PARK SANITATION 893 



flowing through the reservations to the end that they might be used for 

 recreational purposes led to difficulties with the authorities of villages, 

 towns and small cities situated within the district or in the near vicinity 

 of the district. These municipalities naturally needed these streams for 

 the discharge of the effluent from sewage disposal plants or for the discharge 

 of the raw sewage directly. 



The park commission early in 1926 requested the committee on public 

 health of the Cleveland Chamber of Commerce to investigate the matter 

 of stream pollution in the district for the purpose of finding out what degree 

 of pollution would be permissible and still retain the recreational use of 

 the streams. On June 16, 1926 the committee submitted a preliminary 

 report embodying the following principles: 



1. That streams flowing through the metropolitan park district should 

 be so guarded as in no way to constitute a menace to the health of those 

 using the parks. 



2. That a comprehensive plan of caring for the sewage from each 

 watershed as a whole should be formulated. 



3. That the County Commissioners of Cuyahoga County should imme- 

 diately take the lead in the formation of such comprehensive plans. 



4. The committee emphatically opposes the installation of small tem- 

 porary sewage disposal plants which are not in conformity with the general 

 plans for the watershed. 



On June 25, 1926, the general superintendent of the metropolitan 

 park board addressed a letter to the chamber of commerce suggesting "the 

 hope that the work of the committee would continue to the end that shortly 

 there may be coming from the committee a report setting forth in terms 

 capable of exact interpretation by a bacteriologist or chemist, the degree 

 of pollution which in the opinion of the committee might be allowed." 

 On July 23, 1926 the committee submitted the following report: 



In determining the degree of bacterial contamination States Public Health Service are the only safe standard <- 



which can be allowed in streams which are to be used to be used in bathing pools. 



for swimming purposes, your committee has considered We are in accord with the following statement in the 



the matter only from the standpoint of the public "Report of the Committee on Bathing Places," of the 



health. Whether or not it is possible from an economic Annual Conference of State Sanitary Engineers held in 



standpoint to attain the degree of purity which we April, 1925. The quotation is taken from page 7 of 



recommend, is a question we should not be asked to Public Health Bulletin No. 160 of the United States 



answer. Public Health Service: 



We believe that the Metropolitan Park Board or "In the opinion of the committee it is desirable that 



other governmental bodies should not encourage bath- the same standards of hygienic purity of the water 



ing (by posting signs, etc.) in streams or other waters should apply to all public bathing waters. There may 



which fall below the standards of purity suggested be some question whether it will be practicable to apply 



herein. As it is a well-recognized fact that all swimmers the tentative standard of turbidity to the waters of all 



swallow a certain amount of water, we believe that the natural outdoor bathing places. Your committee feels, 



standards for potable water as set up by the United however, that it is highly desirable that public health 



