Water Supply Problems in Alaska— Alter 225 



Even though recognition and reporting of illness from primi- 

 tive and undeveloped areas are commonly considered to be in- 

 complete and inadequate, these data do show that filthborne 

 disease does occur in the low temperature areas in significant 

 amounts. In view of general disregard for safety of water supply 

 and careless waste disposal in these regions, these data are not 

 only significant but also they are alarming. 



In many villages of the Arctic sledge dogs eat human feces. 

 There are more dogs than people in many of the Arctic villages 

 of Alaska and these dogs may frequently have opportunity to 

 contaminate ice and surface water supplies. Dr. Krogh-Lund 

 (6) in his work in Greenland during the period 1928-1931 has 

 shown that sledge dogs fed Salmonellae typhosa mixed with 

 their ordinary food were capable of passing the bacillus on in 

 their feces in a viable state. Dr. Krogh-Lund was able to 

 recover the bacillus from the dog feces for a period as long as 

 three weeks after ingestion. It is possible that the sledge dog 

 may be found to play some part in the dissemination of typhoid 

 fever in the low temperature regions. 



The need for protection and treatment of water supplies in 

 the low temperature regions seems obvious, although insuffi- 

 cient investigative work has been done in the Alaskan Arctic to 

 specifically show the significance of Arctic water supplies as a 

 mode of transmission for typhoid fever and other filthborne 

 illness. 



Waters at low temperature are capable of carrying a much 

 greater load of suspended material than is carried at tempera- 

 tures of 5o-6o°F. Increased viscosity of water at low temperature 

 may also be significant in certain treatment processes. Coagula- 

 tion, settling, filtration and other treatment processes such as 

 aeration and disinfection are all affected by temperature. Much 

 more investigative work is indicated in the treatment of Arctic 

 waters. 



Continuous Distribution of Water Under Pressure 



In the low temperature areas water is distributed by sledge 

 and barrel, tank conveyance, seasonal distribution mains laid 



