The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-10-18
KEOKUKS WATER SUPPLY IS Of THE BEST
st. Louis Chemist Makes Ex-
animation and Reports to
Keokuk Water Works
Company.
CITY RECEIVES A COPY

Extension of Intake Into Lake
Cooper Would Be of Little
Benefit, According to
Report.
heokuk residents are not only using
water that Is as pure and In many
cases purer than other cities along
the Mississippi river, but are getting
f. water that is much above The average
from other rivers, according to a spe-
ctal report Just made on the subject
by St Louis chemist TO the Keokuk
Water Works company. g copy OF
which has been presented to the city
According to the report the wa
ter when 1t reaches the consumer in
Keokuk, conforms to the highest
standard thus far set up By any Amert-
can authority. standard not aItogerh-
er met by some OF the larger plants
in the west"
! A short time ago, Mayor Noorheed,
on his own responsibility, questioned
the local water company II the quality
OF the water used in Keokuk could not
be greatly improved By extending the
intake pipe several hundred feet out
into the torebsy OF Lake Cooper where
the water Is constantly in motion and
! less liable to be polluted by boats
| moored along the sea wall, sediment
and the vegetable matter floating near
( the shore.
| Chemist Investigates.
! AS result OF this, the company
employed w. F. Monfort, a well known
consulting chemist of st. Louis. to
make an examination here and report
on the matter. This report has now
been made and covers twelve type
written pages. AS a preface. Mr.. Mont
! fort incloees a letter to G.. z. Hoff-
master. head OF the Keokuk Water
| Works company. whose office is In
New York. Part OF the contents Is as
| follows:
Herewith hand you a report
! OF the facts developed with refer
| snce to the condition OF the water
| supply At Keokuk, with a state
ment of conclusions as to the ad-
visibility Of changing the loca-
! ton OF the intake. 1t is not SO
mach a case OF letting well enough
| alone as OF continuing the very
good condition which already pre-
walls.
The inspection was made on Sep.
TENDER and the chemist finds that
no way could be devised to better ths
water supply here which is up to the
highest standard and that the dangers
! eluded TO by Mayor Moorhead do not
I effect the water.
Some Conclusions.
The chemist draws the following
| conclusions with which he EMS his
report:
The foregoing facts developed by
this tnves tigation with the general
questions discussed, justify the fol-
| lowing conclusions:
The currents at a depth OF If
! teen feet from the surface OF the fore
bay near the intake and beyond the
outer line of boats moored in and
above 1t are moving with a velocity
Of not less than sixty feet per hour
from the soUtherly end Of the pool
along the line Of the sea wall north
ward, while currents at a depth OF
four feet follow the same general d.
rection in the main with a lower We
locity OF about twenty feet per hour
2.-These currents afford efficient
protection Of the intake against direct
Introduction Of polluting matter from
boats and barges moored In ana above
the angle.
3.-These slow currents tend to
transport any possible local contamin-
ating matter with suspended matter
precipitsted in the forebay toward
the depths Of the quiet water.
4-The deeper water usually car
ries more sediment than that at the
eight foot depth Of the intake in the
angle OF the forebay, 80 that an ex-
tsntton Of the intake up stream
along the bottom of the pool promises
no betterment Of the quality Of the
raw water; to carry it to or toward
the quiet portion Of the eddy east
ward Of the outer line Of boats would
certain defeat the purpose Of such e1-
tension.
5.-The quality OF the water OF the
Mississippi river compares favorabIy
IN point OF freedom from pollution
with other rivers Of this section.
6.-The water taken from Lake
I Cooper carries no unusual or difficult
( burden for a filtration plant
: THE filters as now operated. are
reducing the organisms associated
with pollution to a satisfactory extent.
| 8.-The water as II reaches the con-
sumer conforms to the highest stand
ard thus far set up by any American
authority, a standard not altogether
net By some Of the larger plants in
the west
Finally. It must be Acknowledged
that the boats in the forebay are IN
slightly. and that vegetable matter liy-
ing or drifting on the surface of the
pool Is an aesthetic offense. II "a
. probable that the removal OF the craft
from their mornings to point On the
, opposite side Of the river-whfch has
been proposed and is now under CON
I Slderaron as lessening the fire risk
!. would allow eddying currents TO car
+, ry northward and away from tho In.