The twice-a-week Twin Falls times. (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1916-1918, 1918-01-15
ENGINEER M'DONNELL CON.
WINGED AUDIENCE AT
LAVERING
Only Apathy Can Beat
Issue Is Opinion
Typhoid Possibility From Water
Eliminated-Ch Cheaper to Build
Now Than Municipal
Utilities Like Waterworks Pay.

In spite of bad weather a good sized
crowd, including a few women, gather
ed in the Lavering theater last night
to listen to plain, unvarnished state
ment Of water conditions by r. e.
Mcdonnell of the engineering firm of
Burns & Mcdonnell of Kansas City.
and those interviewed after the meet
ing declared that they had had all
doubts removed as to the wisdom and
feasibility of the plan. The evidence
that period Of postwar prosperity
would make a system more instead of
less costly after the great struggle
than at present had a profound effect
on many
The mayor and council occupied the
stage with the engineer who was in
troduced by Mayor f. F. Bracken, who
said that the interest felt by all the
members of the city administration in
the waterworks was the interest of
citizens. They all realized that un-
der ordinary circumstances it was in
advisable to vote bonds at this time
and that the government advised that
1t should only be done where neces-
sary. This was deemed necessary be-
cause the supply was inadequate for
ordinary municipal needs and for
proper fire protection, and because
the character of the water in the
present system was bad. He said
that the work would all be perma-
nent and would be needed in any
system that might be constructed or
any extension that might be made.
Engineer Mcdonnell referred in
opening his address to the growth oil
the pure water idea, from the time
when the theory prevailed that any
wet water was good water The mat
ter of cost, he said, must be consid-
cred. With unlimited funds any city
could get plenty of good water, but
the problem of getting good water
at cost that would permit its be-
ing secured was the cne which con-
fronted this, as most other cities Ty-
phoid fever is a preventable disease
and from sixty-five to seventy pei
cent of it is due to impure water. This
can be absolutely remedied by proper
filtration and treatment.
Mr.. Mcdonnell quoted many figures
to show the striking decrease of ty-
phoid fever cases and deaths after
the installation of proper water sys-
TENS He explained that the system
contemplated the use of both the ca
nails and wells, the canal during the
summer when the demand for water
would be great. He explained the diff
ficulties of the well situation but de-
clared that they were assured of a
reasonable supply from such sources
during the time that canal water
would not be available, so that there
would be plenty of water at all times
The water would be filtered with a
gravity flow, so that no large force
would be needed. The settling tanks
would precipitate from rs to so pei
cent of all the foreign matter in the
water and after filtration it would b,
ninety-nine and a half per cent pure
The germs that escaped filtration
could easily be disposed of by the ac
| ton of chlorine. Care has becom,
more necessary on account of tn,
growth of cities, instead of one il
twenty living in cities as at the tim
of the Revolution more than half tn
population is now urban.
! The speaker then described in de
tail the proposed system, using slides
to illustrate all points. He showed
how instead of having maximum ca
pacity of 100000 as at present witt
pressure too weak to drive it to tn
| second story of buildings during tn
there would be Immediately dali,
capacity of 100000 gallons, with
pressure, uniform throughout the cit
| of about 20 pounds. There would b
a hydrant within 400 feet of ever
building in the city At present fron
$4,000 to $4,000 is spent annual
on repairs that would not have to b
made under the new system and thi
great saving could be applied to tn
paying off of the indebtedness. H
pointed out that a paying municipa
utility is not like a sidewalk, whicl
brings in no revenue. 1t pays for it
self and in some cases, both in thi
country and England, municipal utili
ties not only have paid for themselve
but later paid all local taxes as vel
Under the present system much rev
enue was lost last summer by reaso
of rebating to property owners il
parts of Twin Falls where the waite
did not reach the second story Thi
i condition meant greater fire risks an
higher insurance premiums.
The new system without additio
u would supply a city more than twic
the size of Twin Falls.
Another advantage in a good waite
1, system was to be found in the encoul
= lagement to give to men to start fac
{ tories. In Billings, Mont, since tn