The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-05-29
SUGAR PLANT SEWER
Factory Still Using Minnehaha
Creek for a Drain.
WORK DONE BY CITY FOR NAUGHT
The Manager Gives No Definite In
formation as to the Com
pany's Plans.

The question has recently been raised
again as to when the Minnesota Sugar
company, which operates the beet sugar
factory at St. Louis park, is to construct
the sewer to connect the factory with the
sewer the city built to the city limits for
the purpose of making such connection.
It will be recalled that property owners
along Minnahaha creek objected to the
use Of that stream as a drain for the
waste water of the sugar factory. suit
was. begun to restrain it from such use
OF the creek. AS an injunction would
have caused the factory to shut down and
perhaps remove from Minneapolis, the
city, at the instance of the company, con-
structed a sewer to the city limits at
cost of $4,000, SO that by building con-
Meeting drain, the factory could dispose
of it's sewage without injury to anyone.
The company has not yet built the
sewer, and Mr.. Fink, the manager, makes
no definite statement to when he will
build, but says he expects to build next
year. In the meantime. the company has
sought to placate property owners by a
purifying system at the factory which is
designed to remove from the water all
undesirable qualities before it enters the
creek. The impure element in the water
is ammonia, which is introduced in the
process of manufacturing sugar. Thus
far this system has rot been satisfactory
It is said that further Improvements will
render the water absolutely inoffensive
during the operating season this fall
The position Of the property owners and
the state board of health is that if the
waste water from the factory is actually
purified they will be satisfied, but they
are skeptical as to the ability of the
company to purify it completely. That
cannot be determined until the fall run
begins. If ammonia then finds it's way
into Minnehaha Creek, the annoyed
property owners are likely to apply for
an injunction restraining the company
from turning it's waste water into the
creek This would be heavy blow for
the company, as it would mean the loss
of years business.
Moreover, aldermen and others who
were instrumental in building the city's
portion of the required sewer feel that if
the company does not soon do its part
they will be open to severe criticism for
the use they made of public funds.
The company is to hold it's annual meet
ing in New York on Monday and the
question may then come up for final set
tlement.
Mr.. Fink says that he will build the
sewer just as soon as he can conveniently
attend to it, probably next year, and
that he has no intention of regulating
the agreement with the city. He says
that it would not be advantageous to the
new industry to require him to build the
sewer this year. He adds that he is as
much interested as anyone in building
the sewer, because the capacity of the
plant cannot be increased until fully sat
isfactory and permanent arrangements
have been made for disposing of the
waste water.
The interested land owners say that
they must have pure water in Minnehaha
creek and that their course in the future
depends altogether on whether the COM
pany can make good It's promise not to
pollute its waters.