The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1911-05-18

The Chicago sanitary district COM
which one hundred square miles are
in the Calumet district, forty being
within the Chicago city limits. The
primary object of the formation of the
Chicago district was the protection of
the city water supply from contamina-
ton by sewage. But the report sets out
that this can not be wholly achieved
until provisions are made for handling
the sewage of the entire Calumet dis
trict according to sanitary principles.
To Reverse Two Rivers.
The natural drainage of the Calume,
district is into the Little Calumet and
the Grand Calumet rivers. the latter OF
which. in spite of its name, is the les
ser stream. These discharge into the
lake at the Calumet harbor entrance.
The district in Illinois drained by the
two streams contains South Chicago.
Blue Island, Riverdale, Pullman, Har-
vey Dolton, West Hammond and Other
smaller places, with total popula-
tion of $4,000. The distance from the
outlet to the Sixty-eighth street crib.
source of Chicago water supply. Is
l4H miles. Plans are under way for
reversing the flow of these streams so
l as To carry tuclE CoiiCHAS AAtO tiiS OA--
cago drainage canal. which will make
necessary the taking of a sufficient
quantity of water from Lake Michigan
Ito accomplish the purpose.
with the completion of this pro-
posed scheme" the report reads. lit
would seem the question of sewage
disposal had been practically settled
for the northern Indiana cities that
lnow empty sewage into the river tthe
Little Caiumet). But there are two
Important reasons why this Is not 50.
and why the proper solution of the
problem should be sought in the near
| future First, in the autumn, the
| slow flow OF the river allows the
deposition of silt from the surface
washings. and solid particles of sew
age, after which the freshets. which
have been known to reach flood
stage of thirteen thousand cubic feet a
| second, would readily pick up sucn
deposits and carry them out into the
lake. Second, in taking water from
the Calumet river for dilution pur-
poses. the sanitary district seeks as
pure water as is possible to be had.
and if the Indiana cities do not proven.
such polluation. as will be shown is
now taking place, the sanitary district
will compel action on the part OF the
Indiana cities by legal proceedings
Dead Arm of the Lake.
The Grand Calumet is really a bayou
lof Lake Michigan, and its principal
use. in addition to receiving sewage
from the Indiana cities. is to afford
lharborage for lake boats. 1t originally
had two entrances from the lake, but
one was closed, practically. by the
lsteel corporation, which filled it with
Stag While the river was being clos
ed at Gary, the Indiana Harbor Land
Company caused a canal to be con-
structed, which canal had the effect OF
shortening the stream from seventeen
and one-half miles to nine and one
half miles But the character or the
river was not changed. 1t Is still a
dead arm of the lake. with no flow ex-
cept that caused by the water dis
charged by the steel company plant
some seven million gallons a day, and
the return flow from the lake, wher
the current of the river is reersed
The Little Calumet joins the Gran
Calumet near Lake Calumet. The two
streams drain about sos square miles
of which 455 are in Indiana. and In
this state the two rivers receive the
sewage from Gary, Indiana Harbor and
East Chicago.
Disposal of Sewage.
Some of the manufacturing plants In
these cities are employing means o.
disposing of their wastes, but Others
empty the waste into the streams. One
( Of these. the Standard Oil company O.
2 Hammond, is mentioned in the repor
i as pouring a large quantity of OF
waste into the stream. injuring it's ap
+ pearance and retarding the process
e of publication, as the oil keeps tn,
: air from coming in contact with tn,
r sewage contained in the stream.
n Another damaging waste is reporte,
: as coming from the Hammond ga
works. where refuse tar and oil prod