No. 4.] FARM WATER SUPPLIES. 311 



THE SANITARY SIDE OF FARM WATER SUPPLIES. 



X. H. GOODXOUGH, CHIEF ENGINEER, STATE BOARD OF HEALTH. 



The methods of obtaining water supplies for the farm in 

 jNIassachusetts differ considerably from place to place, with the 

 varying conditions of topography and soil. In the hilly regions 

 in the central parts of the State, and in the mountains west of 

 the Connecticut River, the farm water supply is obtained in 

 many cases from springs located on a hillside at a higher level 

 than the farm buildings, and the water is consequently supplied 

 by gravity, giving running water in house and barn. In the 

 sandy regions of Cape Cod and the southeastern parts of the 

 State water supplies are commonly obtained from tubular wells 

 driven in the porous soil. These wells are usually wrought-iron 

 pipes having a diameter sometimes as small as 1 inch and some- 

 times as great as 8 inches, but usually a diameter of 2 or 2}/^ 

 inches is preferred. In some cases water is taken from brooks, 

 ponds or running streams, but the number of such supplies is 

 small. 



By far the greater number of farm water supplies in Massa- 

 chusetts outside the limits of town or village water works sys- 

 tems are obtained from ordinary wells dug in the ground and 

 curbed commonly with field stone, the usual diameter being .3 

 to 4 feet. The number of wells and springs used for the water 

 supplies of farms and village homes in Massachusetts is un- 

 doubtedly very large, notwithstanding the fact that 95 per cent, 

 of the inhabitants of the State live in cities and towns which 

 are provided with public water supplies. In the cities and the 

 larger towns the public supply is available to practically all of 

 the inhabitants, but in the smaller towns only the villages and 

 thickly settled areas are supplied by public works as yet, and 

 there is consequently a considerable number of inhabitants in 



