New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1917-04-11

CnlS QlrecClOn, am sure the cltlzenS
would find it the same paying investment
that it has been found In other wide
awake and enterprising cities. s.
6. E. R.:
Chicago April 6.
Within the past year the question of
an adequate water supply for the city.
of NewUlm has been discussed at differ
ent times and at some length. It has
been commended without any serious
opposition that it will be only question
of short time before the water situation
in this town will become very grave
indeed. Different sources Of water
supply have been considered and in
vestigated by the city council but
nothing has resulted therefrom. Con-
Quoting the water from the springs at
Marschner's mill has been considered
and this project has been practically
dropped, because a superficial examina-
ton of the proposition has demonstrated
its impracticability. The water situation
becomes more acute every year largely
because of the steady increase in the
number of consumers and the apparent
inability of the city to increase it's
yearly output, especially as the leakage
is bound to increase from year to year
on account Of the increasing porosity
of the pipes conducting the water.
Oiling some of the streets and
thereby reducing the water heretofore
annually used for sprinkling purposes,
has had tendency to relievethe situation
somewhat but this saving of water has
apparently not been sufficient to relieve
the minds of The city officials upon whom
devolves the responsibility of making
provision for an adequate supply. At
any rate one is justified in reaching this
condition from the fact that in recent
issue of the Review, the question Of a
sufficient water supply is again seriously
considered.
= +
From last years statement of 1.-THE
Superintendent of the Waterworks it
appears that in the neighborhood OF 83
million gallons of water were pumped
of which approximately % million gallons
were lost, leaving about so million
gallons that were actually consumed.
The quantity of water consumed an
nually is on the increase and it would
therefore seem that the only logical
thing to do would be to sink more wells
and thus increase the output. But there
seems to be question in the minds Of
some who have given this matter thought
and study whether the sinking Of adj
ditional wells would accomplish the
purpose. It is well-known fact that
the well sunk near the reservoir is not
yielding the supply that was expected
and it is maintained by some that the
sinking OF additional wells would have
a tendency to decrease the flow in the
other wells to such an extent that nothing
would be gained and that therefore it
would be waste of the city's money
to attempt to increase the water output
in that manner. If there is no other way
to increase the water supply and the city
IS not yet ready to install a fltering
system, then the only thing that can be
done to relieve the situation is the
practice of economy in the use of water
and to eliminate if possible consumers
who may not use water for drinking
and other household necessities, because
in the final analysis the individual must
be considered first. The only con-
sumers Of any consequence who might
be eliminated on this theory are the two
railroad companies who annually con-
sumo about s million gallons. But they
mist have water and if the city would
cut them of, they would naturally sink
their own wells and by so doing might
take away enough from the city visible
water supply so that the city would lose
indirectly what they are not willing to
supply directly. Practically all the
water used by the railroad companies
is for the purpose Of supplying their
engines and well water is not absolutely
necessary for that purpose. It is. even:
claimed that softer water would not be
as hard on their boilers and Aues as well
water. 1t just occurs to me that it.
might be possible to supply the railroad
companies with river water and use the.
reservoir in North German Park as a