| Comments | In the early 1920s, the primary water supply for the community of Cochrane, ON, was natural springs. As the community grew, the springs were no longer able to meet the community requirements (such as fire suppression), therefore pumps were also connected to Spring Lake. The need for an improved water supply was identified in the summer of 1921, but no improvements were made. Typically, Spring Lake would sit higher than other waterways; however, water was needed from the lake during the fall and winter of 1922-1923. With this, the water level was lowered to the point that it was below the level of surrounding waterways which were contaminated with sewage. On March 11, 1923, the Provincial Sanitary Engineer determined that it was imperative to install a chlorination device, and oversaw its installation on March 15th. However, the contamination of the water supply had already infected residents and the first cases of typhoid were recorded within days. By April 3rd, there were 600 cases and 12 deaths which quickly grew to 823 cases and 59 deaths. |