The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-06-28
AT WORK ON SEWER
w. Kiersted Has Engineers
Corps Making Survey
LARGE DISTRICT COVERED
Will Require Two Months
Work to Make Plans

Wynkoop Kiersted, the civil engineer Of
Kansas City, who has the contract for
making plans and specifications for a
storm water sewer for the entire city, has
two gangs of surveyors at work in the
city taking levels and making surveys
of the city. Seven men are employed on
this work with an Office man making plats
and portfolios but even with thi. force
it will take at least two months to com
pIete tn ework and have the plans ready
for use.
An area extending from Sullivan's dam
on the Little Arkansas river on the north
and the Big Arkansas river on the south,
about eight miles and from Chisholm
creek on the east to the Big Arkansas
river on the west, a distance of one and
one-half miles, is included in the central
storm water sewer district. That section
of the city east of Chisholm creek will
be treated in a separate district, as will
the West Side, as these sections have a
different drainage than the central part
of the city and TO carry off the storm
water from both these divisions is COM
paratively easy matter owing to the in
cline of the ground.
While the storm water sewer contem-
plates taking care of all surplus surface
water on the section outlined above a
section covering about four square miles
will be detailed. This section extends
from Twenty-first street on the north
and Lincoln street on the south with CHS
holm creek and the Big river as the east
ern and western boundaries 1t is in this
section that the levels and surveys are
being made at present.
main sewer will extend the entire
length Of the city. This may be either
large or small as the engineers find the
levels. If possible laterals will be run
to both the Little and Big Arkansas rivers
and Chisholm creek, but this depends on
the contour of the sections drained. 1t
may be found necessary to build an i'm
mense water sewer which viii carry all
of the surplus water and empty into the
Arkansas river south Of the city. This
viii be costly and if practicable the water
of the greater part of the city viii be
carried directly to the rivers to either
side.
When the sanitary sewer was con-
structed in Wichita many years ago Mr..
Rudolph Herring of New York city was
brought here. He looked over the plans
and pronounced them very good ones. but
stated that % was the maximum number
of catch basins to carry off storm water
which should be allowed to empty into
the sanitary sewer. Surface water carry
ing with it dirt fills up the sewer and
the city is at a great expense to keep
them cleaned out. At the present time
there are 123 catch basins emptying into
the sanitary sewer. None have been con-
structed within two years. but the sewer
department is constantly working flushing
and scraping out the sewers and after
a storm this work is considerably harder.
There have been many petitions for
catch basins during the past year in
different sections. The streets are being
generally curbed and many guttered, and
this causes the water to flow TO the end
of each block where it is stopped and
big mud hole formed. 1t is impracticable
and almost impossible to run this water
into the sanitary sewer without seriously
impairing the usefulness of that neces-
sity. There are too many catch basins
connected with the sanitary sewer at
present, but some provision must be made
to carry off the water and the council.
after long conferences with engineers who
have looked over the ground, determined
to construct a storm water sewer which
would carry of only surplus surface
water. thus relieving the overfowed SAM
tary sewers and freeing the city Of mud
holes.
ITvnkoon Kiersted was awarded the
contract to make the plans and specifca-
tons and ie is now at work with com
petent corps of engineers.