The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-04-20
RIVERS AND LAKES
COMMISSION
State Of illinois Has Undertaken to
Assist Cities to Solve Their
Water Prob
Ions.
IS A SERIOUS QUESTION
All Sewer Plans Must be Submitted
Before the Work Can
be Under.
taken.

CHICAGO, I1l., April 2O.-The state
has undertaken to assist the cities
and towns within its borders to solve
their water supply problems. The
agency charged with this work Is the
rivers and lakes commission, which Is
acting under law effective July 1,
1913.
Long extended droughts which have
afflicted Illinois in very recent years,
together with rapid growth of city
population have forced to the front
the serious problems Of water supply
which practically every city in the
state today faces. Cities which derive
their supplies from running streams
are confronted by both difficulties;
that is Of supply and Of purity.
In a statement issued today, Arthur
NV. Charles, chairman Of that commits
sion. says:
The old system followed BY many
cities of discharging raw sewage in.
to open streams has become a men.
ace to public health and offensive to
those who use them for water supply.
The contamination in many instances
is SO great as to destroy fish and 9TH
Ier aquatic life.
The condition is emphasized along
the Fox and Sangamon rivers, par
|ticularly the former, where there are
a large number Of growing towns sit.
uated only a few miles apart, and
where the down river towns are Of
Tended by the pollution Of the towns
above them Along Fox river evil
dence shows that at points where the
pollution Is very bad, ice IS cut and
stored.
/ Acting under section IA Of the
rivers and lakes act, the commission
has made inspections along these riy-
ers and has held a number Of hear
ings. Complaint was made of pollu'
1tion Of the Fox river by sewage from
/ Elgin, Aurora, Geneva. Batavia and
st. Charles. AS a result Of the tes-
ltimony offered, the commission has
|ordered each to file, in its Office, by
IApril 10, 1914, complete plans for
the installation OF a system for the
treatment Of raw sewage before 1t Is
emptied into the river. Trade waste
from various factories along the riv-
er was found to be a contributing
factor, and the proper officers Of the
factories were notified to present some
scheme for preventing pollution.
I'm most cases the commission has
found tho towns willing to abate the
nuisance, but in nearly all instances
the inability to raise the funds is the
obstacle.
AT Aurora, city Of 10000 inhab'
itants on the Fox river. the author,
titles agreed to submit plans at once
for a remedy st. Charles and Ngin
farther up stream, against which com
plant was made, have submitted
plans for sewerage reduction. AT
Geneva the principal offender Is the
state school for girls, which has no
appropriation at present with which
to install reduction plant.
Decatur, on the Sangamon river
presents a very difficult problem. The
city has 10000 people and is rapidly
growing. The pollution at that place
ia very bad At recent hearing on
complaint of land owners the fact
was brought out that farmers have
difficulty in keeping workmen on the
farms along the river because Of the
unbearable stencil from the stream
caused by Decatur sewage. Evidence
was given to the effect that stock
was often affected by the water. There
WAS no denial of the evidence thai
there were no fish in the river for 6
distance Of ten miles below Decatur
although there are fish farther dowI
the stream and in the river above the
city.
"The commission believes the soon
er town and city authorities realize
the importance to public health II
minimizing tho pollution OF our water
ways, the less will be the agGravatior
after the places acquire greater popu
letiou. With this end in view. the
commission is asking for the co
operation CT the communities where
sewerage is contemplated aud is OF
fer.ng the services of its engineerins
department to help formulate plans
"As soon as the commission learns
OF the intention Of any town to In
stall a sewer system or make change
in sewer matters. 1t at once requests
copy Of the plans for taking car
| of the sewage. Under co-operatfv
| agreement with the state water SUI
| vey, the latter passes on the feasib1
ity of the plans. The commission at
vises ali municipalities contempla'
ing sewer construction to be govern
ed by a reasonable regard for tn
future growth of the town and to II
clude in its plans some scheme 10
the publication of the sewage.
During the last few weeks tn
IIfollowinz towns In the state have sui
limited plans for sewage system L