The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1939-1949, 1948-04-08
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in use at his nome.
He had noticed, Friday said,
an unpleasant odor to the water,
and his child had been suffer-
ing from an intestinal disorder,
which he thought might be con-
nected to the water supply. /
Health District te0hnicians re-
ceived a report on the test on
March Is, and at once took sam
ples of other drinking water
throughout the immediate To-
cality. When, on April 8, labora-
tory reports on the samples came
in. the existence of contamination
in the water lines of the area was
definitely established. 49,
Explaining the reason for his
hurried telephone consultation
Saturday with E. c. Jensen,
chief engineer of the State Health
Department, DR.. Tudor described
the condition shown by the tests.
The B-Coi count found on the
first test ran only 38 per 100 Co.'S
of water, said the Doctor, but
some of the samples taken later
counted as high as 2,40o.
j In view Of the finding, DR.. Tu-
dor and Jensen agreed that pub
lie warnings must be given that
no water from the affected sys-
tenn be used for drinking without
boiling. -. ~. -
"The test for B-Coli is the
standard test for water purity"
health engineer Jensen said this
week, land B.Coli are normal
bacterial inhabitants of the in
festival tracts of all animals and
human beings. Where they are
present, disease organisms such
as typhoid and dysentery may al
so be present, which accounts
for our extreme precautions in
dealing with this problem"
Leaving his Seattle office at
once after his conversation with
DR.. Tudor, Jensen arrived late
Saturday night, and joined water
crews, working under the direc-
ton of Roy Skill and Odes Sloan
of the water company.
Work started at midnight Sat-
urday. By 2 o'clock Sunday
morning, chlorination equipment
had been installed on both wells.
Eve have nothing but praise
for the officials and employees
of the PIP &. L." said Jensen,
"who worked without let-up un-
til control installations were COM
plete. We regard the company's
instant attention to this emergen-
cy as illustrative of their inten-
ton to keep their water supply
at the peak. of purity at all
times"
Throughout Sunday and Mon
day, Jensen continued, technici-
ans carried out tests of water
samples taken throughout the
system. BY late Monday after
noon, they had assured them
selves that the protective chlor-
Inc had reached all parts of the
distribution system. The origin of
the contamination has not yet
been discovered.
The drinking water ban was at
once lifted.
Jensen reported that water
from the PIP & L deep wells is
now being supplemented by
from the Columbia riv-
er, known to be heavily polluted.
Water supplied by the Kenne-
wick irrigation District, he point
ed out, also comes from the Co.
lumbia river.
when water is taken from the
Columbia river,p he said, "the
State Department of Health,
which has supervision over pub
lie water supplies, holds that
chlorination is not enough to as
sure absolute safety. Therefore,
it is our advice that careful, pru-
dent water users continue to boil
water used for drinking"
He concluded: 1.-The water is
to be safe for drinking,
but there is no reason to run
even a slight risk, when boiling
the drinking water for family
is so easy"
Jensen also made public the
contents Of a letter written on
March II by DR.. J. A.. Kahl, act
ing state director of health, to the
directors of the Kennewick r.
rigation District. The letter reads:
1--WE are writing in confirma-
ton Of instructions given you by
our District Engineer at your
on March 4, 1913. You
were advised that the present
of treatment of Columbia
River water was considered in
and that you should
take immediate steps to provide
treatment facilities or
to obtain another source of sup
ply. This matter was originally
brought to your attention under
date of March 10, 1943. Probably
as result of labor and material
shortages during the war years
no action has been taken.
"You are hereby directed to
undertake, within the next thirty
days, the engineering investiga-
ton necessary to determine the
best method Of providing safe
water supply and to then pre-
pare detailed plans and proceed
with construction after approval
" this Department. In your Sc
lection of an engineer we urgent
~ recommend that you give care
IL 6on Siderafiora To the fart TINT