Show Ua ar alth cle ails t o oBy By DR MORRIS EIN i Editor Journal of the American Medical Medi Medi- cal Association and of ot HygeIa the Health Magazine l The old poem which began Pure water Is the best of drinks drinks' puts Into rhyme one of the truest statements known cnown to expert physiologists and hygienists Today thIs tills fundamental field Held of sanitation Is so definitely recognized that hat every community does every every- thing hung possible to secure a supply of pure water and to keep it pure In order to have the water hygienically safe clear tasteless odorless and without a sufficient amount of dissolved dissolved dissolved dis dis- solved salts to corrode pipes through which it passes it is 15 necessary to study carefully all nIl of ot the sources of water supply Unfortunately not every community community ity can be near enough to a 3 perfect perfect- source of water supply to be sure that It will have one Under the circumstances circumstances circumstances circum circum- stances it is necessary to do the hest best that can be done with the supply that thatis is 15 available From the hygienic standpoint freedon freedon freedon free- free don from germs and poisonous materIals materials materials mate mate- rials is of ot the utmost importance This is accomplished by avoiding contamination contamination con soli- lamination of the water supply from human sewage and by making sure that the tanks and pipes through which the water passes are arc not possible possible possible ble sources of lead contamination In order to keep water clear it sometimes has to be filtered because visible dirt Is unappetizing and even en dangerous since It will cover coyer signs of bacterial gi growth o v th Because of ot the fact that most of the water used in the middle west is derived from surface water ater it is likely to be turbid turbid and and dirty and therefore require some somo fil m. Good clear water has neither taste nor odor whereas turbid and cloudy water is likely to have ha both taste and odor 1 because of the substances that contaminate itIn it In a review of the subject recently made by Dr John F F. Morton in H Hy Hy- Hygeia geia gela he points out out- that private wells wens need protection against pollution whereas driven wells in hi sandy soils sons are almost invariably safe However the surest and best method of safeguarding safeguarding safe roe guarding the quality of a public water supply is by b artificial purification The storage of at the water in the reservoir or basin aids purification by permitting settling of the water and tho the use of the material from the sur sur- surface face In addition It is possible to have filtration for tor the removal of contamination con lamination of ot various types Finally chlorination can be bc used in hi order to kill kUl all nIl harmful bacteria The amount t of the chemical used ha hay b beer been n shown shoun to be harmless to humar Kumar health and If it properly property used on a awater awater awater I water supply should not contribute tr to It either a definite taste or odor |