where the authority is ample in all respects. Nearly all reported that enforcement of the laws is materially hampered by insufficient appropriation for adequate field and laboratory forces. In some states control of stream pollution has been exercised by state commissions on fisheries, state boards of conservation or special state boards constituted for the purpose. In Pennsylvania the Sanitary Water Board was created by the general administrative code enacted by the 1923 Legislature, for the purpose of coördinating the duties and authority of various branches of the state government having similar purposes. The Board consists of the Secretary of Health, who is designated as Chairman, the Secretary of Forests and Waters, the Attorney General, the Commissioner of Fisheries and the Chairman of the Public Service Commission. It is given authority to exercise all the powers vested in the several departments, relating to the pollution of streams, and which were formerly administered independently by these various state departments. The activities of the Sanitary Water Board, including the classification of streams, were described in the above-mentioned report. of the Committee, and in the discussion of the same by W. L. Stevenson, Chief Engineer of the Pennsylvania Department of Health and Secretary of the Sanitary Water Board. Federal authorities Industrial wastes pollution is a matter of concern to several departments of the Federal Government. The Public Health Service, which is under the jurisdiction of the Treasury Department, is concerned with the health aspects; the Department of Commerce is interested in the effects on fish life, through its Bureau of Fisheries, and on shipping, through its Bureau of Navigation. The Bureau of Mines now of the Department of Commerce has concerned itself with pollution due to petroleum oil along the coast, and is now considering the problem of pollution by coal mine drainage. The War Department has jurisdiction over stream pollution from the point of view of navigation, the administration of the law being delegated to the Secretary of War and the Chief of Engineers, through the Division Engineer and District Engineer of the district in which the pollution occurs. Jour. Amer. Water Works Assn., vol. 12, pp. 410-411, December, 1924, Joint undertakings within separate states The multiplicity of interests affected by industrial wastes pollution demonstrates the need of joint undertakings for the solution of problems resulting therefrom. A considerable number of such joint undertakings within individual states in this country have been developed, among which may be mentioned the Metropolitan District Commission in Massachusetts, the Sanitary District of Chicago, the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission and the Joint Meeting of the Inhabitants of the City of Plainfield, the Borough of North Plainfield and the Borough of Dunnellen. These are described in the Committee report above-mentioned. Joint undertakings for control of interstate stream pollution There appears to be no general provision in this country for joint undertakings with respect to the control of interstate stream pollution, although there have been mutual agreements between different states, notably the compact as to the Delaware River negotiated in 1925 by Commissioners representing the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the State of New Jersey and the State of New York," and which included and amplified the provisions of an agreement between the departments of health of Pennsylvania and New Jersey executed in 1922. The health departments of Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia made a coöperative agreement with respect to the conservation of interstate streams in 1924 and the health departments of Pennsylvania and New York consummated a similar agreement in 1925. European Control Boards In Great Britain and in Germany there are a number of boards having jurisdiction over whole watersheds. In Great Britain three river boards have been formed under the General Enabling Act: the Mersey and Irwell Joint Committee, the Ribble Joint Committee, and the West Riding of Yorkshire Rivers Board. These boards comprise from 20 to 30 men elected by the councils of the component municipalites, from among their own membership. Representation on the Board is proportionate to the size of each municipality, and operating expenses are provided from funds collected from the vari Jour. Amer. Water Works Assn., vol. 13, pp. 160-182, February, 1925. ous municipalities. The actions of these boards, in carrying out the general pollution laws, are to a large extent independent of the Ministry of Health in London, which was recently formed to take over the functions of the Local Government Board; but in the case of such matters as bond issues or legal action against a manufacturer the consent of the Ministry of Health must previously be obtained. The Royal Commission, in its third report, 1903, states that these rivers boards are of much greater value for the protection of rivers and streams than the separate councils acting independently, and that, although some of those against whom action has been taken by these boards have complained, as might be expected, generally speaking both the local authorities and the manufacturers recognize that in this way effective action is taken for the improvement of the rivers in their districts. The evidence before the Royal Commission on Sewage Disposal shows that these boards have accomplished much useful work in cleaning up the rivers. In Germany there are various river or drainage districts among which the Emscher District in the industrial area of western Germany is a noteworthy example. The control of stream pollution was vested by the government in a board of more than 100 members. representing the state, county, city, farm, mine and industrial interests, the actual work being carried on by a Board of Directors of ten in number. For further discussion of these boards the reader is referred to the report of the Committee. Legislation Numerous bills relating to the pollution of navigable streams by oil, acid wastes, including mine drainage, or other wastes, were introduced in Congress last year. Of these the so-called "Oil Pollution Act, 1924" became law on June 7, 1924. This Act provides that, except in certain cases of accident or emergency, or as permitted by regulations which the Secretary of War is authorized to prescribe, it shall be unlawful to discharge oil into or upon the coastal, navigable waters of the United States from any oil-burning or oiltransporting vessel. The penalty for violation of this Act is a fine not exceeding $2500 nor less than $500, or by imprisonement not exceeding one year nor less than thirty days, or by both such fine and imprisonment, for each offense. Clearance of such vessel from a port of the United States may be withheld until the penalty is paid, and said penalty shall constitute a lien on the vessel. Provision is also made for revoking the license of the officer of the vessel. For the administration of the Act, the Secretary of War is authorized to make use of the organization, equipment and agencies. employed in the improvement of rivers and harbors, and the officers and agents in charge of such improvements, and the assistant engineers and inspectors employed by them; and the officers of the Cutoms and Coast Guard Service are charged with the arrest of violators of the provision of the Act. The Act also provides as follows: SEC. 9. That the Secretary is authorized and directed to make such investigation as may be necessary to ascertain what polluting substances are being deposited into the navigable waters of the United States, or into nonnavigable waters connecting with navigable waters, to such an extent as to endanger or interfere with navigation or commerce upon such navigable waters or the fisheries therein; and with a view to ascertaining the sources of such pollutions and by what means they are deposited: and the Secretary shall report the results of this investigation to the Congress not later than two years after the passage of this Act, together with such recommendations for remedial legislation as he deems advisable. For this investigation the sum of $50,000 is authorized in addition to funds already appropriated for examinations, surveys and contingencies of rivers and harbors, which may be drawn upon. This Act is "Public-No. 238-68th Congress (S.1942)," and copies may be obtained from members of Congress. Need of sound legislation State legislation is needed in some states, to control adequately industrial wastes pollution within these states. National legislation is needed to control pollution of interstate and coastal waters. Such legislation, whether state or national, must be considered from the broad viewpoint of public welfare. It should be based on the results of thorough investigation. The importance of securing the cooperation of all interested parties must not be overlooked. CHAPTER IV GROUND WATER Ground water is the accumulation of water in the pores and crevices of the ground. Its primary source is rainfall which enters by percolation through surface material. The upper limit of water in the ground is termed the "water-table." All water entering the ground and not taken up by vegetation must after a certain penetration, (1) escape laterally to some ultimate outlet, at lower elevation, in spring, stream, lake or ocean, or (2) add to the storage in the ground and raise the water-table. Free lateral flow takes place only through deposits or strata of relatively permeable materials, such as sandstone, sand, gravel, decomposed rock or fissured limestone. All ground water supplies are taken from some such formation. Form of water-table The water-table is analagous to the flow line of a surface stream, in that its profile depends upon the hydraulic slope necessary to produce flow. At the margins of streams the surface water level and the ground water-table coincide. Passing back from streams the water-table rises, the gradient varying with the resistance to flow and the quantity of water flowing. Increased percolation raises and steepens the water-table and increases the flow laterally, the amount of rise being least at the outlet and most at some interior point. Percolation The amount of water that may enter the ground in a given locality is dependent mainly upon four factors, namely: a. Amount of rainfall b. Facilities for quick run-off of rainfall into adjacent surface streams c. Permeability of surface material d. Capacity of the underlying material for carrying the water away laterally In the case of extensive, deep-seated water-bearing formations, the carrying capacity of the formation usually limits the amount of |