The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1909-11-09
Present Sewer System.

Regarding the sewer system that
is now in use in the business section
of the city: / am informed that these
sewers were constructed about Is years
ago and that their operation has from
the start been very unsatisfactory and
occasioned more or less trouble, and
you are fully advised by your city en-
ginecr of the difficulty he is expert
enCing and the expense he is daily in
curing in an effort to maintain sec
tinns Of these sewers in working order
You are also aware of the annoyance
and Inconvenience suffered by prop
erty owners in consequence of this
condition.
r have made an examination of
these sewers as far as possible and
from information furnished by City
Engineer Mayo and that gathered from
residents familiar with the construc-
ton. together with what is obtainable
through manholes and openings, | am
led to the conclusion that portions
of the sewers We're earnlcssly CON
struCted. This conclusion is strength
encd by the fact that plans. specifi-
cations and records of construction are
not To be found in any of the archives
of the city: and by reason Of the alb
srnce of records showing locations OF
wyes, connections have in many in
stances been made by breaking into
the sides of the sewers and inserting
house connection pipes of diameters
over half as large as the sewer itself
Such connecting pipes doubtless extend
into the interior of the sewers n suf-
u IN abSf Ian
all along the line of the sewer: to
what extent this practice has been car
ried on. or the location of such CON
nections can only he eoniectured. as
no records of connections have been
kept.
The elevations of the inyerts OF all
sewers excepting those in the Rail-
road additionb We're taken nj the man
holes and the grades carefully checked
and plated on profiles: while the
grades are very irregular and in some
cases more flat than the minimum. Yet
with few exceptions they show suf-
fiCient fall between manhoies; but |
am advised that n considerable length
of the sewers WAS constructed
through long tunnels. the alignment
and grades of which are questionable.
There are doubtless variations from
the grade lines that form dcpressions
and traps which collect sewage mat
ter and form distractions that can not
be removed by flushing. The present
system. notwithstanding its limited
size, is used as a combination sewer;
the catch basins and inlets are not
properly constructed to intercept the
street refuse and quantities of waste
are carried into the sewers. which in
variably occasion a stopnage. Por-
tions of these sewers in the business
district might better be considered as
sewers of deposit rather than of flow
and discharge.
In order tn keep these sewers open.
there is Il force Of three men working
eight hours per day with cleaning de-
vices and flushing from hydr0nts, in
addition to six automatic flush tanks.
discharging 515 gallons each every five
or ten minutes. equivalent To nearly
5oO.000 gallons in "A hours Ii the city
was pumping water. this item would
be considered more seriously.
In view nj the conditions herein re-
lated and the fact that Il considerable
partition nf the system is not at suf-'
ficient depth tn accommodate the ahut-
ting property. the necessity of recon
struction Seems apparent.
1t is difficult to determine the ac-
tual condition Of underground work
where same is inaccessible and a total
absence of all records of its canstruc-
tion. We are obliged. Therefore. In
form an opinion from existing Condi-
tions and from such facts as can be