect Laboratory
in Brooklyn analyzing samples OF water
they had gathered in their trip Friday
over the acqueduct as far as Kensico.
AS a result. in the afternoon they re-
sumed the copper sulphate treatment of
the water as 1t leaves the Ashokan
reservoir, nearly 100 miles from the
point where it reaches the taste nerves
of citizens here.
For those who would like to know
what the thing looks like the Ameri-
can Museum of Natural History has
placed on view an enlarged model of
colony OF the bugs.
"Our laboratory examination to-day
confirmed what we found in the field
yesterday" said Mr.. Brush. ut was
question as to whether the copper sui
phate treatment would break up the
organisms into such minute particles
that the oily substance contained by
them would be dissipated before the
water reached the city. There was a
possibility II might be better not TO
attempt to kill the bugs at all, that the
taste might the less II we did not. But
we have decided that on the. run down
T, from Ashokan the oil brought out by the
killing is practically dissipated.
Taste Is LesseninE.
1--WE expect that from now on the
tests will be materially lessened and
after a few days will be slight. There
is a doubt it will be entirely eliminated
until the synura are absolutely abolished
from the reservoirs"
1t was explained the abolishment could
not be until the Ice covering the Ashol:an
and Kensico reservoirs had passed away.
so a general treatment OF the basins
may oe made. AS the Kensico basin Is
too near the city apparently to permit
the dissipation of the oil before the
water reaches here IL will remain shut
out OF the water system so long as the
Ashokan reservoir supply is sufficient to
meet the needs of the city.
This is the bulletin issued by the
Museum Of Natural History yesterday:
"If ;ou are curious to know what Is
giving the cod liver oily taste TO our city
Museum of Natural History and look at
the enlarged model OF colony of the
bugs" which are responsible. A full
grown colony OF the tiny organisms.
which are known as synura, numbers
about Atty individuals and measures
1880 Of an inch in diameter. 1t gives
off an oily substance. which spreads
rapidly through the water causing the
taste and odor of which New Workers.
are now complaining.
Germs Are Harmless.
"Synura is harmless and Is usually
present in drinking water. but cannot be
detected unless II occurs in quantities
greater than 1000 colonies per cubic
ccntimeter. At times. however. IL multi
plies with great rapidity. It's power OF
reproduction Is we'll illustrated by the
fact that the colony OF fifty individuals
may break up and each member may
then become the starting point Of n new
colony Of fifty or more individuals The
present taint will disappear when the
present numbers OF the organism have
diminished. Meanwhile. boiling the
water will eliminate the taint. Proba-
| bly, the frequent periods of unseason-
ably warm weatherswe have been hav-
| ing has stimulated the synura's in
crease"
Some people have complained that
boiling the water only makes the taste
stronger to them. They are right. N
the water IL boiled only short timc
| The boiling brings out the oil from the
bugs. just as it would from any oily
substance. But II the water Is boiled
for period of ten minutes In an open
vessel this oil becomes volatilized and
passes off with the steam. There may
be a slight bitter taste perceptible to
some, but the cucumber flavor, which
none seems to fancy, VIII have entirely
disappeared.
Mr.. Brush reiterated yesterday that
the synura are absolutely harmless. anu
he was inclined TO resent TIC irtina-
tions contained In advertisements for
spring water that the city product was
unwholesome.
/