Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1904-07-29
DALLAS OWNS WATERWORKS
Plant Was Turned Over to City by
Contractor Gates, Tuesday
Evening.

After years construction WORK, the
Dallas waterWorks are now finished,
and the plant was turned over to the
city by Contractor H. V. Gates at the
meeting Of the city council held on
Tuesday evening. A warrant for
$4,000, covering the last payment on
the plant, was ordered drawn in favor
OF the contractor. The plant is now
the property Of the city and will be
operated by Mr.. Gates under twenty
years lease. During this period Of
time, Mr.. Gates is to furnish water
free of cost to the city for fire protec-
ton and for the flushing of the sewers,
retaining for himself the rentals re-
ceived from private consumers, the
rules and regulations being subject to
the approval of the council.
The actual cost of the plant, includ-
labor, material and freight, was
$28, ,6I4O8. No charge was made by the
contractor for engineering, use Of
tools owned by the contractor, insur-
ance on material, orinterest on money
invested, all Of which expense would
have fallen on the taxpayers had the
plant been constructed by the city. A
conservative estimate Of the amount
saved by the city in having the work
done by contract is $4,000 The engi-
neering alone for the twelve months
would have cost the city'not less than
Sl40O.
The members of the council, accom-
panied by Mr.. Gates and Engineer
W. L. Soehren, drove to Canyon
Creek, Sunday morning, and inspected
the intake and also the pipe bridge at
the crossing of the LaCreole river
above the old Hallock mill. The in
take is fine piece of engineering,
and the city officers were all pleased
with it. The water is taken from the
bottom Of the stream through a filter
bed of rock, gravel and sand, and is
thoroughly free from leaves and
sediment when it enters the conduit.
No dams or screens are required, and
a forest fire would not interfere in the
least with the water supply, as there
is nothing to burn.
AS the filtration plan is practically
new in the United States and has the
highest endorsement Of competent
engineers, a brief description of the
intake at Canyon creek may not prove
to our readers The
water used by the city of Dallas is
aiken from Canyon creek, a stream
led by cold mountain springs, at
point one-half mile above where it |
9mpties into the LaCreole river At
his point the canyon is not more than
10 feet wide, the rock walls rising
nigh and precipitous on either side. |
The creek flows close to the foot of the |
vest wall, carrying about 3,OOn,0O0 |
gallons Of water day in the winter
md spring months, and about 100000
gallons a day in the dry summer
That the size Of the stream |
s ample to supply town several
ines as large as Dallas is demon
trated by the fact that the amount of
Vater taken from the stream at the
resent low stage of water is scarcely
noticeable, the creek apparently being
s large below the intake as it is
bove it.
The intake was constructed prac-
cally as follows From the west wall
[ the canyon, ditch was cut across
ne stream and diagonalIy across the
anyon, a distance of about 80 feet.
his ditch was cut to bedrock and is
lght feet deep. In excavating the
itch through the rock and gravel
in the bed of the canyon,
trong flow of water was encountered
long its full length, and this water
saved by a lining of clay on the
'wer side of the ditch, which prevents
from running away. The bottom
the ditch was filled with large
oulders, then smaller rock were
sed, and finally layer of gravel t
as placed on top. Z
AT the lower end Of the ditch is a
ox about four feet long and two feet f
ide into which the water flows before d
ltering the pipe, The pipe is placed
1out two feet above the bottom of the
TX to prevent any sand from entering
e conduit. The principle upon It
hich the intake works is as follows:
ne water flowing in the stream sinks 1
rough this filter bed, and, after be- ,
6 strained through ninety feet of
ok and gravel, enters the conduit, Il
g surplus water flowing on over the
ter bed and down the canyon. All 81
water not entering the pipe also r
'ws back into the stream through a
Iste-gate in the pipe box. A small .
tie regulates the flow of water into
. pipe. At no time since the works :,
re built has there been more than ~ ~
rec inches of water in the conduit. -
hough 1t is six inch pipe. At
esent, with more than one-half of pa
supply shut off, the reservoir IL
ove town is kept amply supplied,
d about nine-tenths of the water is 90
ned back into the LaCreole above
mill dam, The intake has been nc
use since late last winter and has
we'd satisfactory in every respect. : >
he conduit is 5.5S miles long and
ows the LaCreole river down to
Boise farm and then over the hills uu
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