The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-11-16
ROCK CREEK SOURCE.
The Council Decides Upon the
City's Water Supply.
REPORT or ENGINEER WILLIAMS.
He Tells why Lake Washington Water
should Not BE Used-vsIae Of
spring Hin works


council the first report OF Benizette VII
Hams, the eminent water engineer in ctr
ploy OF the city, vas read The report.
which Is given subjoired, recommends
tie adoption OF the Rock creek
source Of supply. The council.
after brief discussion OF the report, passed
a motion That the report of Mr. VII
Hams be received and placed ON fle. and
that the recommendations Of Mr.. Williams
as TO the permanent system OF water sup
ply for the city be adopted, and that Mr..
Williams be instructed 70 proceed TO frame
plans and specifications for the carrying
ont Of the proposed system The report
of Engineer Williams is as follows:
KsefsKKR WILLIAMS KEPogr.
To the Mayor and Common Council. Seattle.
washin3Kon-GeatEemen. In accordance with
the instructions received fEom his honor, ard
your COMMITTEE on FIRE and water. I have in
vestfkated tbs question OF new water supply
foF The city OF seattle, and have made an esti-
mate of the value 10 the city of the water works
belonging 10 the Spring Hill Water Com
pzny, which nov furnishes the city with water.
As my instructions are 70 estimate the value
Of these works en- the basis of their ineoEpora-
ton In The proposed new woFks-thar 5s. 10 de-
ferminc how much the cost of new works will
ones Is can be made an integral Part Of TIE
new--itis necessary 10 take up the question Of
Whist che new works are 20 be. then 10 determine
whaf parts OF the old can be incorporated in
them, and the value 70 the city Of the parts thus
incorporated.
hence follow this order and outline first the
plan watch | recommend ana the reasons for
such Recommendation.
There are two methods OF obtaining 3 per
maneus supply OF water brought 10 my atten-
ton BY your committee az the outset Of this in
yestightion One was 70 continue on the lines
of the Spring Hill company's works and 10
obtain water by pumping it from Lake Wssh-
ingten. This would Involve q mere enlarge
ment and extension OF the Old works, or the
building OF eatirely new works 70 be supplied
by pumps from Lake Washington. Another was
to obtain water from Rock creek, a
triDuary to Cedar river, above Maple
valley, on the Columbus & Puget
sound railroad. This involves an scqueduct or
conduit % conduct the water 70 reservoirs in the
city, the discharge being obtained by gravity,
pumps only being used fos such part Of the city
as mas lie too high TO be thus supplied from the
proposed source
II iequired but a cursory examination Of the
Typographical and photographed surroundings
OF the city 10 convince me that there was no
feasible alternative 10 the adoption in the main
of one or the other of these methods.
mittee made respectively October Is, ISIS and
juno Il, 1ss9, by which were transmitted esti-
mates of the cost of obtaining water from Rock
creek. made by the city engineer, Mr.. doan q.
scnrry, aud an analysts OF samples OF
water taken from Lake Washington
and Rock creek made by Pro-
lessor James Parkinson, the reason why Lake
Washington as a source OF supply Is objection
able, and why supply from Rock creek Is 10 be
preferred, are made apparent These are. that
Lake Washington water already bears eonsidera-
Bile organic matter in solution, which amount IL
sure to increase in the failure; and that gravity
system IS 70 be preferred TO one depending upon
pumping
The analysis OF the water from Lake Washing
ton shows 26S grains OF organic matter per gall
lon, while that for the Rock creek water shows
but Il trace. IL should be said Ia this connection
that the organic matter In Lake Washington
water Is given at Ssh grains per gallon, while
thai Tor Rock creek is bus Al grains. As the
amounts OF inorganic matter are in these eases
measure of the degree Of hardness, Ii is seen
that so far as there Is any preference on this ac
count, the Rock creek water is 20 be preferred.
An examination Of the topography of the city
OF Seattle discloses the TACT that mnch the larg-
est part of It's area has a natural drainage into
Lake Washington. aud that when sewerage
systems are built they will discharge the sewer
age into that lake, unless expensive pumping
Ttlen, communities are growing up on the
eastern shores of the lake. and there is a strong
probability that the future viii see Il the fresh
water hsrbor for the Puget sound shipping, With
this, and even without 10, manufacturing con-
Germs Of all descriptions will surely seek a home
upon It's shores. In FACT 1t may be safely as
sumed that the commercial Developments OF Sc
attic and Its vicinity, viii surely add. gear by
year, TO the contamination of the water Of Lake
Washington. in spite Of the utmost care that
may be exercised 70 prevent t.
While any organic contamination OF dcmes-
tie water supply is 20 be avoided, IL should be
borne ia mind that he MOST danger TO life aud
he alth arises from the facility with which the
bacteria or germs of specific diseases can be,
and are, frequently conveyed By the water fur
nished Ia A city. This Is most prolific way OF
propagaEing typheid aud kindred disease. IL
max maY occur wiia water which, to taste aud
smell, and even 10 chemical analysis shows
scarcely trace OF organic pollution
Nothing can he iaure certain tnan ihat ell hu.
man yxcTement should be exeiu8ed from the
source Of every domestic water supply, and a. il
is Impossible 20 DO this Ia the case Of lake Wash.
ing;on some other ssy for supplying the city OF
Seattle sA0asd BE ioand.
AZ the head vi Roek creek, aud ia the vicinity
OF the little lakes lying On the divide besweon
The Cedar and the White and Green rivers, this
SIDE OF Rock creek, there will always be a rural
population very few ia number The ground
throughout thisgegion is = glacial draft Of q
pogons graveliy nature, which readily alxorbs
water aad watsry substances. This eersbinA-
ton OF sparse population, with . wooded
couatry and porous SOIL - such as % reduce
70 q minimum the chances for the contamina.
ton OF these sources Of supply By human excre-
menL Their contamination from other causes
viii hs SO lighl thai Il may &c ignored As OF no
practical consequence
The sanitary FACTS may therefore be said 10 De
wholly IN favor OF tie koek GEEK and kindred
sources OF supply.
The ph!s4cAi facts have next 70 be considered.
aud aEss 81 these should come the Quantity 81
waGer svAilahle; has beiore tass can be fnselli.
gently discussed II VIII be necessary 70 outline
the Plaa whieh is recommended as one OF the
besi aEtea 90 tbs needs az your city.
slaee ! bare bss1n thgs investigation. SUI.
hc1ant data AeS heeB collected 20 enable me 70
recsns sasna th&; Ko0k CT ek 10 re led apea As
TIE principal soarea IT supssY. kas ta8l sasteaa
81 pipsag she water direct So the eitg, fAaxfs b~
coaauesea ins0 swsn lake w3sA such 8tnss water
May e3Eme IN the way. sad gAal this axe b.
ssei ss 4 head or fznFosa2iag reservoir f8r the
ctr water wprxs
pan TIE accompanying hap Is shaan Rrssk
creek and SWAa lake and efAer faEes sivaS7asf "a,
fhe divide tesweEu GeiAs river and Nhsse ana
Grssn rivers Il also EaaWS Ike cazaeesfus
Rsek eseek and sssn lake, &ad ose lsAagins
frosa the lske 80 fse ely Eesssyoir whlch Fepre-
seas approximately the Taate - tae proposed
ara asSiaeE
The a2<xaf5on os Roek eyesk At TIE tsera In see.
Gsoa - = sd sect 81 Wilderness AXE tx segs. az
Papss szke. SIS OF Speou lake. aaout Sc. and AZ
swsn AXE, szs feet saoye - Z tide Ta.eso lskss
k&vs tAezF orssAl ssafs &rA ~ Green river. AID
are rut 90 frun Cellar gsygs - q rl9se Il ysrss.
his hesgaE lbs pssss sgusa a. q thea. sxeeps
that fsas WisGcEpess i1ke, inxrtAeg wlfh tAsg
Frsssu EeaE s-s43S sasr L. sseFhssss ~ 49, -