The Washington herald., 1908-08-16
DEEP WELLS SUPPLY CITIES
Indiana Towns Get Water Five
Hundred Feet Down.
Geological Formation of state Lends
Itself CheRpIy to Nu-
nicipaI Ends.

A recent investigation by the United
states Geological Survey showed rraC
forry-1ine out Of dfty-four cities and
towns in Northern Indiana obtained their
water supplies. in whole OF IL part. from
. underground sources Foryy-twe OF these
have water Of The best potable quality.
A paper giving the results is published
in the current number OF the Municipal
Engineering Magazine. which states that
tie ground waters OF the State are de-
rived from glacial drift. which uuderlies
il in GaPths varying from a few feet 10
several hundred feet in the northern coun-
ties. from the aIIuv5aI sands and EravsIs
OF the river bottoms. OF from the sand
stones Eu--tuu=-. and slales of Jlg vari-
Gus geologic formations beneath The DRIFT
The waters from all these water-carry-
ing beds contain mineral matters IA So
.lri1l- tie quantity and character Of the
constituents depending upon the f5ma-
-ion from which the water Is derived and
upon the depth Of the well The analyses
may be summarized by stating that prac-
r5caIIy all limestone waters and waters
from gravel weI-s-0ver 80 feet deep are
20 be- preferred for domestic purposes 10
waters from gravel wells less Khan 80
-=-- deep.
For manufacturing or boiler purposes,
surface waters are superior. bC- OF The
and between 81 and la5 feet de=p averas Sc.
better than others. n that they show the
lowest mz,-iulun. lowest minimum. and
f lowest average amounts Of scale-produc-
f lug minerals
For the past few years the ground
water level beneath large areas has been
fallinE having lost fifteen 20 twenty-five
feet IN the past twenty-five years For
this reason many people in The country
districts who use open wells have found
/ it necessary % deepen their wells or 10
change from open To- driven OF drilled
+ wells There IS another way IN which the
/ decline ot Tie ground water supply can be
proved that is. by observation OF the
I flowing wells and Cf water flowing 10
+ waste from the castings OF old gas wells.
People who are familiar with these wells
/ know that many which were drilled years
I ago have now ceased @ -oE entirely and
+ almost every such vel G-uiliSleS ap-
b 1rec-a1lE within a. few years All water
works engineers and sgFeriutsGd- -ls
know -aar they have t1 install laN wells
more rapidly than the population IS in
/ creas-rg- All evidence goes TO snow that
F tile ground wafer level IS slowly suhsi6ilE-
such "a decline is au- peculiar 20 Indiana
I L was observed IN the arre~ian well dis
t-lrcs in Florida. where The head lg Ger
f tain sections along The east coast and 81
Johns River has declined notably. u has
also been recorded as a result of ilre>-.-
cations by The United States Geological
( Survey in the Great Plains. in Southern
Michigan and iI Southern California.
where the artesian basins have decreased
/ in area. cLe ground water level has de-
{ e-iued and the yield Of flowing wells has
/ diminished
At Chicago the first flowing artesian
vel was drilled in lS6f, and the water
I rose eighty feet above the surface. O. III
above Lake Michigan The flow has long
since ceased and the head has declined
until now the water stands fifteen or
twenty feet below the surface. or I5J feet
lower than its original head In the past
I there have been a great many flowing
wells in CliclEo. but the number Of wells
/ drilled is So great ard the drafts upon
Z the water-bslriug strata SO heavy that
I now flow can rarely De obtained
/ Many Of the flowing well areas IN In
/ diana. have been pe-sonally visited BY
/ Survey investigators. and The most con
/ ~UicuuuS fact uOtlra.tFle everywhere was
. tle r5Elle~S-e~~ win WHICH the best
/ ground waters are uasted-hundreds ot
I wells from which The pure water from the
I Niagara limestone IS flowing 10 waste on
Z the surface
a fun conservation Of the underground
I water supply is. of course. impossible, be-
{ cause the water IS becoming more and
/ more necessary for use. We could not
Z and should not interfere with the right Of
d well owner To use the water, 20 the fun
I capacity Of the well. i il is all serving
, useful purpose But for tie reason -haJ
I new wells are being continually drilled by
I parties demanding a similar supply. We
( ought not 10 allow water 70 be wasted.
[ Legislation should be enacted providing
I that aIl flowing wells. whether drilled or
I gas oil CT water, should be capped OF
Z otherwise shut Of when not In use. and
{ when IN use only a stream Of the requisite
/ size should be allowed 10 fow.