The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1908-07-16
City Physicians, Aldermen and
Water Commissioners Discuss
Pure Water Plans
DAILY TESTS TO BE MADE NOW
No Action Will be Taken in Regard to
the Extension of the Intake Until
After the Board is Assured
that Water Can Be Improved

Medical Society, the Board of Water
Commissioners and the Common Council
met at the City Hall on Monday even
ing for an informal discussion Of the
condition of the water supplied to Ke-
nosha and Of remedies for improving
the water supply. Nothing Of for
NAL nature was done at the meeting,
but the matter was generally discussed
and the Water Commission will at once
begin making tests Of the water at
various points in the lake with view
of finding some place where absolutely
pure water can be secured. When this
place is found the intake will either
be extended or a new intake built.
The city engineer and members of the
commission are not very favorable to
the extension of the present intake as
they declare that it will be only a
short time before it Will be necessary
for the size of the intake to be in
creased and for this reason they de
clare that the city should not waste
money in the construction of extern
sions. Sixty days will be used in test
ing water at different points in the
lake, to be made in both the state la
boratories at Madison and in Chicago
laboratories. The question of moving
the water plant to the land north Of
the harbor was discussed, but there
were no facts brought out which would
give any assurance that this would i'm
prove conditions any. Reports of con-
ditions in Racine and Waukegan were
given by the members of the Board of
Commissioners and these reports show
ed that the water supply in those cities
was even more impure than that Of
Kenosha. There seems to be great
uncertainty in regard to any arrange
ments for new intake as the water
commissioners hold that while they
are anxious to have the city receive the
to spend large sum of money on a
mere chance Of improving the quality
of the water supply and it is certain
that they will have to be given some
assurance that the supply will be oct
tered before a new intake is built
Plans for filtration were also dis
cussed at length and it was stated that
plan to filter water used for the
Kenosha mains would cost in the neigh
borhood of $4,000.
DIR. G. Windesheim, DR.. F. E. Andre
and DR.. Fl. u. Stalker were the mem
bers Of the Medical Society present
at the meeting and they told of the
prevalence of typhoid fever in the city
and attributed it largely to the water
supply. Dr. Windesheim gave some
pretty plain facts in regard to the
colon baccii which have been found
in the water used in the city and his
address to the Council did make an
impression and the members of the
Council will go little slow about u.s.
ing the water in the future without
either fltering or boiling it. DR..
Windesheim spoke especially in favor
of the using of the artesian water for
table purposes and the physicians were
notified that all of the artesian wells
In the city would be opened for the
use of the people at once. DR.. Andre
spoke of the effect of dredging in the
harbor on the water and declared that
there was always an epidemic Of typ
hold fever in the city following dredg-
ing work in the harbor. He stated
that at the present time there were
some rs cases Of the disease in the
city. DR.. Stalker spoke along the
same lines.
The Water Commission was repre-
sented by Former Mayor James Cor
man and James Ell. Charles and both
stated that the Board could finance a
plan for the building of a new intake
and that it would be ready to take up
the work just as soon as the proper
preliminary plans could be made. The
matter of tests they stated had been
considered by the Board and these
tests will be started at once and CON
tlnued until the Board is assured that
they have found a pure supply of
water. 1t was stated that the work
of divers was of little value on account
Of the fact that the divers were not
sufficiently expert to determine pure
water when they found it.
There was some conflict after the
meeting as to whom should pay the ex-
pense in connection with the making
of the tests, the Water Board insisting
that this expense should be paid BY
the city. The Board now has nearly
fifty thousand dollars on hand and it is
pretty certain that it could arrange
to build the intake by the negotiation
of less than 100000
The matter was left in such Wav
that it is highly improbable that any
thing will be done this year more than
the opening Of the artesian wells, but
it is probable that the plans will be
whipped into shape so that the building
of the new intake If such is deemed
necessary can be taken up with the
opening Of the new year.
| @. E. Petersen Of Milwaukee, spent
< LII r.. LII