The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1914-07-15
CITY NEEDS new
STORM SEWERS
STATE OFFICIALS
Members of Works Board
Favor Plan to Enable Con-
structiOn of Modern Sys-
TEN Soon.
Bavis Proposes Continuance
of z Cent Tax Levy After
Payment of Bonded In
debtedness. .

Heavy rain storms of the last few
days have served to forcibly Impress
city officials with the fact that one of
the most serious questions confronting
the city government is the imperative
necessity of providing a more ade-
quate storm sewer system within the
next five years.
Already the city has outgrown the
storm sewer system put down a num-
ber OF years ago but 1T cannot be re-
placed by q system of larger mains
and more numorus trunk lines at pres
ent because the city does not have the
funds to make such a costly improve
ment.
Charles Marlatt of the board of
public works summarized the sewer
situation in Richmond as follows to
day:
when our storm sewer lines were
put down the city was much smaller
than it is now and the cement curbs
and cutters were not then in use.
With the growth Of the city and the
more rapid manner in which streets
our sewers cannot adequately carry
OH water during abnormal rains AS
result great damage is done to proper
ty every time the city is visited by
such storms as We had the first two
days of this week."
Two Troublesome Trunks.
TWO storm sewer trunk lines whica
always cause great property damage
during heavy storms are located in
the north and south end of the city,
one running under South C street and
draining entirely too large territory.
and one running under North E street
and Ft. Wayne avenue. The South C
street sewer until a few years ago met
al demands made upon it but when
the additional burden of draining the
territory about the Reeveston addition
was placed on 1t, 1t proved to be abso-
lutely inadequate during any storm of
more than usual severity. Last Mon
day at the heighth of the severe storm
South c street was q lake and many
contributory streets were flooded,
causing large number of Easements
to be flied and the street surfaces
badly damaged
Flooded streets and water-filled
Easements are also the rule along the
route of the North E street sewer dur
| ing excessive rain falls
There are also a number of other
storm sewer lines which fail to meet
] modern requirements.
Bavis Has Plan.
I'm my opinion the city should at
once begin to plan for the eventual
! replacement of our storm sewers with
modern system" said President Ba-
Wis of the board today. II don't know
| whether it would be advisable right
now to establish a sinking fund to
meet this future heavy expense. but I
do believe it will be a wise plan. after
the city's bonded Indebtedness of $42,-
500 is paid off, in November. 1916. not
to suspend the cent tax levy for the
fund to meet this bonded debt but
to continue it for the purpose of Gre
ating sinking fund to meet the ex-
pense of a new sewer system"
| Mr.. McMinn of the board said today
that relief for sewer conditions on
North E street and Fort Wayne ave-
nue. was to be provided by the con-
struction Of more inlets. He also said
a plan of relieving the South c street
sewer by the construction of a storm
sewer on South b street, from Six
teenth street to Sixth street was be-
ing considered.