Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1914-12-25
CITY OF WAUWATOSA.
Water Supply and Water Works
System.

System.
The first official action for the pur-
pose of providing public water sup
ply for the people of Wauwatosa, was
the passage of resolution by the Viii
lage Board at regular meeting held
September nth, 1895, declaring the
purpose to raise by general water works
bond at per cent semi-annual interest,
the sum of $40, 900. 90, payable within
90 years of thei,1 Issue Subsequent to
the passage of this resolution at a
special election held October 18th. 1895,
the question of bonding the village for
the proposed amount and object, was
submitted to, and ratified by the cleo
tore and thereafter on November 10Th
of the same wear, the Board passed its
ordinance directing that the bonds be
issued.
While the question of disposing of
the bonds was under consideration,
decision was rendered BY our State
Supreme Court. in an action involving
the Village Of North Milwaukee, which
many Wisconsin villages had incor-
porated TO be unconstitutional, and as
Wauwatosa had been incorporated
under the the same law, the validity
Of our proposed water works bonds was
questioned by the parties who had con-
te,nplated purchasing them, which for
the time put an end to further effort
for water supply.
During the legislative session of 1897,
there was passed bill introduced by
pAe Hon f. 2 Hoyt, then representing
the Wauwatosa assembly district. de-
sigued as a curative measure legalizing
the existence of all villages which had
been pIaeedin jeopardy by the Supreme
Courts decision, and at the same legis-
lative session there was passed, thel law
which provided that all villages have
ing at the last prior State or United
States census a population of 1900 or
over, should become cities of the 4th
class.
Under this law. Wauwatosa took ac-
ton and became such city on May
25th, 1897.
The Common Council of the new city
soon after its organization took up the
water supply question and disposed
of $4,000, o0-5 per cent bonds for
$41,s3s.50. Mr.. Charles I4apham of
Milwaukee was selected as the engineer
to prepare plans and specifications for
the water system. The land upon
which our well, pumping plant. reser-
vor and elevated tank are located was
purchased, and the construction work
completed with an artesian we'll for a
water supply. The well was construc-
ted ten inches in diameter to rock and
eight inches in diameter in the rock,
the total depth being 1872 feet, care
fully cased with ten inch piping driven
firmly into the reamed out upper
portion of the eight inch rock bore.
When completed, the flow of the well
as measured was found to be 400, 0CO
gallons each twenty-four hours. A
chemical analysis of the well made by
Davenport Fisher, analytical chemist
of Milwaukee, brought from him the
following report:
The water is Of unusual purity. clear as
crystal. entirely free from organic matter.
heaithful and palatable for drinking purposes,
flowing from the well at a tempera ture OF $50
Fahrenheit and under pressure of eleven
pounds to the square inch. The analysis
shows the water 10 contain 81 and li3-l00o
grains OF mineral matter to the u S. gallon
and as follows: