MASTERTON'S WATER SUPPLY.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXVIII, Issue 7949, 26 January 1906, Page 6

MASTERTON'S WATER SUPPLY.

THE OFFICIAL ANALYSIS. SHQWS WAVER TO BE mm Some time ago it was rumoured jn Mastertou that the water supply was ia 9 ba.l state, and qot fit for human consumption. Tho Borough Counoil toaoate this rumour, invited Dr MakgiJl, District Health Officer, to come to Masterton and take samples of tho water from both the lower and upper intake ar;d from tap? for the purpose of chemical and bacteriological analyses. This waa accordingly clone, and tho official report from the Department of Public Health has now reached the Town Clerk. It reads as follows: Dept. of Public Health, Wellington, 23rd Jan., 1906. Sir—l beg to submit the results of the analysis of the water supply of the Masterton Borough, done during December:— Samples taken from supply in use in the Borough ou 14th and 18th December. This represents tho water drawn from what 'is known as the Lower Intake. were taken as follow;1. For chemical analysis: From a tap in the Borough, ono sample, 18th December. 2. For bacteriological analysis: (a) From tap at Council Office, 14th December. (b) From the reservoir, 14th December. (c) From tho tap at a private house in the Borough, 14th December. CHEMICAL ANALYSIS. Herewith copy of Dr Maolaurin'a report: "Department of Public Health, 'Chemical Laboratory, "Wellington, 22ad Dec, 1905. "Sender: Inspector Dorizao. "Address: Masterton. "Specimen: Water. "Particulars: Sample drawn from a tap in Mastertou: represents main town supply. Taken from lower down etream than No. 272, and drawn from a gravel bed neat the Waingawa River. "No. 277. Analysis (results expressed in grains per gallon): "Smell wbeD heated to 100 1 deg.Fh. ~. Slight "Chlorine in chlorides ... 0.53 "Ammonia free and saline... .0003 "Ammonia albuminoid ... .0025 "Oxygen absorbed in 4 hours at 80deg. Fh. .. .024 "Total solids ... 4.8 "On standing this water gives a email deposit consisting almost entirey of siliceous particles. These results show that the water is of very good qualitv. (Sgd.) J. S. MAOLAURIN, D.Sc, F.C.S." BACTERIOLOGICAL ANALYSE. The results of thw fully bear out Dr Maolaurin'a decision as to thw purity of the water The number of organisms per cubic centimetre is taken as tbe standard. Of course, it will be understood that the number is of less importance than the bind of germs present, yet any extensive pollution would show itself by an increase above what normally might be expected in water. All waters hare a certain number—even artesian water. Roughly, one may say tnat anything, under 100 microbes per oubio centimetre is a very pure water, Anything up to 500 is a good water. When there are 2000 or 3000 organisms one should regard tbe water with suspicion. In a water i drawn from suoh a source as at tbe Lower Intake, Maatertou, one would be a little more exacting, as one should not have more than 200 or 300 at the intake. The results of my examination show that in the water drawn from the tap in the Borough there were on the average 150 organisms per cubic centimetre, which is very satisfactory. The samples drawn from the reservoir showed somewhat fewer organisms, as might be expeoted, as in the mains the numbers generally inoreasa. In the reservoir there were a little over 100 per c.o. The nature of the organisms present was tested by examining the colonies growing in plates used for counting the numbers, but a more accurate method was also adopted, namely, the examination of the deposit left on a Pasteur filter after some 10-12 gallons had neen passed through. J am indebted to Mr Brown, Town Clerk, for giving me the use of a screw tap at his bouse for this purpose. By suoh means we were able to show that no organisms of a deleterious nature, suoh as are produced by animal contamination, were nresent in the water. I think the Council may feel assured that the method of collection adopted at the Lower Intake—i.e., filtration through natural gravel beds is most satisfactory, and will remain so as long as the area of gravel over and immediatelyiaround the collecting trenches is kept free from cattle and other sources of pollution. THE UPPER INTAKE. The water in the old Upper Intake had been drained on my visit, so that I was unable Co take a sample v of the water which probably was the cause of the dissatisfaction in the Borough. From inspection of this source, I can well believe that tbe water would be unpleasant, as there were many small swamps and backwaters draining into the stream, in which vegetable matter was decomposing. This water would certainly have an unpleasant taste, and might be productive of diarrhoea. A sample was taken from the 9tream several hundred yards above what had formerly been tbe collecting pond of this upper intake. Herewith copy of Dr Maclaurin's report thereon:— "Department of Public Health, "Chemical Laboratory, • Wellington, 22nd Dec, 1905. "Sender: Dr Makgill. "Address: Wellington. "Specimen: Water. ' "Particulars: "Upper auxiliary supply to Mastertou—Upland surface water with swampy boles and side streams. Dead horse 250 yds above point where sample taken—rremoved three days previously—bad been in, water three

days. Dead and deoaying vegetable matter plentiful." "No. 272. Analysis (results expressed in grains per gallon): "Smell when heated to 100 deg. Fh. Distinct—Weedy "Chlorine in chlorides ... 0.G2 "Ammonia free and saline .0014 "Ammonia albuminoid ... .0052 "Oxygen absorbed in 4 hours at 80deg. Fh 048 "Total solids ... 4.3 f "Qu standing the water gives a ! meciiuru>2iZou deposit, consisting mainly of vegetable debris, a]so containing a considerable number of low furma of life—diatoms, wator fleas, crustaceans, etc. "This water is only of fair quality for potable purposes, but, if filtered through gravel by the method in ÜBe for the main supply to Masterton, it would be very much improved, aud would, probably, be almost equal in quality to that supply. (Sgd.) J. S. MACLAURIN, D.Sc, F.C.S." I did not estimate tne number of Organisms present, but I examined for those of a harmful nature—but failed to find any. The result is satisfactory,especially as a dead horse had been taken from a point 250 yards further up this stream only three days before, as it shows that any contamination resulting Lad rapidly cleared away. I would draw attention to Dr Maclaurin's suggestion that the water, wnich is, at present, not very desirable as a domestic supply, might be purified by filtering. It would seem, therefore, that an arrangement, resembling that at the Lower Intake, by which this water might be drawn through the natural gravel filter-beds surrounding, would if adopted here, .give the necessary auxiliary supply of pure water.—l am, etc., R. W. MAKGILL, j District Health Officer. I The latter portion of the report has already been given effect to by the Borough Engineer. The Upper Intake has been done away with ! altogether, and pipes have been laid into the gravr,], thus tapping a pure ! supply of wator equal to that in the .Lower Intake.