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First Annual Message of Archibald Johnston, 1918 [continued]
I invite your attention to certain specific ITEMS which it should be OUR AIM to attain. First, by adopting certain POLICIES, and then by a gradual development of them as opportunity and means at hand shall dictate.
Water Supply. Authorities declare, and experience in this vicinity affirms, that consideration of public health demand the discontinuance of use for drinking purposes of all water drawn from the ground or taken from the surface in populated areas. It is not safe to drink water that comes from wells or springs anywhere in the city of Bethlehem unless it is first thoroughly filtered and purified.
With respect to the public water works, a part of the system now in use is municipally owned and operated, the source being deep seated wells in the valley of Monocacy Creek, outside the city limits and a considerable distance from the populated areas. This supplies old Bethlehem and portions of the West Side. The remainder of the system is owned and operated by the Bethlehem City Water Company, which in general supplies the South and West sides of the City and other territory outside Bethlehem's limits. Analysis made twice a week under the supervision of the State Board of Health show absence of Colon baccilli in Bethlehem's municipally owned water plant.
Water Intake. At a point just above our city line the Bethlehem City Water Company maintains an intake in the Lehigh River and derives its source from this supply. Four miles up stream from this intake is the city of Allentown, with a population of approximately 70,000 people; above it, in the valley, are extensive cement works, slate quarries, as well as other municipalities. Still farther up the valley there are numerous coal mining operations and settlements.
The river source of public supply is under the supervision of the State.
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