State Board of Health 1911

There were a number of reports regarding the Madison water supply during 1911. The general conclusion was that the supply was unfit for consumption. The report below is the most clinical in detailing the problem. Water was drawn from wells under the river bed, and was supposed to be cleaned by filtering layers of sand. Studies found the wells had been infiltrated by river water. A letter in August concluded the municipal water was totally unsuitable for drinking.

Thirtieth Annual Report of the State Board of Health for the fiscal and board year ending September 31, 1911. Statistical year ending December 31, 1911. Indianapolis, Wm B. Bradford, contractor for state printing and binding, 1912.

Upon receipt of the second report, the Water Company requested an investigation of the conditions at their pumping plant and water supply, which, was made June 6, 1911. Before this Investigation was made a third set of samples wits analyzed. The results, as shown in Table C, were not satisfactory.

The water is taken from an intake in the Ohio River about 180 feet from the shore line, when there is an 8-foot stage at Cincinnati. The average daily pumpage is about 300,000 gallons. The water is lifted by a centrifugal pump, coagulant being added at the discharge, to two large wooden tanks, their combined capacity being 100,000 gallons with a total settling capacity of about eight hours.
From the settling tanks the water flows on the filters, which are of the Jewell type, with mechanically operated agitator, revolving prongs doing the work. The average run of these filters is from three to five hours.

The water there flows from the filter to the clear water reservoir with 50,000 gallons capacity. At this point the water is pumped to a steel tank 280,000 gallons capacity which is located on one of the high hills.

The trouble at this plant seems to be the inefficiency of the filter, and this is largely due to the method of mixing and regulating the application of the coagulant. The sulphate of iron tank is about six feet in diameter and seven feet deep, with a capacity of 1,470 gallons. The lime solution tank is six feet in diameter and sixteen feet deep, capacity 3.370 gallons.

There are no regulating devices on either tank and therefore no knowledge of the amounts of chemicals used is obtainable. An amount of lime, weight not known, is mixed and drained into the lime solution tank below. When the tank is started the attendant throws sulphate of iron in a small solution box and at various intervals adds additional small quantities, the weight at no time being known. The attendant uses his own judgment as to the proper amount of material to mix and add. The entire operation is uncontrolled and unchecked.

Before any steps were taken in the matter two mere sets of samples were analyzed, the first being taken by myself at the time of the Investigation, June 7, 1911, while the second was sent in July 15, 1911. The first of these. Table D, showed fairly good counts, but coli was present in both filter effluents. A sample taken at a tap In town showed a lower count with gas present. The last set analyzed showed fair counts with coli present In the effluent from filter 1 and absent In filter 2, while a town tap gave coli present.

The town has a population of 4,400 and about 450 water services, which supply about half the people. While there is no unusual amount of sickness at present, the public water supply is liable at any time to be the source of an epidemic. Since the effluent to all appearances is a good drinking water, that is, as far as taste and turbidity is concerned, and is used for all drinking and domestic purposes, it is recommended that a hypochlorite of lime plant be Installed to prevent future trouble.