Putnam patriot., 1929-08-08
ROADSIDE DRINKING
 WATER SUPPLIES
Highway and Health Commits sioners Caution Motorists.-- Dangerous Unless Officially Posted.

Warming to motorists. campers and picnickers against the use of roadside drinking water supplies which are not definitely marked as safe by the off cial signs of the Connecticut highway and health departments. was issued jointly here today by Highway Com missioner John A. Macdonald and Commissioner of Health Dr. Stanley If. Osborn; and to this warning was added the amazing statement that only a bare dozen of the scores of springs, wells and brooks along Con- necticut highways have been accord ed a safe rating.
 All of the numerous roadside sup plies with the exception of this dozen have been found by health depart ment inspection either to be already polluted, or, because of their charac- teristics, to be subject to contamina- tion at any time. In practically all cases, the roadside supplies in this state were found to be contaminated.
 Water for drinking purposes should be taken from supplies which bear the standard. highway department s.ga labeled Drinking Water" and carry ing a card showing the result of the health departments 1929 inspection. When it becomes necessary to take water from brooks, wells or springs not bearing this sign, campers and picnickers should boil the water be fore useing 1t. When water from city or town supplies furnished by water companies is available, 1t should al ways be used in preference to that from any other source since it's purity is assured by filtration and chemical treatment.
 When Safe
 Every supply of drinking water on or near the Connecticut highway system has been located by the high way department and the informat on passed on to the department of health which in turn has conducted thor ough inspection of each location. The results of the health departments in- spection arc returned to the highway department which then posts those supplies which are found to be safe with the standard sign, designed by Commis Iioner Macdonald several yeas ago and recently adopted as the standard design for the entire United States.
 Both the surrounding conditions and the chemical and meteorological analyses are taken into consideration when rating the supply as safe or un- safe. That is to say that even though the analyses might show no signs of impurity, the physical characteristics of the well, spring or stream might be such as to indicate possible future pollution This is usually the case where the source of supply Is run ming stream since both the ttFeam it. self and it's drainage areas are expos ed to the danger of chance c0ntamina tion.
 Those supplies which are found ab- solutely pure from all angles are marked by the highway department with the wooden sign described above, and to this is attached the health de partment's card stating the date of in spection and it's result. Whenever an unsafe supply exists within the high way right of way, the highway de pertinent either closes it or so alters the construction as to make it safe. When an unsafe supply is found on private property near the road. the E highway department attempts to per suade the owner to take similar ac- ton.
 It is the hope of the heads of both departments that unsafe supplies within a short time will be entirely eliminated from the highways of Con necticut, but, since many still exist, they have joined in issuing their warn ing before the touring and vacation ing season reaches it's height.