Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1916-08-24

that IN moving comparative SNORT
distance through it would become puri-
fed. However, there are abundance
of opportunities for the pollution to be
carried by the underground water
through the limestone and into the
wells, where the casing is not thorough
ly secured into the sandstone at
greater depth than the surface of the
rock
This condition may not come about
Immediately or with present methods
of pumping but when you have installed
your new machinery and are pump
ing the wells harder. thereby lowering
the water to a greater depth, which
will cause more rapid flow through
the rock into the we'll and will influ-
ence the flow of groundwater over
much greater area, then the pollution
will begin to flow towards the well and
if the casing is not tight in the rocks
it will get into the well. This has hap
pened at other places.
For the above reasons | have found
it best to advise you to abandon the
present wells which | have every reas
on to believe are not thoroughly seat
ed in the sandstone | based this con
clusion on experiences in other places
where we have found it is nearly al
ways impossible to drive a casing into
the surface of the rock formation ard
secure a tight and permanent joint.
1t is true that the casing may be driv-
en- as far as can be without injury to
it, but that does not mean that it closes
the crevices which may exist in the
surface of the rock.
1t will therefore be necessary for
you to drill a new well and in so doing
| would recommend that the upper
portion of this well through the loose
material and through the limestone, If
any, and surface of the sandstone be
drilled to a diameter of at least Is
inches and at that depth say 40 to 80
feet where a good sound sandstone is
encountered, that an inch casing be
inserted and the space between the 8
inch and Is inch hole be filed with
pure cement. After this was done,
the well, would then be drilled to a
depth of $50 or 200 feet until it had
reached the bottom of the st. Peters
sandstone.
If a well is made in this way there
is no possibility of pollution entering 1t,
such as there is with the present wells
ard it is my belief that the well pro
tected in this manner and located at
the site of the present pumping sta
ton would be safe and sanitary, and
would be just as good as any supply
that could be obtained in your vicinity.
There would not be great deal
gained by going up the valley further
for the supply and the city would be
out a good many thousand dollars in
making the change. Also there would
be no advantage in drilling a well on
top of hill near the water tower, IN
fact, the chances of securing safe
supply at this location would even be
worse than at the present pumping
station, for the reason that we would
have to drill through at least 100 feet
of polluted limestone, and as the place
where we would seat our casing in the
sandstone would be at least l40 feet
| from the surface, the chances OF max
| ing a tight joint at this depth would
be much less than they are at the
present location This would not only
be expensive in first cost, but you
would have to use deep well pumps
which are both expensive in first cost
and in repairs during operation. l.,
therefore, think that it is the safe, and
only course for you to pursue to drill a
new we'll at the site of the present
pumping station in accordance with
above recommendation. 1T is better
to be safe than sorry.
1t is my recommendation that you
have the water examined from the Je-
rusaeum well and from the Govern
ment spring as | believe neither are
safe to drink.
| have already verbally made sCme
recommendation as to the change in
the design of the reservoir, and the
change in the location of the pumping
machinery which | believe are already
being carried out, These changes are
purely matters of convenience and
their safety so far as strength is con-
cerned, but have little or nothing to do
with the sanitary aspects of the prob
lem and therefore are not gone into
detail here.
Respectfully submitted,