El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-06-07

9of-S4 .I-2S4
Henry w Harper.
Extended Inquiry.
While the order of the courz snecific-
ally required a sanitary investiga rian
OF the water from Watts well and the
ascertalnment of a process of treat
ment which would make the wafer
supplied from said well more suitable
FOR public use or domestic and other
purposes, the solution of the Ell PasO
problem necesSitated a more extended
inquiry than is involved in a study of
the water from Watts well alone; so
the investigation was somewhat broad
ened, in order to obtain fuller Iight
upon the healthfulness of the wafer
supplied to the citizens Of FL Paso. To
that end, the water from the mesa res
erVolr was also studied, and the sani-
tary conditions surrounding both plants
were carefully looked into. The bacteri-
illogical and chemical results of the in
VestlgatIon are given in the foregoing
exhibits. 1t remains to consider other
pertinent facts in connection with the
problem. and to these facts attention
IS now turned
General Consideration
The city of Ell Paso. Tex. is located
on the north bank of the Rio Grande
river and at the south foot of the
FRANKLIN mountains. The main BUSH
ness district and u considerable por-
ton of the residential district Is on a
level area 300 feet above sea level. A
small portion of the residential dis
trict is located on high ground at the
foot or Franklin mountains, and is
about 125 feet above the business dis
trict. The present area included with
N the city limits is Approximately s.13
square miles" CFrom Report of R w
Hunt & CO.. To the east lies the fertile
valley of the Rio Grande, while to the
west the valley rapidly narrows, cuImin-
ating in a limestone gorge a few miles
above FL Paso
The rainfall of this area is very low.
rarely exceeding 10 inches per annum
At times the water in the Rio Grande
practically disappears from the surface.
and the inhabitants are dependent upon
the underground water supply. not only
for domestic use, but at times likewise
for irrigation purposes. The Importance
of this underground supply of water is
paramount.
The Water supply
1t is not within the province of this
report to enter upon a discussion of the
water bearing strata of the Rio Grande
valley. That subject has been studied
by professor Charles s. Slichter. and his
findings are published in Water-SuppIv
and Irrigation Paper No 141, Washing
ton government printing office, 1905.
entitled, observations on the Ground
Waters of the Rio Grande Valley" Ae-
cording to professor Slichter FL Paso
is in reach Of at least two ground wa
ter basins. namely, the Lanoria Mesa
basin and the seepage. basin of the
Rio Grande. 1t is possible that at some
points the latter may receive inflow
from the former.
The population of the CITY Of FL Paso
at present is said to be $4,000 people.
The ground water daily consumed with /
in the city Is approximately 10000
gallons. OF this amount less then
1000, 900 gallons are daily supplied |
from the Watts well and about 2.OOO.- !
600 gallons daily from the mesa wells
the unused water going into the large !
reservoir. which has a capacity OF four |
and .one-half million gallons.
Wetts Well
The shaft OF Watts well is located |
about 400 feet north of the north bank |
of the Rio Grande river east of block 12S /
in the city of FL Paso. Tex. From the |
surface to the bottom of the well the |
distance is IS feet. The strata pene- !
trated from the surface downward are:
SOIL 10 feet: sand, feet; hard clay, Is !
feet: heavy sand, II feet: gravel and /
boulders. II feet. Width at the bottom
TO Il feet; from the u foot to the SO
feet levels. II feet, and from the SO foot
level to the surface. IS feet. Three feet
above the bottom of the we'll three lat
erals issue; No l runs north a distance
o IS feet; No runs south As feet; No
3 runs west IS feet.
The water level. March, 1910, stood
within % feet of the surface of the
ground The we'll IS housed and is with
N the enclosure known as Watts pump