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Transcribed from Portland Water District Annual Reports
1908
The exhaustive examination of the waters of
Lake Sebago, made at the time of the appraisal, showed conclusively
that the water is of exceptional purity, and in its natural state
has all the elements of an ideal water for domestic and
manufacturing purposes.
To discover and prevent possible chances of
pollution, the Trustees have caused frequent inspections to be made
of the shores of the lake, and to that end employed Dr. William. S.
Thompson, of Standish, local inspector. Dr. Thompson has not only
the technical knowledge and ability requisite for the position, but
is interested in the work and as a member of the Board of Health of
the Town of Standish has official authority in that capacity. He
has done most effective work for the District, and in his reports
has made frequent suggestions which adopted by the Trustees, who
have recommended improvements and changes in various localities. In
practically every instance the requests of the Trustees have been
granted, and the inhabitants about the lake, as a whole, seem to
appreciate conditions and to be willing to adopt reasonable
regulations to protect the water supply.
1909
The sanitary conditions at the Lake show steady
improvement, especially about Sebago Station. At this place the
Maine Central Railroad have discontinued their old vaults, and
constructed new ones at locations and upon lines suggested by the
Trustees.
Dr. W. S. Thompson, of the local Board of
Health, has continued to act as sanitary inspector for the District,
and has given the matter his personal attention.
On August 25th the entire Board of
Trustees made their annual inspection of the lake and examined
different locations and personally satisfied themselves that the
regulations of the District were being carried out.
1910
Dr. W. S. Thompson, of Standish, has continued
to act as Sanitary Inspector for the District, and under his care
conditions at Lake Sebago are constantly improving.
In August the Trustees made their annual
inspection of the lake with Dr. Thompson and were satisfied that the
cottagers, with few exceptions, were observing the regulations of
the District.
1911
The steady increase of summer cottages around
the shores of Lake Sebago has been the cause of considerable anxiety
to the Trustees. Last year, when a tract of land near the intake,
and comprising nearly a mile of water front, was plotted into
cottage lots and offered for sale, the Trustees decided that prompt
action was necessary. Under its charter the District is empowered
to condemn land to protect the purity of the water, and, proceeding
under this power, all of the land on the lake shore between the
Maine Central Railroad and a point well beyond the intake was
condemned. This tract embraces nearly two miles of water front and
includes all the land lying between the highway and the shore of the
lake, and no further danger from this point need be feared. The
chemical analyses received from the State Department show the water
to be exceptionally pure, as appears by the tabulations found
elsewhere in this report. The greatest danger lies in the
contamination from increased population near the intake, and
additional land should be taken from time to time as fast as the
income of the District will permit and the necessity of the
situation may require.
1912
Settlement is being made as rapidly as possible
with the land owners from property condemned on the shores of Sebago
Lake. Most of the cottages upon these lots have been removed, and
it is hoped that during the coming summer settlement can be made for
the remainder and the cottages removed, thereby eliminating all
possible sources of pollution in the immediate vicinity of the
intake. In addition to these precautions, the Trustees have
prepared for presentation to the Legislature an act forbidding
trespassing upon these lands and empowering the State Board of
Health to adopt rules and regulation to protect the purity of the
water. Hitherto it has been impossible to prevent bathing, even in
the vicinity of the intake, and among other improvements the
Legislature will be asked to prohibit bathing within two miles of
that point.
During the latter part of 1912 some question
was raised at to the condition of the water supply, and to satisfy
themselves and the public regarding the matter the Trustees secured
the services of Prof. Evans, of the State Board of Hygiene, and of
Dr. Whittier, of Bowdoin College, both of whom personally inspected
the water supply and took a great number of samples for
investigation. Their reports showed no occasion for alarm, but in
order to be in close touch with the situation the Trustees voted to
establish a complete laboratory for testing the water.
The laboratory has been equipped under the
direction of Prof. James M. Caird, of Troy, NY, an eminent authority
on water works sanitation. Prof. Caird is to furnish a man to make
the tests under his supervision, and they will be continued for a
sufficient period to absolutely determine the possibility of
pollution. No steps and no expense will be spared to make sure of
the condition of the water and to protect its purity.
1913
Settlement has been made with most of the land
owners for property condemned on the shore of the lake. Many
cottages have been removed during the last year and the premises
cleared up under the direction of the Trustees.
In addition to this, there have been
constructed a substantial fence of closely woven galvanized wire and
steel posts from the Maine Central Railroad to the Lakehurst
property, a distance of about one and one-half miles. This fence
protects the property taken by the District from encroachment by
picnic and automobile parties which have heretofore had ready access
to the shore of the lake and been a source of danger.
Under the legislation in 1913, bathing has been
prohibited within two miles of the intake, much to the satisfaction
of the Trustees and to the improvement of the water supply.
Prof. James M. Caird, of Troy, New York, has
been in charge of the protection of the water supply throughout the
year. Under his direction exhaustive daily tests of the water have
been made, during which time nearly five thousand samples were
taken. There has also been installed at Sebago Basin an up-to-date
plant for the hypochlorite treatment of the water. This plant was
placed in operation during the past year to prove its effectiveness,
although the daily examinations of the water showed no necessity for
its continued use. At times, however, the water showed the effect
of the spring and fall freshets, and it is the intention of the
Trustees to operate the plant as a precautionary measure during the
spring, summer and fall months.
Extracts from Prof. Caird’s report, printed
elsewhere, show more in detail the effectiveness and thoroughness of
his work. In addition to these precautions the Trustees have
continued a thorough inspection of the sanitary conditions under the
direction of Dr. W. S. Thompson, Chairman of the local Board of
Health of the Town of Standish, who has been of invaluable
assistance to the Trustees in the regulation of all questions raised
by the cottage owners as to the disposal of waste and drainage.
Under the provisions of the law of 1913 no
cottage can now be built within two hundred feet of the shore of the
lake without first obtaining from the Trustees of the Portland Water
District or their Sanitary Inspector an approval of the plan for
drainage. Dr. Thompson has attended to these matters to the
satisfaction of both the Trustees and the cottage owners. The
Trustees are pleased to report that with very few exceptions the
efforts to protect the watershed has met with the hearty approval
and co-operation of the cottage owners.
Immediately upon the passage of the law
authorizing the State Board of Health to do so, the Trustees
requested the Board to investigate and recommend some plan of
governing the disposal of waste from the steamers and other craft
plying upon the lake, and it is expected that during the coming year
it will be possible to adopt and install more up-to-date and
improved facilities for this purpose.
The Trustees have offered to install all such
devices at the expense of the District, and have the assurance of
the owner of the Sebago Lake Steamboat Line that he will be pleased
to cooperate toward that end.
1914
All of the cottages upon the land condemned at
the lake for protection of the water supply were removed during the
year and men immediately set at work clearing up the premises and
burning the rubbish.
Prof. James Caird of Troy, NY, the sanitary
expert in charge of the water supply, presents elsewhere this report
an exhaustive statement of the work done under his direction. The
hypochlorite plant at Sebago Basin has been run a greater portion of
the time, and exhaustive daily tests of the water and milk supply
have been made throughout the year.
In addition to these matters, the department
has investigated the history of all reported cases of typhoid fever
to see if they had any possible connection with the water supply.
In these matters the Board has been in frequent consultations with
the local Board of Health and has worked in harmony therewith.
During the year negotiations were taken up with
the Maine Central Railroad to prevent the construction of cottages
on the shore between Sticky River and Sebago Village. The District
has also contracted to purchase from the E.I. DuPont Powder Co. the
point of land above Smith’s Mills which was rapidly being filled
with cottages. These arrangements now give the Trustees the control
of practically the entire shore front of the lower bay with the
exception of the beach and wharf near the railroad station, and
plans are now nearly completed to install a sterilizing plant at the
brook draining Sebago Lake Village, thus rendering harmless the most
prolific source of trouble around the entire lake.
1915
Considerable progress has been made during the
year in the matter of protection of the water supply. Two small
islands in the lake, with cottages thereon, have been condemned and
the cottages removed. Several acres of land near the Dupont Powder
Works, which had been sub-divided into cottage lots and offered for
sale, have been purchased, also the mill of the old Star Match
Company on the shore of the Sticky River. These purchases give the
Trustees control of practically the entire shore line of the lower
bay.
The hazard of a typhoid epidemic in Sebago Lake
Village has been guarded against by the construction of a new
hypochlorite plant to sterilize the waters of the stream which
drains the village and empties into Sebago Lake at the steamboat
landing. Land was leased from the Maine Central Railroad Co. and a
building is in course of construction thereon, and it is expected
that the plant will be in operation this fall, thereby safeguarding
the most prolific source of contamination around the lake.
1916
No reported activities related to Lower Bay.
1917
Believing that a more rigorous patrolling and
policing of the watershed would be for the best interest of the
District, the Trustees early in 1917 purchased a motor boat and
provided an inspector who devoted his entire time to investigating
conditions around the shore of the lake and enforcing the State laws
and regulations of the District, giving special attention to the
prohibition of bathing and protection of the banks from polluting
material. This additional precaution has resulted in an increased
effort on the part of the cottage owners and campers to clean up
their premises, and in other ways has been most satisfactory to the
Trustees.
The lake steamers have been equipped with
sanitary toilets, so that pollution from this source has been
eliminated. Every possible effort is being made to keep the
pollution reduced to a minimum.
1918
The motor boat patrol and policing of the lake
has been continued, and at the request of the District the E.I.
Dupont Powder Co. has installed a modern plant for the sterilization
of the drainage area near Smith’s Mills. This plant offers
protection against possible sources of pollution at this place.
There still remains, however, a considerable amount of unprotected
watershed in this vicinity, which the Trustees hope to clean up by
condemnation proceedings as soon as possible.
1919
The customary patrol of the lake has been kept
up during the year, and for the better protection of the watershed
one of the large holdings on Indian Island has been purchased by the
District and the cottage thereon removed. Arrangements have also
been made to purchase of Mr. Howard Winslow his cottage and land
near the intake, removing another possible source of pollution.
Chemist – A hypochlorite plant has been
installed and is in operation on the stream which drains Sebago
Village, so that possible pollution from this source has been
reduced to a minimum. A liquid chlorine plant has been installed on
a stream discharging into the Sticky River. This stream drains the
territory in the vicinity of the Smith’s Mills plant of the Dupont
Powder Company.
An inspection of Sebago Lake and its
surroundings was made by Dr. L. D. Bristol, State Commissioner of
Health, who under date of July 25th, 1918, wrote in part
as follows: “As a result of this trip, I am more certain than ever
before that the Portland Water District is doing everything possible
to prevent pollution of the water at its source, and to supply the
people of Portland with water in as pure condition as possible.
Basing upon my experience in connection with the purification of
grossly polluted water in the West, I believe the conditions
surrounding your water supply for the City of Portland are almost
ideal.”
1920
Carrying out the adopted policy of the District
to remove all cottages on the lower bay at Sebago Lake, the cottage
belonging to Mr. Howard Winslow was removed during the year from
land near the intake. This was one of the most expensive cottages
purchased by the District.
The customary patrol of the lake has been kept
up during the season, both by land and by motor boat. The summer
cottagers are becoming more accustomed to the regulations of the
District, and there is less evidence of pollution than in the past.
1921
In pursuance of the plan of the Trustees to
eventually own and control the entire water front of the lower bay
of Lake Sebago, the cottage of Henry M. Jones, near the intake, was
purchased during the year. This cleans up the entire tract of
cottage lots at Lakehurst, which was the nearest settlement to the
intake, and insures a greater degree of safety at this important
point.
Negotiations are under way for the purchase of
still further properties on the shores of the lake. The results of
the control of the water front and the sanitary work that has been
done on the watershed are well shown and justified by the steady
decrease in the bacterial content of the lake water.
Chemist – Special investigation of
Bacteriologist concerning higher B. coli communis counts at the
Basin than the intake.
1922
The results of the tests of the lake water at
the intake during the year were most gratifying, showing a steady
reduction in possible pollution and justifying the expenditure that
had been made in the past in purchasing land and protecting the
watershed. The first five years of investigations of the lake water
showed twenty-two samples in each one thousand with traces of
pollution. In the year 1921 the improvement was so marked that only
two samples out of one thousand showed signs of pollution, and
during the year 1922 not a single sample of lake water showed
pollution. Encouraged by these reports, and pursuant to the policy
adopted by the Trustees to secure and protect all of the land
fronting on the lower bay, the Trustees took advantage of a
favorable opportunity and purchased the Daniel Dole property,
consisting of about fifty-three acres, at Standish, near the ice
houses. This property controlled a considerable water front and was
especially available for summer cottages, and it was deemed
advisable to secure it before it was developed for that purpose.
During the year, the Trustees were advised by
the E. I. Dupont Company, owners of the extensive properties at
Smith’s Mills, that the entire plant, consisting of sawmill, shook
mill, boarding house, moving picture house, nine double tenements
and several single tenements, was to be sold at a fraction of its
cost and the District was given the first opportunity to purchase
the property. These properties had long been a source of danger,
owing to a system of water sewage emptying into cesspools, the
overflow from which found its way into Sticky River, and thence into
the lake. Many of the workmen lived in temporary buildings on
adjoining properties with no proper sanitary arrangements, making it
extremely difficult to properly protect the watershed. In view of
all the circumstances, the Trustees deemed it advisable to purchase
the properties, and a contract was entered into whereby the E. I.
Dupont Company agreed to sell the entire plant, consisting of about
one hundred acres of land, with all dwelling houses and other
equipment, originally costing over $300,000 for $90,000. A partial
payment was made, and the company is under contract to deed the
property to the District in the spring of 1923, as soon as the
lumber now on the property can be disposed of. This will clean up
the most dangerous locality in the lower bay and cannot fail to have
a good effect on protecting the watershed.
At the time the District took over the vacant
lots on Indian Island, a few lots with cottages were allowed to
remain. These cottages were occupied only a few weeks during the
summer by non-residents, who promised strict adherence to the
sanitary regulations of the District, and installed proper
appliances for the protection of the watershed. During the summer
of 1922, however, it was found that some of the inhabitants of these
cottages were violating the law by bathing off the shore of the
island, and upon complaint made to them refused to abide by the
regulations of the District. Inasmuch as these cottages were near
the intake and were prolific sources of danger, if the inhabitants
were not honestly observing the regulations of the District, the
Trustees deemed it necessary to acquire these properties and there
were taken by eminent domain proceedings. The damages for these
have not yet been settled, but will be submitted to the County
Commissioner during 1923.
1923
The Trustees have continued their policy of
acquiring lands to protect the watershed, and during the year have
taken over all of the properties on Indian Island, so that the
District now controls this entire property.
A source of danger has arisen in recent years
from camping parties that often trespass upon the shore of the lake,
making overnight stops with no proper arrangements for the disposal
of refuse. Signs prohibiting trespassing are not sufficient to
prevent these encroachments, and the Trustees have found it
necessary to establish and maintain during the summer months a daily
motor-boat patrol of the lower bay. This daily patrol, together
with the supervision by the local sanitary inspector of other danger
points, is believed to be sufficient to adequately protect the
watershed.
1924
The property at Smith’s Mills, for which a
contract of purchase had been made in 1923 with the E. I. Dupont
Company, was turned over pursuant to the contract. This effectually
removed one of the worst dangers of pollution about the lake.
1925
Protection of the Water Supply – Filtration.
When the water works were taken over by the
District in 1908, the Trustees caused a most exhaustive examination
to be made of the lake water to determine whether a filtration plant
was necessary. For this purpose they retained the services of the
most eminent sanitary engineers available, namely, George C.
Whipple, Professor of Sanitary Engineering at Harvard University,
and a member of the firm of Hazen & Whipple, sanitary engineers of
international reputation, specializing in municipal water supplies.
Mr. Hazen was also engaged. Both Prof Whipple and Mr. Hazen have
written many standard textbooks on water supply subjects, and they
are generally conceded to have no superiors in this line. Mr. Hazen
has designed many of the largest filtration systems and water
supplies in the United States and Canada. He was the first engineer
of the Portland Water District in 1908 and designed the new 42-inch
main.
The District has also retained the services of
Leonard Metcalf, of the firm of Metcalf & Eddy, and he was
consulting engineer of the District until his death in the fall of
1925. Mr. Metcalf was also consulting engineer of the Metropolitan
Water Supply of Massachusetts, and has testified in nearly all of
the important cases in late years on these matters. These eminent
specialists made exhaustive examinations of Lake Sebago and its
waters, and unanimously agreed that Sebago water in its natural
condition was a first class drinking water and did not require
filtration. At the same time the Portland Water Company engaged the
services of other eminent sanitary engineers, among whom was Prof.
William P. Mason, of the Rennselaer Polytechnic Institutes, author
of several standard textbooks and an acknowledged sanitary expert.
At the hearing on the valuation of the Portland Water Company
system, it was unanimously agreed by the experts on both sides and
made a part of the record in the case that Sebago water did not
require filtration. Dr. Mason on the stand testified as follows:
“I have considered the water as at least as
good and in many cases better than filtered water for this reason,
that bacteriologically and chemically it compares favorably, shows
equally as good, and a pure water as furnished by nature is always
better than a equally pure furnished by art, because art might
possibly fail in its operation sometime.”
The experts did recommend, however, that the
District acquire lands around the shore of the lower bay, and that
bathing near the intake be prohibited, and that the watershed be
policed to prevent violation of the law, all of which has been
done. In accordance with these recommendations, the District has
expended more then $200,000 in purchasing land in the lower bay,
until they now control practically its entire water front, and the
Legislature has prohibited bathing within two miles of the intake.
During the past year the Trustees were informed
that the law against bathing was being broken, and they ordered that
personal notice be given all within the restricted area that the law
must be observed. This aroused the resentment of some of the
cottage owners, who claimed they should be permitted to bathe in the
lake and that the District should remedy any resulting pollution by
the construction of a filtration plant.
A campaign for such a plant is now on, and its
proponents urge its necessity in order that the restrictions about
the lake may be removed, and suggest that the cost of the filtration
plant may be met by selling for cottage lots the land about the lake
which the District has acquired, not knowing or forgetting that if
the lands which were taken to protect the water supply are used for
any other purpose, the title thereto will immediately revert to the
original owners.
The Trustees know that the water supply is
better protected and is in better condition today than it was
eighteen years ago, and that no necessity exists for a filtration
plant provided the present policy of protecting the supply is
continued. They are fortified in this conclusion by an additional
report made to the Trustees by Professor Whipple, who again
investigated the water supply at the request of the Trustees in
1918, and reported as follows:
“The present arrangements for safeguarding the
source of supply from Sebago Lake seem to me to be adequate.
I refer to the elimination of many of the cottages on the lake
shore, the fencing in of a large area, the prohibition of bathing,
the provision of suitable toilets on the boats and the chlorination
of the two influent brooks near the intake.”
The Trustees have, however, caused an
investigation to be made to determine the cost of a filtration
plane, should the same at any time be found necessary. Such a plant
would cost $1,000,000, and the expense of operating it would amount
to $50,000 per year, which, with interest on cost, would make an
expense of $100,000 per year. As the total water income of the
District is only $500,000 this would require a 20% increase in water
rates throughout the entire District and impose an entirely
unnecessary burden upon the water takers. The Trustees regret the
agitation that is being made for a filtration plant, as it tends to
alarm the public, and gives the impression that the present Board of
Trustees are neglecting to adequately protect the water supply, when
such is not the case. The Trustees wish to state unequivocally that
the water supply of Portland is being constantly guarded and is
perfectly safe, and if the Trustees can be upheld in their
enforcement of present regulations, filtration will probably never
be necessary.
The Trustees consider the protection of the
water supply of such vital importance as to warrant the advice of
the best sanitary experts the country affords, and they have not
hesitated to secure such advice and have faithfully followed the
recommendations made. Should these experts advise a filtration
plant to be necessary, the Trustees would unhesitatingly and
immediately concur in that conclusion. Until then they do not
consider it right to impose any additional burden upon the water
takers. |
