The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-09-13
CITY WithstOOd DrOuth With
out Water Shortage.
Patrons Were Not Requested to
Stop Sprinkling.
WORST STRAIN IN HISTORY
Powerful Pumps Were Work
ing at Full Speed.
Demand for More Than 3.OOO.-
900 Gallons Daily.

Now that the drouth is broken and
there is little likelihood that there will
be any further danger of shortage in
water. the officials of the city water
department are congratulating them
selves upon the fact that never for
moment during the whole drouth was
there any danger that Topeka would
be short. While other cities in Kansas
having municipal water plants, while
they did not admit they We're in danger
OF serious shortage nevertheless We're
cutting off wherever they could. the
Topeka plant has supplied all the wa
ter that anybody wanted.
In some of the cities month ago pa
irons We're asked not TO use any more
water on their lawns. In every way
possible. so as not to cripple the sup
ply, patrons We're asked to econonaize.
Street washing and sprinkling in Il
number of places were at an end tenn
porarily because the water could not
be spared.
In marked contrast has been the sit
uation in Topeka where the water sup
ply never was in danger of exhaustion,
and where the officials never intimated
that anybody might economize to save
a possible shortage. Water has been
used all summer on the lawns and in
watering gardens with the full consent,
of the water department. The work of
sprinkling and washing the streets has
gone on as usual Water in considel'-
a bic quantities has even been sold to
farmers living near the city who We're
out of water and chose to haul from
the end of some of the city mains
The strain on the pumping plant was
the greatest in the history of the city.
One pump. during the rush hours was
not adequate to supply the demand and
for the first time in the history Of the
city the two old pumps at the pump
ing plant We're used together regularly.
They had been connected together for
a brief test several times, but never
before was it necessary to use both of
them to supply the demand. The new
pump, now installed and waiting for
better water supply TO be tested, viii
solve the problem in the future and
will obviate the necessity of ever using
all the power at the power house to
supply the demand
During most of the summer the de-
mand has averaged more than 3.G00.-
600 gallons of water a day part of the
time running dangerously near TO the
three and a half million gallon mark.
The capacity of one of the pumps is
about three million gallons.
Scare tales of scarcity of We ter
were brought to the city by visitors to
the plant. and We're rumored arounG by
those who did not understand the stu
alton But every test that was made
at the plant. and the careful watchful-
ness of the superintendent proved there
e.
True the water was low in the wells
lower than it ordinarily gets-but rs
fast as it went down the back pres
sure of water inside the big wells was
relieved and the water flowed in fIster
than ever.
The water in the river was very low
indeed. but seemingly the flow of wa
ter under the surface-being found I'M
der a ten-foot bed of hard clay below
the river bottom-seemed in no DANCE
of exhaustion.
With the new pump. which has 4 ca
pacity of itself of about 100000 gall
Ions day in operation it is believed
that Topeka need never fear a water
shortage. it is not likely that an
other such summer as the one Just
passed will be found again in d gem
Grafton. and by that time Topeka prob
ably viii have grown so far that a new
alignment of water power will have
been found. to supply the much larger
demand.