The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1911-01-27

the Bunker Hill well. However,
should the material change so that
it would be no longer water-bearing
sand and the flow not increase any
it would then be advisable to stop
before this depth is reached. How
ever. / am of the opinion that we
would get more water and a higher
pressure the deeper we go.
Build Stoarge Reservoir.
The next step to take in my Opin-
ion is to construct large storage
reservoir at the location of the
pumping station. My principal rea-
son for this is, you will thereby be
able to conserve the flow of the
wells when the pumps are not run
ming, or whenever they might not
be taking the full discharge of the
wells. 1t would give the sand in
the water an opportunity to settle
out, which would save the pumps
from being cut out as rapidly as
| they are now; also it would provide
an additional quantity Of water in
case of fire, or should there be any
repairs or alterations to make i'll
connections between the wells, it
would give an opportunity OF clean
| ing out any one of the wells with
out seriously interfering with the
daily supply. 1t would also have
the effect of conserving the flow of
water in the ground and would
make the artesian supply last long
err in the future than if the water fs
allowed to escape into the river. 1t
will provide storage for water in
case the wells are pumped by air
lift or deep well pumps. 1t will al
so be much safer to discharge the
wells into the reservoir and have no
connection with the sewer than it
is under the present plan. The
! pumps will work with an even
suction lift and will not be bothered
with air.
Most Available Site.
The only available site for such
a servoir in my opinion would be on
of the stock yards directly across
the street from the pumping station.
If you can secure lot six in block
six, which would give you an area
of at least sixty-five feet by sixty
six feet, you can construct reser-
voir having a capacity of at least
100000 gallons. The design of this
reservoir could be either square or
circular. | prefer the circular reser-
vOirs on account of the simplicity
of construction and because cracks
are not SO likely to be formed in
the round reservoirs as they are in
reservoirs with square corners.
Should the material in which the
excavation is made be quicksand, a
circular reservoir can be sunk much
more easily than square one.
Cost of Reservoir $500.
/ estimate that the cost of such
a reservoir would be approximately
$500. The reservoir would be bet
ter constructed of reinforced con-
crete, including both bottom and
cover. 1t would be made absolutely
watertight SO that the sewerage or
river water could not get into it,, or
so that the we'll water could not
get out of it.
After the reservoir is constructed
ii would connect the discharge pipe
from the wells to the reservoir and
turn the pipe downward vertically
= to point near the bottom Of the
reservoir. Thus, when the reser-
vOir is pumped nearly dry, the col
umn of water in the vertical pipe
will act as q suction upon the wells
and increase the flow; when the
reservoir is nearly full, it would
have a tendency to check the flow
of the wells, thereby balancing the
draft upon the wells with the de-
! mand.
AS soon as you can get to it and
not seriously interfere with the op
Grafton of the plant, | would advise
that the wells be cleaned out with
either compressed air or with q
water jet ] am of the opinion that
: the water jet could be rugged W
easier and cheaper and would sug
do this. | can give him any instruc
tions that he may need regarding
the apparatus necessary to do the
work.
Provide for Future Supply.
For a future supply for your city
and when the present supply be
comes insufficient, there are two
plans which might be carried out
One plan is to drill new well at {
considerable distance from the pres
, ent city and private wells. A yer!
I, desirable location would be on The
fire station lot back of the library
This well could be connected will
the present well system by a pipe
running down the alley. The othel
, method of increasing the supply is
by pumping the present wells will
compressed air, by Centrifuga
pumps placed i'll pits at the loca
: ton of each well, thus forcing thu
water into The reservoir. or by plaC
ing turbine OF centrifugal pumps di
rectly in the wells and pumping t.
the reservoir. However, none o
your wells are large enough to us,