The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1903-09-23
MILL CREEK WATER
Recommended as City'S
Future Supply Source.
ENGINEER WEILE FILES REPORT
Condemns Thomas Springs and Says
City's Only Hope Is to Depend
on Mill Creek.
ENGINEER WEILE FILES REPORT

That the only source Of supply for
Walla Walla to secure an adequate
amount of water for all time to come
is Mill creek is the conclusion that
Engineer Weile has reached and
which was embodied in his report 10
the council last night Three PROPOSE
lions were submitted for the city to
secure a gravity system of water
works with Mill creek as the source
of supply, one with the intake at a
point II miles up stream to cost
$191 1923; another with the intake at a
point about 6 miles above the city,
embracing a reservoir and filter beds
to cost S172,557, and still another
system including reservoir pumping
plant and distribution mains which
could be installed at a cost of 1885,
99475.
The report as submitted to the
council was very vOluminOus, cover
ing II pages of closely typewriter
matter. The first part dealt with the
area of the city proper, which he said
| must be considered in plan Of water
works. The area of Walla Walla is
given at 1900 acres, very nearly equal
| ly divided into two parts by Mill
creek and when fully built up il will
have population of not over 35 to
| the acre. At this ratio the population
within the present city limits will be
$1,000 to 10000.
In fixing the per capita rate of con-
sumption all indications cause a be-
| lief that Walla Walla will use more
water than most cities, owing to the
climate being dry and hot and the
daily rate was appropriated at $50
gallons. With a population of $4,000
which Mr.. Weile assumed Walla
Walla would have within ten years,
the average daily consumption would
be $500, 600 gallons.
The report went into details regard
ing a probable source of supply deal
ing with Mill creek, the Thomas
springs and artesian wells. The pres
ent flow of water on the Thomas place
he estimated at 100000 gallons per
day This could be materially increas-
ed, possibly doubled by proper con-
strUctiOn of the infiltratiOn ditches
but the results are doubtful and the
cost Of development would be very
expensive
The engineer pointed to the fact
that the infiltration bitches should
have been laid at a much greater
depth on the actual base Of the water
carrying strata and at angles Of 30
Or 40 degrees with the direction Of
the slope, trending upstream. Had
this common rule been followed there
was no doubt he said, that the re-
suits would have been much more
satisfactory though in any event the
supply would not have been equal to
the requirements.
In regard to artesian wells as
said that in his judgment Walla
Walla is not situated over an artesian
basin, but possibly upon an artesian
slope. Attention was called to the
Blalock we'll, which, while eminently
satisfactory for irrigation purposes,
could hardly be called success fOr4
a municipal supply. The present |
flow Of water from the well is about |
1876 gallons Of water per minute and
to supply the city with 3$4 million
gallons of water per day would re
quire 20 such wells as the one on the |
Blalock farm. The permanence of
supply was a matter to be taken into
Of II wells drilled at
Moscow. Idaho. only ten Of these
were flowing a few years ago and the
pressure has so decreased that the |
water stands u to Is feet below the
surface. Other instances of finding
wells in WASHINGTON were referred 10.
Coming to Mill creek, the report
says that It is the master stream Of
ic;ias east Of Walla Walla. the Mill
c. ak water appears 20 be clear
bright and sparkling and reasonably
free from impurities. On September
and 5. 1903 the discharge was IS
500 900 gallons Measurements were
taken at the diverting dam just below
the gas company's tail race outlet.
Yellow Hawk at that time was dis
charging about 100000 gallons.
At low water stage Mill creek flows
about 2S,O00.OO0 gallons. About. one
eighth of the low water flow would
be required at time when Walla
Walla has double her present popu-
lation. In his conclusions Engineer
Weile said:
EIrc4 -Th az tho Thomas ranch in