Report of the State board of health of Massachusetts on water-supply and sewerage : under the provisions of chapter 274, of the acts of 1886.

Massachusetts Department of Public Health

Date:: 1888

Credit: Report of the State board of health of Massachusetts on water-supply and sewerage : under the provisions of chapter 274, of the acts of 1886. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Augustus C. Long Health Sciences Library at Columbia University and Columbia University Libraries/Information Services, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the the Augustus C. Long Health Sciences Library at Columbia University and Columbia University.

13/118 page 3

$Ilolbrook, Andover, Ayer, Belmont, North Easton, May- nard, Ncedham, Athol, Mansfield. There were also eleven ai)plications in regard to sewerage : from Taunton, ]\Iilford, Ware, Westlield State Normal School, Westborough Lunatic Hospital, Clinton, Brockton, Southbridge, Athol, Reforma- tory Prison for A\'onien, AV'altham. Two applications in regard to pollutions of streams : Arlington, relating to pol- lution of Alewife Brook and Lower Mystic Pond, and Palmer, in regard to pollution of Graves Brook, and one applica- tion from A\. II. Abbott, concerning the disposal of manufac- turing refuse at Northampton. To satisfactorily answer the questions submitted to the Board, under tlie provisions of chapter 274 of the Acts of 1886, the Board has adopted the following practice : The plans and estimates presented by the parties in interest are at once referred to the engineer of the Board, in order that he may make a careful examination of the localities con- cerned and determine the value of the evidence already col- lected. Should this be sufhcient to enable him to come to a conclusion satisfactory to himself, the result is reported to the Board. The appropriate committee, and in many in- stances the whole Board, then visits the locality. The advice of the consulting engineer is also obtained in all im- portant cases ; and pul)hc hearings are held whenever it seems probable that useful information can be obtained in this w^ay. The Board has not held it to be a part of its functions to prepare original plans, and has carefully avoided any inter- ference with the work properly belonging to the engineers employed ])y the parties making application. The responsibilities in carrying out the provisions of this Act are, as will be seen by the above statement, no less than those of the parties directly interested, nor can they be properly performed except after mature consideration, with the advice of thoroughly educated experts. Water Supply. The application of the Boston Water Board in l^ehalf of the cities of Boston, Chelsea and Somerville and the town of Everett, in regard to taking the Shawsheen Eiver as a source of supply for these communities, was presented to the$