IO 
Colorado Experiment Station 
Samples examined by Dr. Ekeley, University of Colorado at 
Boulder, were about one hour in transit, and those sent to the 
Experiment Station, Fort Collins, were approximately three hours 
on the way. All samples were plated inside of twelve hours after 
collection. 
Duplicate plates were made for the agar and gelatin counts, 
and in testing the waters for the presence of Bacillus coli, one 
1/10 c. c. portion, one 1 c. c. portion and five 10 c. c. portions 
were used on all waters, and for the raw waters additional higher 
dilutions of 1/100 ^and 1/1000 c. c. were employed. 
Each laboratory carried out the examinations according to its 
own particular routine, which was essentially the same thruout 
except for the medium used in the fermentation tubes for the B. 
coli tests. On this point the four laboratories differed: One 
used lactose broth; another, fresh ox bile ; another “Bacto-bile”; 
and still another, dried ox gall. In spite of this lack of uniformity 
in methods, the results of the examination are strikingly uniform. 
In Tables I, II and III, on pages 11, 12 and 13, the data from 
the four laboratories are given in detail. 
Little comment is necessary on these results other than to call 
attention to the excellent and safe condition of the filtered and 
treated waters as shown by the low gelatin and agar counts and by 
the total absence of B. coli from the main supply, complying in all 
respects with the standard adopted by the Public Health Service 
of the U. S. Treasury Department. 
Additional evidence of the excellent quality of the Denver 
water is to be had in the low death rate from typhoid fever, par¬ 
ticularly during the past few years, amounting to only 8.57 per 
100,000 population for 1914, and 6.72 for 1915. A diagramatic 
representation of the decrease in typhoid death rate for the past 
ten years is shown on page 14. 
Denver is peculiarly fortunate in having at its service a cor¬ 
poration like the Denver Union Water Company, which unques¬ 
tionably has the health of her citizens at heart as is clearly mani¬ 
fested by the minute precautions that are taken to insure the purity 
of the water; furthermore, in visiting the different plants and 
grounds of the Company, one cannot fail to be impressed with the 
business-like methods of operation and the splendid condition of 
the property—lawns beautifully kept, unsightly ditch banks in 
flowers, buildings, bridges, pipelines and equipment well painted, 
ditch banks and drives free from weeds and rubbish, and last but 
not least, the interior of the filter houses clean and sanitary. 
