The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1930-01-15
NEWSPAPER
DEMANDS WARNINGS
AGAINSTBAD WATER
Dakota Daily Student Charges
Grand Forks and State Of
ficials Are lax

Grand Forks, n. D., Jan. 1S.-The
Dakota Student, University of Nortl,
Dakota campus newspaper. demand.
ed editorially yesterday that Grand
Forks city officials and men In charge
Of the state public health labora-
tory at the university hereafter give
complete and ample warning to the
public Of possible contamination OF
the city water supply.
It declares that municipal officials
and the men in charge of the health
laboratory have been lax in reporting
the exact condition of the water when
it was actually unfit for drinking pur-
poses In the community.
Considerable CONSERVATION was ex-
pressed by many people Of the city
when 1t was learned Monday that the
water again, within a period Of two
weeks, vas saturated with a foul
odor and bad taste, and the Student
is urging that immediate steps be
taken by the city to clear up the
situation and give the community,
as a whole, a pure water supply.
Is Second Demand
A similar demand was made by the
paper in 1T Fridays issue.
About % Gays ago the city tap
water took on a d~isagreeable and
obnoxious taste and odor, and many
citizens of the community became i'll
with intestinal disturbances. De-
spite this fact, the city officials per-
sisted in declaring the water alright
for drinking. and the state public
health laboratory reported the water
was bacteriologically pure.
Finally, a Duluth diver was sum-
moned, and he found a three-inch
break in the intake pipe which runs
from the Red Lake river under the
Red river to the city. This break had
been allowing sewage from the Red
river to be drawn into the city wates
supply.
The break was repaired . week ago
and the water Immediately lost It's
bad odor and taste and was declared
safe again for drinking. Monday,
however. the odor and taste suddenly
returned. and despite that fact the
city. officials declared the water safe
when inquiries were made by citizens
E. L. Lium, city engineer. Monday
morning admitted that the Duluth
diver had again been summoned back
to the city, he still declared that the
water was alright. He said there had
been some 'dilution" again last
Thursday o Friday and that he
thought the odor and taste in the
water Monday was due to the fact
that the diluted" water still was
in the mains. No warnings, however
was given to the public about the
"dilution."
Health Officer Warns
DR.. E. G. Haagenson, city health
officer, advised people Monday no,
to drink the water II it contained s
bad odor or taste.
Dean e. K. Smiley has issued {
warning to all campus house group.
to abstain from drinking the cit,
water.
The Student contends that the
municipal officials and public health
laboratory should issue more de.
finite and clear reports and warnings
whenever there is any possibility Of
water contamination. The health
laboratory has merely made state
rtents from time to time that the
water was bacteriologically pure and
has not said anything whatever about
the possibility of contamination from
other foreign matter which In many
cases has caused violent intestinal
disturbances.
The city commission will consider a
resolution today which calls for a
public vote Feb. 20 on recently pro-
posed water supply changes, accord
ing to John F. Hultcng, president OF
the commission.
Many faculty members of the uni
versity and other citizens of the COM
munity have denounced the secrecy
with which the situation has been
handled up to now and the mislead.
ing reports that have emanated from
both city officials and officials Of the
public health laboratory at the uni
verSifv