The Twin Falls times. [volume] (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1905-1916, 1915-04-27
SNAKE RIVER
WATER IMPURE
Sanitary Inspector Declares Con-
ditionS Bad
WOULD MAKE CITIES ACT TO I'M
PROVE CONDITIONS
Recommends Compelling All to Take
Better Care Of Their Sewage in His
Report.

Idaho Daily Statesman, April 26, 1915.
Conditions at Burley are such that
there is not the slightest doubt that
the sewage from the sugar factory
and the stock yards is polluting
Snake river, but the same condition
exists all along the river in Idaho,
according to a report made by State
Sanitary Inspector White to DR..
Falk.
Mr.. White therefore recommended
that no action be taken in the Burley
case until the board of health is In a
position to compel all cities to prop
erly dispose of their sewage. He
described conditions along Snake river
as being dangerous to the public
health.
His report was as follows:
April 20-Ralph Falk, M. d., sec
retary state board of health.
Dear Sir-Complying with your re-
quest under date of April IA, that an
investigation be made of the sugar
factory at Burley, Idaho, l beg to ad-
wise you that on April 16 I made a
personal investigation of this plant
and the stock yards adjacent thereto.
FROM THREE SOURCES
The condition of the stock yards
is as good as l have seen in the state.
The stock in these yards belong to
the Portland Feeder company of
Portland, Ore. This stock yard is
located directly on the bank of the
Snake river and, of course, most of
the refuse, manure, and offal goes into
the river. Immediately below the
stock yards is the outlet of the sugar
factory sewer and the city sewer, the
city sewage passes through two
compartment septic tank, while the
sewage from the sugar factory goes
direct into the river There is no
question but what the water in Snake
river is polluted at this point from
these three sources: viz, the stock
yards, sugar factory sewer and the
city sewer.
SEWER FOR ALL IDAHO
This matter of the pollution Of the
water in Snake river is a big ques-
tion. AS a matter of fact Snake river
is Idaho's sewer as everything from
T ST. Anthony to Lewiston, on both sides
of the river and it's tributaries, goes
into this water. Irrigation water TAX
en- from the river is in some instances
ScAL OuI OtCl lCA IIllLCO ltaAO as AAuNAi
as four or five times before it gets
back into the river. This kind of wa
ter, in my opinion, can be nothing
short of the essence Of all kinds OF
pollution 1t is known fact that irri-
cation bitches are used by the farmers
for. sewers, as we'll as for other pur-
poses. l know of many instances
where privies have been built out over
these bitches; where stock is allowed
free access to bitches; where hogs use
them for wallowing places in the
hot weather; where barn and stock
yards are built on the banks so thai
manure and other refuse can work it.
self into the bitches; where dead pigs
sacks of dead cats and kittens, sheep
ETC., have been deliberately thrown in
to these laterals and waste water dit
ches
In nearly all of our towns and citie:
located on streams and rivers sewer
empties into them. Livery stables
are built on their banks and the ma
nure dumped into the water. Goot
examples of this may be found at st
Anthony and. Caldwell. The Siicl
Bros Construction company nea
Glenns Ferry have their stables ant
stock yards directly on the bank of th
river. There are any number Of thes
conditions, all adding their proper
ton of pollution to the waters tha
eventually reach Snake river, ant
which is sent out over the irrigate'
country for irrigation and domesti
uses.
ALL TOWNS CARELESS
In view of the conditions existing
all over the state, would recommen
that action in the Burley case be de
ferred until such time as some geher
al plan is outlined by the board Q
health requiring all cities to take pro
per care of their sewage.
In support of my statements | er
submitting herewith photographs Q
sources of pollution of these waters.
Very truly yours,
]. N. WHITE,
State Sanitary Inspector