Intermittent Sand Filter Properly Furrowed for Winter Operation. Note Effect of Failure to Furrow Filter

in Left Background.

Records of Operation.

All operators of sewage treatment plants should realize the value of systematically recording all important data in regard to the condition and operation of their plants. These data, while seemingly unnecessary to the average operator, may, if properly used, be of great value in determining the most efficient methods of operating the plant. Such records are also valuable to the State Board of Health when called upon to investigate complaints in regard to the condition of treatment plants. The operator should be provided with a note book in which these various records may be systematically entered.

Sewage Flow. An accurate estimate of the flow of sewage reaching a sewage treatment plant is considered to be the most necessary of the records which should be maintained. The various devices. comprising the plant are designed upon the basis of an estimated sewage flow and it is therefore essential that the operator should be able to determine this flow in order to know when the treatment devices are operating above or below their nominal capacity. For the smaller plants occasional observations of flow will suffice. Continuous records are however valuable in detecting increased flows of sewage due to ground water leakage or improper sewer connections.

Measurement of Sewage Flow. In some cases the smaller treatment plants are provided with a weir chamber for the measurement of sewage flow. In such cases the operator should be provided with a table showing the various rates of flow corresponding to the heights of the liquid above the crest of the weir. Ordinarily plate weirs may be easily installed upon the outfall sewer leading to the plant or in connection with the various devices making up the plant. Where continuous records are desired, simple automatic recording gauges may be installed. In those plants where a dosing chamber is employed, the rate of flow may be conveniently determined by measuring the rise of the liquid in the chamber. Float counters may also be installed to maintain a record of the number of times the chamber has been emptied by means of the siphons.

Cleaning of Settling Tanks. The records of tank cleaning should include the time of cleaning and the depth of sludge removed.

Sludge Disposal. Where sludge drying beds are employed, records should consist of the amount of sludge deposited upon the beds, the depth of sludge, the time required for drying, the date of removal and a statement relative to weather conditions during the drying period. If the sludge is disposed of by burial or by trenching, a record of the quantity of sludge is sufficient.

Care of Filters. The essential items to be recorded in connection with the maintenance of intermittent sand filters are the dates on which the beds were weeded, scraped, raked, leveled and furrowed, and also the dates on which the filters were in service.

General. In addition to those records outlined above, the operator should note all repairs which were made upon the plant. Notes should also be added in regard to odors in the vicinity of the plant and to the appearance of the final effluent.

Conclusions.

The State Board of Health realizes that the operators of small sewage treatment plants are to some extent handicapped, due to their inability to obtain definite information in regard to operating methods. Officials in charge of institutions and public buildings are therefore urged to make arrangements with their consulting engineers at the time the plant is completed to make periodic inspections of the plant and to furnish advice in regard to its proper operation. Inspections of existing sewage treatment plants are made by the division of sanitary engineering of the State Board of Health as often as conditions. will permit, but the volume of urgent work which this division is called upon to do prohibits regular detailed investigations. General information in regard to operation may be obtained by written request, but it must be understood that the division of sanitary engineering cannot act in the capacity of the consulting engineer.

ANOTHER STATE CONSIDERS DISTRICT HEALTH OFFICER PLAN.

SACRAMENTO, CAL.There will be two districts north and four districts south of Sacramento, if the legislature at its coming session approves plans of the State Board of Health for dividing California into health districts. The draft of a bill which has this object in view has been tentatively agreed upon by the board and probably will be submitted to the lawmakers when they convene, with few, if any, changes. The creation of health districts and their administration by specially appointed health officers is regarded by the state health authorities as the most important thing in their legislative program. For the purpose of dividing the population as equally as possible in accordance with the need of counties for better health and sanitation control, it is proposed to create three districts along the coast and three in the interior. In addition to the appointment of health officers, the bill provides for the appointment of ten sanitary inspectors with police.powers to making arrests for violations of the state health laws. The salary proposed for health officers to be paid by the state is $3,000, and for sanitary inspectors $1.800 each, together with traveling expenses. To qualify for appointment it is provided in the draft that each district health officer shall be the holder of a degree. in medicine, sanitary engineering, or public health and shall have had at least a year's experience in public health work.

REPORTING CASES OF VENEREAL DISEASES.

The Chicago Department of Health is supporting an ordinance submitted by the Morals Commission to the Committee on Health of the Chicago City Council. It requires physicians to make a report to the Department of Health each month of the number of cases of

venereal diseases treated by them and to give to each patient an educational leaflet prepared by the Department of Health in conjunction with the Chicago Medical Society. It is hoped that the ordinance will pass. The Bulletin of the Chicago Department of Health has the following to say in regard to the need for such legislation:

"It is comparatively only a few years since tuberculosis was made a reportable disease, and as a matter of fact, no progress was made in the attempts to control the great white plague until reporting of this disease was made a matter of law. It is now regarded as fundamental in public health work, that there can be no effective control or treatment of the communicable diseases without reporting of cases and intelligent diagnosis of the conditions that may be responsible for their existence.

"New York has led in this country in attacking the venereal disease problem. The initial step was taken by the Board of Health of that city on April 4th, 1911, and on February 20th, 1912, with the consent of the advisory committee, resolutions were adopted providing that officials in charge of public institutions shall be required to promptly report name, age, address, etc., of every patient under observation suffering from syphilis in every stage, chancroid, or gonorrheal infection of every kind. Also that all physicians are required to give similar information regarding cases under their care in private practice, leaving out name and address if they so desire; and finally, said reports to be considered confidential. Last year the sentiments of these resolutions, with some modifications, were embodied in the sanitary code of the City of New York and are now a law.

In concluding a talk before the committee having the ordinance under consideration, Dr. John Dill Robertson, Commissioner of Health, said: "Thus, after taking all of these facts into consideration and reasoning from analogy in our experience of dealing with tuberculosis, I am inclined to believe that the venereal disease evil should be taken up in the same manner as was tuberculosis. No material progress was made in the control of tuberculosis until the cases were reported. The reporting of the cases showed that our then available facilities for diagnosing and treating the same in dispensaries and hospitals were entirely inadequate. When the real situation was made known, the public was quick to respond to an appeal for funds to provide the necessary institutions and measures for the care of those afflicted. Now approximately 12,000 cases of tuberculosis are reported annually. The number of cases reported and dying is beginning to diminish. This year there were 2.209 fewer cases and 471 fewer deaths than last year, and the dangers and difficulties, which it was believed would follow the reporting of cases, have not materialized.""

STATE HEALTH BOARD AWARDED FINE.

NEW ALBANY, IND.-A finding for $1,000 against the New Albany Waterworks has been returned in the Clark Circuit Court, Jeffersonville. The case originated in an effort to compel the New Albany waterworks to install a filtration system so that the water from the Ohio River could be purified for drinking purposes. An order was made that the system should be installed and there was a delay. The State Board of Health then issued an order December 30, 1913, that the filtering plant must be installed by December 31, 1914, or the company would be subjected to a penalty of $500 per day until the work was done. Suit for $13,500 penalty was filed January 28, 1915. This finally was compromised on a basis of $1,000.

WATER ANALYSES AND WHAT THEY MEAN.

Samples of water are frequently sent to laboratories for analysis, and upon a report stating that analysis failed to show the presence of dangerous micro-organisms, the source of supply is pronounced as perfectly safe for domestic purposes. Such conclusions are frequently

erroneous.

It must be remembered that in making a bacteriological examination of a sample of water it is customary to "plant" 10 cc, or about 150 drops. One can readily conceive that in selecting 150 drops of water from a stream and examining that 150 drops only, it is entirely possible that the presence of contaminating matter may escape detection.

The bacteriological analysis of a sample of water giving positive results is confirmatory evidence that pollution has taken place, and supports the indication that such contamination is liable to occur, as found by the sanitary survey of a water supply. It is not right or proper to say that a water supply is perfectly safe for domestic purposes until a thorough sanitary survey has been made. If sources of contamination are found as a result of such survey, the water should be kept under constant observation, bacteriological examinations being made at frequent intervals. With a source of contamination on a watershed the waters will ultimately become contaminated and proof of such contamination will ultimately be found by bacteriological examination.

As an illustration. We had samples of water sent us some two years ago from a well in this State. Near this well were several sources of contamination. Samples of water were sent in at frequent intervals. For eighteen months no evidence of pollution was found, but after eighteen months watching the evidence of pollution showed up in the bacteriological examination and has been found in every sample examined during the last six months.

Again, pollution enters streams in an intermittent manner and does not become thoroughly mixed with all parts of a stream for a considerable distance. As a result, portions of a stream may show entire absence from pollution and other portions show highly polluted. Recently I had occasion to take samples of water from various points in a given stream, this stream having numerous sources of contamination on its banks, all located at points above the place where the last sample was taken. Six samples were taken at points about 250 feet apart, starting at the lower end of the stream. Four of these samples showed evidence of pollution and two showed no evidence of pollution, and yet no part of the water in this stream was safe for human consumption.

To be of any value in determining the desirability of a water supply for domestic purposes, bacteriological examinations must be supported by sanitary survey, and sanitary surveys must be supported by bacteriological examinations.-Washington State Board of Health.