THE VALUE OF PURE WATER 



Classifying water supplies according to their source, the following 

 will give a general idea as to the depreciation value of various types of 

 water from the sanitary standpoint, based on general average typhoid 

 fever death-rates : 



CHARACTER OF WATER SUPPLY. 



1. Ground waters, except in cases where pollution is excessive, or 

 where wells are driven in rock or soil abounding in fissures . 



2. Filtered -waters (assuming modern methods of construction 

 and operation), 



3. Surjace waters 



a) Ordinary upland waters, with insignificant contamination . 



6) Slightly contaminated waters, with good storage in lakes 



or large reservoirs 



c) River waters, slightly contaminated, little or no storage 



d) River waters, much contaminated, little or no storage . . 



Depreciation Value in 



Dollars per Million 



Gallons 



$o.OO 



$O.OO 



$ o.oo to $ 15.00 



10.00 



25.00 

 50.00 



50.00 



100.00 

 200.00 



EFFECT OF TURBIDITY, COLOR, AND ODOR. 



It has been shown that the esthetic deficiency of water depends 

 upon three variable characteristics, which may have many different 

 combinations; consequently, it is difficult to classify the water sup- 



TABLE 5. 

 EXAMPLES OF WATERS WITH DIFFERENT PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS. 



SURFACE WATERS. 



Some of the above figures do not represent present conditions. For example, 

 Watertown, N. Y., now has filtered water; St. Louis uses a chemically treated 

 water; etc. 



