The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-10-04
BUILD new SEWER
Olty Will Construct $4,000
Drain on West Side at Once.
10 Accommodate District From
College Hill to River.
MAN HOLES BLOWN OFF
Present Main Cannot Handle In
creased Tributary Sections.
New Sewer Will Be Five Feet in
Diameter of Concrete.
MAN HOLES BLOWN OFF

new five-foot sewer to handle the
sewerage of the entire western portion
OF the city. to replace the main now in
use and to be built at a cost of $4,000
TO the property owners in this district
Is being planned by w. G. Tandy. city
commissioner of streets and public inn
provements
The district covering College Hill adj
dition, Lowman Hill addition Melrose
addition. Elmhurst, Auburndale AMI
PotWin is supplied now with a sewer
ntteen inches in diameter. 1t is in
adequate to take care of the sewerage
sent to it and since the &pbuilding of
Elmhurst and the western part of the
city the sanitary conditions have be-
come alarming to the river districts.
It takes but a small shower now 20
throw every manhole in this present
sewer in the air and flood the streets
around them. With a big part of the
residence district of Topeka emptytng
into fifteen-inch main at regular
times with the domestic waste, a small
shower draining the pavements fills
this small outlet to overlooking.
Mr.. Tandy has been arranging to
build this sewer for some time and en-
g1neerS have gone over the ground.
When the final plats of the College
Hill addition are made and the city
will be able to tax this property for
new sewers here, the plans and speci-
fications will be made at once and the
digging should commence Immediately
Cost Per Lot Small.
It is figured by Mr.. Tandy that there
are 5000 city lots in the new territory
to be taxed for the new main. At
cost of $50, 900 it would not cost any one
lot more than So which means so cents
a year for the entire undertaking.
The only reason this move has not
been made before is on account of the
1v-E
ing the taxation on sewers. This law
says that no property can be reassessed
for a sewer after it has been assessed
for this purpose before. The direct eff
feet of this law has stunted the cause.
But Mr.. Tandy has gone over the
matter with City Attorney Ralston
and they have decided that in case
sewer can not handle the sewerage
of a district and the sewer is entirely
inadequate to accommodate the peo-
pie in this district, a reassessment can
be made. A decision of the supreme
court in Kansas City upholds this
new version.
1t has been proved that the fifteen
inch sewer can not stand the work
forced upon it from the above men
toned districts. 1t is thought that a
taxation of the whole territory re-
ceiving benefits from the new main
would be according to law
The city is planning on building the
fiVe-fOot main from the Kansas river
to SIXTH avenue on the old right of
way now occupied by the old sewer.
If a new district was formed it would
be necessary to buy new right of
way. To have two sewers going to
the river with two rights of way would
cost the city more than building one
big main that will last for all time
and accommodate the wants and needs
of the city for any growth.
at is but a question of a short
time until the state board Of health
condemns this old sewer" said Mr..
Tandy this morning. After every
rain and manhole covers are blown
off and the sewerage fills the streets.
This is on account of the immense
pressure from the surface water
water that has to be accommo dated.
I have figured over this new sewer
plan for many weeks and feel now
that we can go ahead with the Great
ing of the district"