Omaha daily bee., 1918-08-10
WATER SUPPLY OF
ARTES|AN WELLS
HERE IS FAILING
StoCkmen as Well as Manu-
facturers Are Facing Great
Loss as the Supply
Decreases.

Omaha's artesian basin, which sup
plies water sor number of important
industries, several Office buildings,
suburban districts not connected with
the city mains, and stock water for
The dairies and farms, west, north
west and north of the city, is failing
so rapidly that ii is causing great
alarm.
Residents living on West Q and
West Leavenworth streets. and in the
northern outskirts OF the city. whose
properties are not attached to the
municipal water supply and who
have been dependent upon well water
supplied from the artesian basin. hnds
their wells dry and they have been
hauling water from distant points to
meet ordinary domestic needs.
Dairymen and farmers who have to
have large supplies Of stock water are
also confronted with the problem OF
coping with scant supply due to the
driving up and failure Of their old
wells, which have stood the test OF
years and in many instances some
have been compelled to sink their
wells from 200 ito 400 feet deeper to
develop new source Of water supply.
Wells Are Failing.
The artesian wells of the Harding
Cream company, the Booth Packing
company, the Young Mems Christian
association. the David Cole and Fair
mont Creameries, and OF all OF the old
breweries, which are now engaged in
making beverages, are failing to such
All extent there is talk OF abandong
them, or equipping them with expen-
sive water lifting devices to stimulate
the flow.
Many industries in the city, such as
The creameries, cold storage and ar
tihcial ice plants, beverage manufac-
turers and similar concerns are de-
pendent upon water supplies other
than that OF the municipal plant They
have TO have a constant flow OF water
OF a temperature of 50 degrees or
lower for the economical cooling OF
products either IN the finished state
or in progress OF manufacture, which
cannot be prohtably cooled by any
artificial process.
Failure Causes Concern.
TO them the failure OF the artesian
Basin is matter OF real concern
and to develop problematical new
sources of supply will entail consid-
efablc exploration and great ex-
pcnse.
One Of the deepest artesian wells in
The city is that OF the Booth Packing
company, which was sunk to depth
lof 700 feet. One Of the best artesian
wells developed here was that OF the
Harding Creamery company, which
was sunk to depth of 74o feet in
1904. Ii developed flow Of 24o gal
Ions OF water per minute, the tenn
perature of the water being 50 de-
grees Fahrenheit. This is one Of the
wells that now seems threatened with
extinction.
The territory affected embraces all
OF that district north of Vinton street
in the city OF Omaha and north to the
Washington county line, and all Of
The district west Of Omaha, including
Benson, Douglas, Dundee, Millard,
McArdlc. Union. Jefferson and Flor.
ence precincts.
The loss is already felt and that
which is threatened will run into sew
eral hundred thousand dollars, repre-
semting capital now invested and the
necessity OF the expenditure Of large
sums OF money to replace the wells
that have already been ruined by the
falling condition OF the artesian BASIN.