CHAPTER IV 

 THE HOME WATER SUPPLY 



1. What care should be taken to see that wells 

 and other sources of drinking water are kept pure ? 



2. What has the air to do with the working of 

 a pump ? 



3. Which is the best method of getting running 

 water in the home ? 



Kinds of wells. Dug wells. The water supply for the 

 home that is not connected with a system of public water- 

 works may be obtained from wells, cisterns, springs, or 

 brooks. The commonest type of well is the dug well, which 

 may be either shallow or deep. The most important con- 

 sideration is the purity of the water, and this is chiefly 

 affected by the surroundings of the well. A well drains a 

 region in the form of an inverted cone with its point at the 

 bottom of the well and its sides extending out at varying 

 angles. There should be no cesspools, sink drains, barn 

 yards, or privies near enough so that the drainage from 

 them can reach the well. 



The soil acts as a filter, and impure water as it passes 

 through the soil tends to become purified, but after a while 

 the soil becomes clogged with the impurities which it collects, 

 and so loses its power to purify water. When there is a 

 constant source of impure water, like a cesspool, near the 

 well, the soil between the two tends to become less effective 

 as a filter the longer it is used. 



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