The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1912-11-21

S-~--~e~a=S
The report of the special committee
Of the common council on the ques-
ton Of filtration was presented to the
council on Monday evening. Frora
many standpoints it is the most i'm
portant report ever brought to the
council as it represents Investigations
which have been carried on through
many months. On account Of the gene
raj interest in the question Of ftra-
ton the report is given in full as fol-
lows:
FILTRATION REPORT.
BY yhe Buildings and Water Works
Committee of the Council.
Submitted, November is, 1912.
To the Honorable Mayor and City
Council,
Kenosha, Wisconsin,
Gentlemen:-
During last year the condition of the
water supply of Lake Michigan has
caused grave concern to the citizens
Of Kenosha. This concern has been
intensified by the experience Of some OF
our neighboring cities in outbreaks Of
typhoid fever caused by the public
water supplies. We have seen these
outbreaks, which, in some cases, have
approached epidemics in Milwaukee,
Waukegan and Evanston. Even in the
City of Chicago, in spite of it's mag
nifcent Drainage Canal, we have seen
that it has been necessary, IN order to
prevent similar outbreaks Of ty-
phoid, to install plants for the intro
duction of hypochlorite of lime into
several of the cribs from which the
water supply Of Chicago is supplied.
IT is well know that these cribs are
several thousand feet from shore, thus
proving that the contamination Of the
water supply is not due to any shore
pollution. There is great body of
sewage which is continuously emptied
into Lake Michigan by cities all along
its coast, and this body Of sewage is
continuously carried from point to
point with the various shiftings Of the
wind 1t must be recognized that the
more densely populated o community
becomes the greater the resulting pol
luton of the public water supplies.
The grave concern which has been felt
by the City of Kenosha has been shar-
cd by its neighbors and steps are be-
ing taken all along the line to over
come this menace of polluted water
supply. With the desire, therefore, of
forestalling at Kenosha, the serious re-
suits which are bound to occur, the
committee on buildings and water
works was directed to make an investi-
cation of existing conditions and to
submit to your honorable body its CON
illusions and recommendations.
Various samples of the water sup
piled to Kenosha have been made and
other samples have been taken at dis
tances from shore The results of
these analyses are on file and show con.
clusively that the problem is not to be
solved by an extension of the intake.
filtration Of the supply, therefore, is
the only method by which the health
of this community can be isafeguarded.
In order to familiarize itself With
the method used to meet this problem,
the committee on buildings and water
works have visited several filtration
plants and begs herewith to submit it's
report of its investigation and con-
illusions with reference to- the con-
templated filtration of the city water
supply.
Plants Visited.
The following filtration plants were
visited and inspected by your commit
tee:
Ashland, Wisconsin.
Moline, Illinois.
Terre Haute, Indiana.
South Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Naval Training Station, Lake Bluff,
Illinois.
OF the above plants, Ashland, Wis
consin and the Naval Training Station