The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-05-19
WHY MORE PUMPS
City Commissioners Would Spend
at Least $4,000.
Present Pumps Exceed Capacity
by 5000, 900 Gallons.
TWO MILLION A DAY.
TWO MILLION A DAY.
This Is Amount of Water Used
in Entire City of Topeka.
Proposed New Pump Would
Make Capacity 100000 Gal.

The city commissioners are planning
to install another pump at the city
water plant. The proposed pump will
cost about $35, 900.
H. =. Miller, commissioner of water
works and electric lights, is planning to
give Topeka one of the finest water
works systems in the country. To carry
out this scheme he has planned to build
concrete wall around the plant for
the purpose of keeping out the water
in times of floods; to install a massive
teN million gallon pump; and various
other improvements which will include
larger wells, and flood protection.
At the present time there are two
pumps at the waterworks plant. One
pump has capacity of 100000 gal
Ions a day and the other 100000 gal
Ions a day. This gives the city two
pumps with a total capacity of 8,500,000
gallons a day. The new pump would
give an additional capacity of 10000 900
gallons or a total of IS, 100000 gallons a
day.
The question is-what would Topeka
do with almost twenty million gallons
of water-Or anything near that
amount. Topeka uses on an average
2,415,7 O1 gallons of water every day.
This is the number of gallons used in
Guiding fires and every use drawing on
the wells.
Both pumps at the waterworks are in
good condition and are running stead
lily. The engineers keep them alter
mating and there is always sufficient
time between pumps to keep them in
good condition. Each one of the pumps
is good enough and large enough to
supply the city with water.
The other day a State Journal man
asked the water engineer if 1t was pos
sible to give a good fire pressure with
Gy~A low zr.GlY1 q
in a few rcinutes after he had given an
affirmative answer and Immediately he
sped the pumps up to a pressure OF 14O
pounds.
One Of the pumps Is large enough and
III good condition to keep UP a good
sary the other pump can be called into
service and with both mammoth ma
chimes working the pressure and the
amount OF water sent through the
mains is tremendous.
With machinery of this kind on hand
and the sufficient power behind them,
the people of the city who are kick
ing on the new pump, claim that they
see no reason for additional expense
as far as the machinery is concerned.
S. w. Sunday a well expert employed
to install water systems along the line
of the Santa Fe. and man who has
had years of experience all over the
country has expressed his ideas on the
improvements made at the water plant.
Mr. Sunday takes exception TO the new
machinery and also to the new wells
now in course of construction. Mr..
Sunday says:
Our pumps are not of the latest style
but I am unable to see that they are
not doing the work now. If we are to
keep up with the latest styles of pumps
we would have to change pumps every
year just as we change hats now. We
have two pumps at the water station
now and I inquired personally at the
station If both pumps were used In
CO Sc of fire and l was told they were
not-only one is sped UP a little faster.
Why do we need a third pump when
we have an emergency pump now?
Instead of eXpending $3O,0O for more
machinery I would favor using the
money in getting pure water. The frs:
thing to consider in waterworks plant
is quality-and the quality is a sec
onGary consideration. 1 fail to under
stand how the present hole dug down
at the waters edge of the river is go
ing to be an improvement over one that
was dug a number of years ago exact
ly the same and only a few feet from
the new one. Why should this improve
the water2 I am in favor of building
{. cement wall around the WaterWorkS
this will be protection in flood times.
In case of fever your physician will
tell you to boil the water and they viii
continue to tell you the same thing as
long as holes are dug down at the wa
tiers edge of the river as they are doing
now There is a remedy to have pure
water free from all animal and vegeta-
BILE water but in the present condition
il is necessary to continue boiling it."