Lincoln County times. (Jerome, Idaho) 1911-1919, 1915-04-29
Snake River Water Polluted.


Those who take occasion TO quench'
their thirst from the irrigation ditch :
es will have reason to shudder upon .
reading report OF the State Sanitary
Inspector after an investigation Of
the waters OF the Snake river from
which we receive our supply of water
for irrigation. Fortunately for the
people OF the North Side tract they
are not dependent as are many 9TH
err projects. upon the snake river for
their domestic water. Pure water
can be obtained anywhere on the
tract by the drilling OF wells. and
those who cannot bear the expense OF
wells can obtain the purest OF drink
ing water from the deep wells in
town We do not believe the people
Of this tract fully appreciate the great
blessing thus derived in securing
good water.
We give below extracts from the
report OF the Sanitary Inspector az
made to the state board of health:
April 20-Ralph Falk, NJ. d.. sec
rotary state board OF health.
Dear Sir :-Complying with your
request. under date OF April IA, that
an investigation be made OF the sugar
factory at Burley. Idaho. ! beg TO ad-
wise you that on April l6 | made
personal investigation OF this plant
and the stock yards adjacent thereto.
The condition OF the stock yards
IS as good as ! have seen III the state.
The stock In these yards belong TO
the Portland Feeder Co. OF Portland.
Ore. This stock yard is located d.
rectly on the bank OF the Snake river
and, OF cource. most OF the refuse,
I 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 COM
partment septic tank. while the sew
: age from the sugar factory goes d.
rect into the river. There Is no
question but what the water In the
, Snake river is polluted at this point
y from these three sources, viz: the
stock yards, sugar factory sewer and
the city sewer.
10 This matter OF the pollution OF the
l water I'm Snake river is big ques-
. ton. AS matter OF fact Snake river
p is Idaho's sewer as everything from
ST. Anthony to Lewiston. on both
sides OF the river and its tributaries
goes into this water. II is known
/. fact that Irrigation bitches are used
by the farmers for sewers, as well at
, other purposes. ! know OF many In
stances where stock Is allowed free
access to bitches; where hogs us'
them for wallowing places In no
weather. where barn and stock yard
are built on the banks so that ma
Or nure and other refuse can work II
self into the bitches where dead pigs
sacks OF dead cats and kittens. sheer
etc. have been deliberately throw
into these laterals and waste waite
bitches.
In nearly all OF our towns and eli
Z. les located on streams and rivers
sewer empties into them. Liver
stables are built on their banks an
the manure dumped into the watei
There are any number OF these cor
ditons, all adding their proportion
pollution to the waters that EVENT.
ally reach Snake river. and which
sent out over the irrigated countr
for irrigation and domestic uses.
- In view OF the conditions existin
all over the state would recommer
that action in the Burley case be d
IN ferred until such time as some ge
eral plan is outlined by the board
IRE health requiring all cities to tai
proper care OF their sewage.
Very truly yours
J. X. WHITE.
- State Sanitary inspector.