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NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



of it are mainly near the southeastern margin of the island, which 

 still further limits the probability of water in that portion under 

 the terminal moraine. Generally, therefore, the conditions on 

 Staten Island are not comparable with those on Long Island. 



AS TO THE POSSIBILITY OF PUBLIC WATER SUPPLIES FROM WELLS 

 IN THE STATE OF NEW YORK 



Aside from Long Island, there is little probability of satis- 

 factory well supplies in the State of New York. This fact is of 

 importance because frequently town authorities who are not 

 familiar with w r ater supply engineering, imagine that a satis- 

 factory supply can be obtained from wells at small expense. This 

 matter was reported upon by the writer in considering a ground 

 water supply for Lockport in November, 1903. The following from 

 that report is herewith given : 



At the time of the issue of the last edition of the Manual of 

 American Waterworks, in 1897, there were in the State of New 

 York a total of 420 waterworks of which 60 were well supplies. 

 The w r riter is more or less familiar with the most of these well 

 supplies, and aside from those on Long Island, the statement may 

 be made that they are unsatisfactory in quantity — they nearly all 

 fail in dry time. They are also unsatisfactory in quality. There 

 are a few exceptions to this, but the broad proposition is abun- 

 dantly true that well supplies in the State of New York, aside 

 from those on Long Island, are not satisfactory. It has been 

 necessary to reinforce the most of them either by taking streams, 

 canals, or by other means, with the result that their quality has 

 been so far deteriorated as to constitute in many cases a distinct 

 menace to the health of the communities using them. 



Again, about two-thirds of the well supplies in the State have 

 been constructed by private companies, and almost without excep- 

 tion the works are constructed as cheaply as possible, to their 

 permanent detriment. They have naturally, therefore, adopted a 

 well supply wherever possible as being cheaper than surface sup- 

 plies. But in making these remarks, it is not to be overlooked 

 that on Long Island, where different conditions prevail, satisfac- 

 tory well supplies may be obtained at less expense than surface 

 supplies. 



The peculiarity of wells penetrating the rock in New York State 

 is that nearly all of them are either salty or contain sulphurated 

 hydrogen or some other objectionable gas. This peculiarity is 

 specially marked in the limestones of the Niagara and Clinton 

 formations. While sulphurated hydrogen, by itself, in very small 



