Water supply : considered mainly from a chemical and sanitary standpoint / by Wm. Ripley Nichols.

  • Nichols, Wm. Ripley (William Ripley), 1847-1886.
Date:
1883
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Water supply : considered mainly from a chemical and sanitary standpoint / by Wm. Ripley Nichols. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    with many persons produce disgust and nausea, and, if the water were forced down, it would most likely be thrown up again. While there is no doubt of this power of the imagination and its effect on the physical system, common sense must fix a limit to the application of this second principle, and some latitude must be allowed according to the circumstances of the particular case. Thus, if a lake is chosen as the most available source of supply, the fact that some persons bathe in its waters can hardly condemn it for use; and the fact that a limited amount of town drainage finds its way into a stream does not necessarily prevent its being used at some portion of its course, although a stream once seri- ously polluted should not be looked upon as an available source of supply. Again, most persons naturally object to water as muddy as that of many of our Western streams, in spite of the favorable testimony of those in the habit of using it, but by a short residence in St. Louis, for instance, most persons soon be- come accustomed to the turbidity. The turbidity is a real objec- tion to the water, but, in the case of a water like that of the Missouri, a town would not be justified in postponing the intro- duction of the water because it was not able at the same time to adopt a scheme for its thorough filtration. In the same way, if the only objection to a river or pond water is a yellow or brown- ish-yellow color derived from vegetable, especially peaty matter, the water need not be condemned, although most persons would prefer a colorless water. Undoubtedly, the best water for drinking is a moderately soft spring water, in which all possibility of contamination is out of the question. Unfortunately, however, it is comparatively sel- dom that such water is available in quantities sufficient for the supply of large towns. Many spring waters are so hard that, while not unsuited for drinking, they are unsuited for many man- ufacturing uses, for use in steam boilers, for washing and culinary purposes. It is a mistake to claim that the water which is abso- lutely best for drinking must be chosen, at any expense, as a town supply ; when a soft surface water, free from appreciable pollution can be obtained, it entails a very serious and constant expense to reject it in favor of a hard water, which may, to be sure, be clearer to the eye and somewhat more pleasant to the taste. There are surface waters and there are surface-water supplies which are un- doubtedly bad, but a good surface water, such as may be taken 1