92 HALIFAX WATER WORKS. JOHNSTON. 



these three waters, with the exception perhaps of Ragged Lake, 

 would be regarded by most water authorities as impure, Unfit 

 for use, or at least, doubtful. It may be, and I incline strongly 

 to this view, that the acidity of our waters enables it to give 

 results by the ordinairv ammonia process which tends to exag- 

 gerate the apparent amount of albuminoid nitrogen. It is still 

 more likely that a large proportion of the albuminoid 'nitrogen 

 is due to vegetable sources. The avidity for oxygen is prob- 

 ably owing to peaty and other vegetable substances, as well as 

 ferrous salts, all of which we know exist in the water and are 

 not injurious in the way in which decay i'ng animal matter and 

 sewerage are. For these reasons, I see no immediate cause 

 for alarm, but there is certainly good reason for thorough inves- 

 tigation as to the sources of the apparent pollution. Dr. Fox, 

 in his book o>n sanitary examinations of water, etc., gives an 

 analysis of a water closely resembling the Halifax samples 

 (albuminoid ammonia=0.18, free ammonia 0.08, nitrates 

 and nitrates=0.1, chlorine=4.5) and remarks, 'Such a water 

 when the nitrates a'nd nitrites and chlorides are insignificant 

 cannot be condemned, but would simply be described as some- 

 what dirty.' It may be that our Halifax water is. not essen- 

 tially impure, but only somewhat dirty. Those who use it are. 

 impressed with this latter feature of the \vater by observing its 

 color and sediment. As a natural water accumulated in a 

 silicious and granitic, rocky, comparatively uninhabited dis- 

 trict it ought to be pure and no doubt will be when measures 

 are taken to preserve its purity. The first thkig to be done is 

 to make a thorough survey of the shores of the several lakes 

 and their tributary streams, and of the deposits and accumu- 

 lations in the lake bottoms. In this w<ay the sources of pol- 

 lution can be reached. It may then be possible to avoid or 

 remove them and to supply Halifax with as pure water as is 

 within reach of any city on the continent." 



