Omaha daily bee., 1915-01-01
HOWELL SAYS WATER is GOOD
Tells in His Annual Report Of Ex-
penditures of Half a Million.
NEW MACHINERY IS INSTALLED
Reserve supply of water ON Hand
for Cases of EmerRency Has Prac-
ticsIIy Been Doubled by Addi-
tion TO walnut Hill station.


General Manager r. b. Howell Of the
Metropolitan Water district in a sum-
mary Of the work done by the Water
board In 1914. says:
During the last year the Metropolitan
Water district has completed more new
construction than during any equal per-
iod since public ownership Of the water
plant was initiated
AT the Florence pumping station the
steam plant has been thoroughly mod
ernized by the addition Of boilers, In
stallation OF stockers. coal bunkers,
! steam flow meters and the completion OF
ash tunnel and pit. at a cost of S5Sl5S
The pollution of the river water supply
due to Mil creek has been obviated byth
completion Of a dam in the creek and q
cutoff sewer enptying the normal creek
| flow into the river below the intake, at q
cost Of $40, az.
Concrete I9take Wells.
Permanent concrete intake wells.
necessary buildings. etc. river protection
and addition suction have been installed
at cost OF slO,925.
"The pumping plant has been supple
| Nth0Ntu ny n 1u,VVutVV-kalOH lOW HOINlC0
pump. discharge and cross-connection
main, ventura meters and other improve
ments at a cost OF $295SS,
| The pumping plant has also been
supplemented by a circulation system
operated by an electric plant which also
furnishes electric lighting throughout the
grounds, with the result that there IL a
saving of from 100000 to 100000 gallons
af INIT a..
ments involved an expenditure of $21, ,l07.
"At the settling basins, improved mix
ing wcirs of high efficiency have been In
stalled and the excavation OF a new basin
completed, also a cross-connecting pipe
limo installed between the thirty-slx-lnch
and thirty-eight-inch delivery mains In
volving construction to the amount OF
$41.12s.
New Pump Installed.
At the Poppleton avenue station. sup
plying the elevated portions Of the city.
new boilers and an additional 12OOO,o 600
gallon pump have been installed at a cost
Of $41,766.
The reserve supply of water on hand
In times OF emergency has been practi-
cally doubled at Walnut Hill by the con-
struction of q third reservoir at q cost OF
s4S.sTs
In addition to all these Improvement.
the distribution system of the water
works has been extended during the year
by the installation of practically twenty
three miles OF pipe lines, and the fire
service improved by the addition OF 21l
fire hydrants making the total number
OF additional fire hydrants installed ir
two and one-half years 502. The twenty,
three miles of pipe lines added to the dis
tribution involved the expenditure o.
H71.5Es. .,l
Spends Half a million.
: A summation of all these Improvement
: completed during 1914 in new construc
ton indicates a total expenditure o.
s4e2.Ss
The character of water supply afforded
/ has been further improved by careful at
tention TO sedimentation and sterilization
: with the result that at the present time
the water is practically clear, with tn,
; bacteria averaging below 20. These re
suits are very satisfactory when IL Il
{ remembered that the European STANDARD
} is 100 bacteria per C. c. The test for color
{ bacilli has been almost uniformly mega
! tive. so far as finished water is con
lOeEicO' anu % q consequence tSphois
D fever in Omaha has been at the mini
r mum. while some OF our neighbors hav'
) been fighting almost an epidemic Of thi
character
D During the year the number Of service
( will have increased approximately 1871
4 making a total number OF services sup
/ piled approximately 1850.
5 In the matter of rate reduction. one in
t creasing the discount from the forme
: maximum rate charges by the Omehi
= Water company. from 20 TO Sats per cent
5 became effective respecting bills 70
: water used in January and thereafter
a In July there was another reduction
= made OF per cent of the net amount o
bills provided the same was paid within
5 ten days OF the date of bill
ra