You are requested to present the report to your board at the earliest practicable date, informing this Board of the action taken by them on same.

Very respectfully

BAXTER T. SMELZER

Secretary

INDIAN LAKE

Water supply

ALBANY, N. Y., June 21, 1900

BAXTER T. SMELZER, Secretary State Board of Health, Albany:

Dear Sir-In accordance with instructions from you I proceeded on Friday the 8th instant to the town of Indian Lake, Hamilton county, to make an investigation of water supplies, as requested by the health officer, Dr. Frederick Stevenson, acting upon the accompanying resolution of the town board. On arriving at the village of Indian Lake I was met by Dr. Stevenson, who informed me that the trouble was at Blue Mountain lake in the same town, 10 miles further on, a favorite summer resort, whose popularity is threatened by a rumor that the village water supply is of a suspicious character, and that a considerable number of cases of typhoid fever has developed there.

At Dr. Stevenson's request I took a sample of the water of Indian lake for analysis before going on to Blue Mountain lake. The results of the analysis are as follows:

This sample was taken several feet from the shore of the lake, at the edge of the boat landing in front of the Locke house, and may not represent the average quality of the lake water. From the results of the analysis it would be condemned as being unfit for drinking purposes, but if not used for drinking it could have no harmful influence upon the healthfulness of the neighborhood.

On Saturday, the 9th instant, I proceeded to Blue Mountain lake and spent several days there. I found that the village had constituted itself a water district and was about to issue bonds to be guaranteed by the town for the purpose of putting in a new water supply, and had appointed H. M. Durant, J. G. Holland and T. M. Merwin, proprietors of the three largest hotels, as commissioners to superintend its installation, all under the provisions of law, the purpose of the above-mentioned resolution being to have an agent of the State Board of Health to inspect the sources of supply before beginning work. They had already employed an engineer, who had worked over the district and was preparing plans for three reservoirs at different points on the side of Blue mountain for storage of the water. During most parts of the year any one of these reservoirs would furnish a sufficient supply for the village, but during the summer the brooks feeding them become very low, and the hotels are full of guests, using large amounts of water, and it is throught that a large amount of storage will be necessary in order to insure a constant supply. According to their location these reservoirs may be designated as southern, middle and northern, and will be so referred to in the balance of this report. Accompanied by Tyler M. Mervin, one of the water commissioners and a member

of the local board of health, I made an inspection of the sources of supply for these proposed reservoirs with the following results.

SOUTHERN RESERVOIR

To be built far up on side of Blue mountain back of the Blue Mountain Lake house and above all possible sources of pollution. Source of supply is a brook which has its origin in a spring some distance above where the reservoir is to be constructed. The surroundings of this spring and the brook are excellent in all respects. A sample of the water was taken from the brook at about the spot where the reservoir is to be constructed and gave the following results upon analysis:

These results show the water to be of excellent quality.

MIDDLE RESERVOIR

This reservoir is to be constructed on the side of Blue mountain, in a similar location to that of the southern reservoir, above all possible sources of pollution. Its main source of supply will be a brook, sometimes called Fuller's brook, which has its origin in a spring far up towards the top of the mountain. The surroundings of the location proposed for this reservoir and of the brook which will feed it are excellent. A sample of the brook

water taken just above where the reservoir is to be constructed gave the following results upon analysis:

It was proposed to construct this reservoir at the extreme northern end of the village but a few feet distant from the road. It was to be fed by a large spring which is the present source of supply for the Blue Mountain house by two brooks which come down the side of Blue mountain and unite just above the point where the dam is to be located, and by several springs which flow from the ground at about the same point. The surroundings of these springs are very unsatisfactory, as there are three dwellings, a blacksmith shop, barn and outhouses just north of them, and the grade is such that drainage from these buildings must pollute the water of the springs unless strenuous measures were to be taken to prevent such pollution by both surface and subsoil drainage. It was proposed to construct an open drain below the houses to prevent surface drainage into the reservoir, but at the best the surroundings would be very suspicious. At a meeting of the water commissioners held Monday, the 11th instant, which I attended, they determined to abandon the idea of constructing

a reservoir at this place on my recommendation, and to depend upon the spring which is the present source of supply for the Blue Mountain house to supply this part of the village, but to so connect the pipes that, in case this spring gives out during a dry season, the pipes will be kept full from the other sources of supply. I took a sample of the water of this spring, which is well up on the side of Blue mountain, above all buildings of any kind, and has a small reservoir of masonry about it. The sample was drawn from a faucet in the Blue Mountain house and gave the following results upon analysis:

In the event of a shortage of water from the above three sources of supply during a dry season, which, however, is not expected, the commissioners propose to pump water from Crystal lake, a small lake some distance from the village, over a hill back of the Hotel Utowanna in an uninhabited section. I took a sample of the water of this lake and on analysis the results were as follows: