ONEHUNGA WATER SUPPLY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXV, Issue 169, 17 July 1894, Page 2

ONEHUNGA WATER SUPPLY.

At lasb nighb'a meobing of the Onehunga Borough Council, the report ot Mr Pond, Colonial Analysb, on tho purity of tho water Bupply, was read aa follows : — June 30, 1894. Her Worship the Mayor of Onehunga. Madame,—ln accordance with inatrucbions from your Council, as conbainod in a letter from the Town clerk of the 25th ult., I obtained samples of bhe borough water supply for the purposes of analysis. For thia purpose I visited bhe spring, on the Slab ult., and again on tho 4th inst. Oa the .irab occasion I obtained bhreo samples, aa follows:—No. 1, from the overflow of bho spring ab tho dam ; No. 2, from the spring near the inflow to the pump well; Nc. 4, from the drinking trough ab Ternahan'a Hotel. Tho object of taking the latter being to obtain a sample of water flowing atoadily from tho reeorvoir as distributed to bhe consumers, the trough being emptied, and bhe waber taken direct from the inlet tap inbo bhe came bottle. On thi9 visit I found tho pump waa not at work. On my second visit I found the pump steadily ab work forcing waber into the reservoir, ab which work ib had boen engaged for upwards of four hours. Under these conditions, 1 obtained a sample of bhe water from tho pump woll, being No. 3, from pump well. 1 havo mado analyses of these samples, with the results now submitted. Detail.1! of the analysis were then given : — Total solid matter in Nos. 2, 3 and 4, 11-48. In all the samples tho deposit, which was very slight, contained siliceous particles, alga;, vegetable debris, moving organisms, and diatoms. Thore were exceptionally few in Nos. 2 and 4, and a marked increase in Nop. 1 and 3, particularly the latter, which ia accounted for by the modorately rapid inflow from the springs to the pump well. The rosults of analyses show the total solids dissolved in tho waters to be very small. Tho nitratos and ammonia in bobh forms, are aleo exceptionally low. I find on reference to analyses of the Auckland ciby wator supply, taken atthe same periodof the year, thab they are almosb idontical with thoso now submitted. In view of the fact bhat atatements had been made in reference to the Onehunga water supply, aa to the probable presence of typhoid infection, I considered it neceaeary bo make a bacteriological examination of bhe samples in addition to the chemical analysis. In carrying this portion of the work into ellecb 1 have made a large number of cultivations of samplos No?. 2, 3 and 4, under varying conditions and media. Tho result of this examination has shown, first, a remarkably small number of colonies of bacteria, formed under any of tho conditions tried, and secondly, tho entire ab-j eence of any bacillus resembling bhe true bacillus typhosus in cultivabiona favourable i to the growth of the same. With bhese results before me I have no hesitation in saying that the water, as supplied to your borough at the time of my taking my samples, was an exceedingly satisfactory one, and bhab, on accounb of its puriby as a pobable water is thoroughly deserving of bhe übmosb confidence. Tho Mayor said this musb sob at resb all bhe assertions mado as bo the alleged impurity of tlie water supply, and for chis reason bhe reporb waa invaluable. Thoy would be called upon bo pay the analyst's feo of £10, but ib was in her opinion the best investment yeb made. She moved, and Mr Jackson seconded, ■' Thab tho Council tender their sincere thanks to Mr Pond for his careful aud satisfactory analysis of their water supply." The motion waa carried.

THE ANALYST'S REPORT.