The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-04-24
New Water Pumps Practically
Useless, Experts Assert.
They Will Add Only One Foot
to Present Supply.
contamination IS LOCATED
Water Polluted by Cow Shed at
State Hospital.
Drainage Ditch Must Be Dug
To Protect Well.

That the city of Topeka spent s22,-
600 in order to be able to pump one
foot more water from the wells at the
city water plant; that the $4,000 was
spent in order to gain only eleven per
cent more efficiency was the startling
disclosure made in the recommends
tions furnished the city today by
George Austin. hydraulic expert from
Kansas City.
According to Austin the two new
low duty rotary or centrifugal pumps
for which the city contracted several
months ago are capable of develop
ing only eleven per cent more eff
cheney. The two pumps are to be set
down in hole fourteen feet lower
than the old pumps. AT best. it is
held, the rotary type of pump is capa-
BILE of handling only about a 5 foot
lift. This makes a total of 29 feet. 1t
was stated that suction pump is far
better than rotary pump The pres
ent old pumps are capable of hand
ling % feet any time in case of emerg-
ency and SO feet may be handled if
everything works perfectly. Accord
ing to Commissioner Hancock, how
ever, it is hard to get everything
working perfectly. However. the 29
foot lift could be accomplished read
lily in case of emergency.
Money Was Wasted.
From the figures developed by the
two engineers, Stanfield, and the water
expert, Austin, it would appear to be
firmly established that the city mere
ly wasted the $4,000 in buying the
new pumps which at best will only
add one foot to the supply that may
be reached by the pumps. According
to Stanfield as soon as he learned the
true condition he tried to cancel the
city's order for the pumps. He was
unable to accomplish the cancellation
of these orders. Now, he says, the
city must take them and install them,
altho their addition to the efficiency
| Of the water supply is very far from
the engineer from Kansas City can
understand why $4,000 was spent on
machinery that was recommended be-
| fore installation as being capable OF
| furnishing only IL per cent more ef-
ficiency to the water system.
Must Get More Water.
| 1t is not machinery that is needed
| they say. The water supply itself
must be increased. This cannot be
| done by adding new pumping equip
ment- 1t is true that the addition OF
the new pumps will add one foot more
/ supply, but one foot more at $4,000
! is a price the engineers hold to be
entirely out of proportion with the
value derived. However, the machin-
cry VIII nave 10 De installed.
The source of bacteria shown to be
communicating the city water has beer
definitely located. Thru individual
| tests made upon each we'll. under the
| supervision of Commissioner Stanfield
| it was found that the contamination
| was located in the west end motor
well. The source from which the
contamination started was a large COW
shed owned by the state hospital and
located about one-half mile from the
waterworks. Drainage from the COW
i shed runs down winding ravine to-
ward the water plant. Reaching the
! plant it turns and runs in a line prac-
! tically paralleling the system of city
/ wells and reaching the end of the line
passes within about five feet of the
| west end well before running into the
| river. The result was the coli bacteria
found in the water during the late
! months of winter and which woulo
no doubt prevail now were it not fol
| the work of the chlorinator installed
to kill off the germs.
Must Dig Drainage Ditch.
According to Commissioner Stan.
field the only way to eliminate the
| surface water will be to dig another
drainage ditch at point somewher,
| before the contaminated drainag,
passes the water plant and run it east
ward into the river, avoiding coming
close to the plant.
| lHlSnOS 10 10 secure
| the financial aid of the state in max
ing this Improvement as it is contain
mated drainage from the property o
| the state that is injecting the cit,
| water supply. Stanfield says that on,
examination should have at once 10
Gated the source of contamination.
was no mystery requiring scientific
aid The source of the trouble coult
be found by following the ravine t,
the COW shed about one-half mil
away There can be no question
caused all the trouble. Commissions
Stanfield wiz take action at ono
leading to the elimination of thi
source of trouble He said furthe
that the water in this drainage ditcl
sometimes gathered and stood il
pools and that the seepage woul,
prove a constant source of infection
for the other wells.
Shaw. Makes Statement
In explanation of the large expendi
|. ture of money under the old admin
istration. former Supt. Jesse SHAY
, stated that the money was spent a
follows: For the building in whic
the pumps were installed. $500: 70
the two pumps. including motors an
electric switchboard, s4.20e; materis
used in making the necessary conneC
tions in the suction lines. about 81 SOC
: the labor cost, according to Shaw
would be approximately $500. The t.
tai expenditure then would be accord
ing to these figures 1856 Stan
fields figures were given as an az
proximation. He could not be foun
this afternoon to verify the differenc
in the total figures