La Junta tribune., 1911-07-29
New Water Supply fer Ia Junta.

blessings and advantages that La
Junta already enjoys. During the
past week c. II. McVey has had a
gang OF men at work on one OF the
wells at the pump house-the one
nearest the river-for the purpose OF
sinking the well to greater depth
and ascertaining definitely whether
there Is a second underflow OF a
better quality Of water Mr.. McVey
has always contended that there
was. and In the test Just concluded,
has demonstrated the fact that he
knew what he was talking about.
The city's present supply is deriv-
ed from surface or seepase water.
says Mr.. Mcvey, and he has always
insisted that the real underflow OF
the river was at greater depth
than the present city wells. This
fact was demonstrated In a very
short time after work was commenced
on the well. The well on which the
test was made Is seventeen feet
deep. and at depth Of twenty-seven
feet the second underflow was en-
countered. Water came up In the
ten inch pipe five feet above the
level of the water In the old well.
showing conclusiyely that IL came
/ from the second underflow. A soap
I test demonstrated the fact that 1t
D lxt h.
water in the old well. and evidenced
the fact that II is Of an entirely
different character. The flow comes
from a coarse sand and gravel forma-
I ton about two feet thick. but as
yet OF course the quantity available
has not been determined. The drillers
went through the second underflow
formation and at depth OF twenty
nine feet encountered shale. The well
was put down through the shaie to
a depth Of fifty-four feet when anoth'
er flow of water vas encountered -
known as shale water. which the
Santa Fe demonstrated years aso In
] NOt III WI uohNftN w ehy osA>s ~~~-
! Drilling WIS., continusd 90 a depth of
xixfy-six feet before being discon.
tinued. II WAS necessary to send for
stronger derrick In order to III
the ten inch pipe. The pipe viii be
raised to the twenty-seven foot for
nation and left there to supply the
present well with water from the
second underflow
The rig win be moved about 200
feet further north. as near AS possible
to the river channel. where another
test hole will be put down. At this
point II II hoped that the twenty.
seven foot sand and gravel formation
will be- OF greater thickness-at least
I four feet This thickness II Is
I thought would give a sufficient quan.
iity OF water to supply the city. "
/ the second test hole shows four
foot vein OF the second underflow. Al
derman Davis. who has been working
on the job all weck.is In favor Of
putting down IA trench fifty or hun.
dred feet long and twenty feet wide,
which will be- cased off with cement
TO depth OF twenty.seven feet. and
from this source secure n supply OF
l u trench OF this description will give
I IN. city all the water that II can
use.
The Santa Fc already has well,
forty feet In diameter. which de-
rivcs Its supply from this twenty.
seven foot und.rflow. II has been In
ms often as once month When
the river II high. and after n rain.
this water has tested as low as TWEEN.
7 'y.iwo grains Of solids and never over
forty grains. even during dry periods
when IA. river was very low. ON n
I test this well was pumped for four
hours. with two pumps working TO
IN. limit. and the level Of the
water In the well was not lowered
an inch
within n week or two. ms the ef.
perim.ntE progress. the people of
this community will know definitely
whether We are to have first.class
water supply. from source that
very few people even dreamed Of. and
at n minimum Of expense. compared
10 some of the sources that have
been Investigated and talked of for
years. Good water for domestic pur.
poses is the greatest asset that any
community can acquire. Pueblo 10
now talking of spending over = quar-.
ter Of = million of dollars for M.
trAtlon plant to improve Its water
l ntansnlr hut In ihla lHeni Y .Ae an font