PURITY OF WATER.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 July 1922, Page 6

PURITY OF WATER.

INGLEWOOD BACON CO. CASE. THE HEARING CONTINUED. DECISION RESERVED. The case in which the Health Department proceeded against the Inglewood Cooperative Bacon Co., Ltd., on a charge of permitting their drainage to flow into the Waiongona stream so as to pollute the Waitara Borough Council’s water supply, was continued at the New Plymouth Magistrate’s Court, before Mr. A. M. Moslem, S.M., on Saturday morning. Mr. C. R. Stead (Waitara) prosecuted, and Mr. R. H. Quilliam conducted the defence. The case resolved itself into the following form: The prosecution alleged that the drainage from the defendant company’s factory polluted the Waiongona stream so as to endanger the health of the Waiter) people who derived their water supply from the intake about six miles below the factory. The defendant company admitted that pollution occurred at the point where the drainage entered the stream, but claimed that the water had been purified by nature by the time it had travelled the six miles to the intake. i MEDICAL EVIDENCE. Dr. W. R. Wade, New Plymouth, said he held a diploma of public health. He recently inspected the Inglewood Bacon Company’s premises. He thought there was no use judging the pollution of the stream without inspection, chemical analysis, and bacteriological analysis. He assumed the stream was a known water, as he assumed the authorities first satisfied themselves as to its purity before allowing it to be used. The stream was an ideal one for self-purification, because it allowed the oxidation of sewage and enabled mi-cro-organisms to live upon it and further reduce it to an inocuous state. By the time the water had flowed six miles to the Waitara borough intake, it ought to be clear; but in the absence of definite information, he could, of course, only express an opinion on the matter. When taking analyses he would take samples from above the factory, just below, and at a point near the intake. If the water was impure, he would expect the community to be affected, but he had never come across anything in the course of his practice to infer that the community had been affected. To Mr. Stead: There was an obvious local contamination at the bacon factory site, but its effect at the intake was a matter of presumption. There was a possibility of pollution at the intake, but in view of the character of the stream and the distance between the factory and the intake, he considered such highly improbable. The drainage from the pits, yards and slaughterhouse constituted a risk, but he considered it almost a negligible one. EX-HEALTH INSPECTOR’S VIEWS. Albert Henry Kendall, farmer, Tangaporutu, and formerly health inspector for the Taranaki district, which included the four counties of Egmont, Taranaki, Inglewood and Clifton and the boroughs therein, said he had experience of water supply work in England. During his term as inspector he had often examined the bacon company’s premises and the Waitara water supply by himself and with heads of the department. When making inspection ho had suspicions when he saw the drainage at the factory, and reported to headquarters, but did not draw the conclusion that this would be dangerous to health. Bad health at Waitara had not been greater in proportion than at other centres during hie term, except for an outbreak of diphtheria. The pollution of the water at the factory became unimportant, because of the long distance it had to travel before reaching the intake. He had found the Bacon Company anxious to comply with any suggested improvements. To Mr. Stead: He did not remember seeing a drastic report in the newspapers on the river-water by Dr. Chessen, after a visit paid in 1914.

Mr. Stead quoted a report from witness in 1915, that the water supply for Waitara was not as good as it should be. Witness said his reason for sending the report was because he was cautious. le thought he had a good suggestion, and made it. He knew the department ap preciated it. Other letters in the form of reuorts were produced by Mr. Stead and referred to witness. In one, Mr. Kendall had made a marginal note that the Bacon Company’s drainage had improved. Mr. Stead asked if this note meant that formerly the drainage was not as good as it should be. Witness said the reason was that the company had been willing to undertake any improvements suggested. STEPS TO OBVIATE POLLUTION. To Mr. Stead: He had taken steps to obviate the risk of pollution by frequent inspections and suggesting the use of save-alls or other contrivances which would render the discharge less harmful. He denied that practically all the alterations were carried out at the instigation of the Waitara inspector (Mr. Fear). The alterations Mr. Fear had ordered to be carried out were infinitesimal. The alterations that had been suggested would prevent the solids getting into the river if properly attended to, otherwise the alterations would be ineffective. Even if the solids got into the river, he did not consider the health of the Waitara people would be endangered, but his view was that the more precautions that were taken the better. To the magistrate: He had been guided by the ruling, of the department, that nature would have done her work of purification by the time the intake was reached. A sample was taken by the department before the waterworks were taken, and he believed the Waitara people had taken one, too. He did not consider it his duty to taken an analysis whilst health inspector for the district. THE MANAGER’S PRECAUTIONS. John Allen, manager of the Inglewood Bacon Co. since 1900, the year after its establishment, said the coke-pit never worked satisfactorily, as it was too big and filled too quickly, the silt practically cementing it on the top. Mr. Fear had told him it was necessary to clean it out twice a year, but the experience had been that it was necessary to clean it out every alternate killing-day. Coming into the pit were dirty and blood-tained water, small congealed particles of blood. There _>ssfd b* a® frtjwminr thrnwrh wWw

pigs’ bristles had been slacked and burnt for the past 15 years, .and were not, to his knowledge, dumped in the stream. Regarding Mr. Swindell’s allegations, that he had found a mass of animal refuse measuring approximately three yards by one yard, witness thought the inspector had magnified the extent of the collection under the t ridge. To Mr. Stead: He could not say. with certainty how many pigs were being, put ’ through when the Wiaitara supply was

started. The first year, 2000 per annum had been put through, but since it had never been lower than 4000. Last year the number was 6000, which was greater by a few hundred than in any previous year. All the pigs’ hair was not burnt, there being a considerable quantity left. He did not remember a warning to discontinue certain practices at the factory being given in 1914 by the district health officer, and after reading a copy of a letter, he said he still could not remember receiving it, but supposed he had as the letter was produced. This concluded the case for the defendant company. The Magistrate indicated that he would take time to consider the question, and would give his decision at the Waitara Court on July 12.