The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-05-02
City Water Supply May Be Con
taminated Thru Asylum.
State Violates Own Rules in
Allowing This Drainage.
Topeka TO TAKE QUICK ACTION
Mayor and Commissioners To
Investigate Matter.
Evidence OF Slack Methods
Used by State Officials.

Is the state of Kansas liable for the
contamination of the city water sup
ply? Can the state be compelled to
change conditions believed to be a
constant source of infection to the
water the people of Topeka drink?
These are questions that Mayor
Corwine and the city commissioners
will attempt at once to solve. Com
missioner Stanfield, after a close eX-
animation of conditions at the city
water plant. and numerous and ex-
haustive scientific meteorological
drainage ditch running thru the state
hospital grounds. carrying drainage
from the COW barns, surface litter
frem pig pens. and other matter. pass
ing parallel to the city water plant
and running within five feet of well
No /. is responsible for the contam1-
nation found in the water.
In the first place state hospital au-
thorities changed the direction of the
stream as it passed over their prop
erty The state authorities changed
the flow of this stream. running it
westward directly paralleling the line
OF city water wells and turned it into
the river, running within five feet of
one well, and providing a source of
constant contamination to the entire
river water supply above the wells.
At one time according to c. p. Boil
mar, a we'll known Topeka resident,
the stream started in Arlington
Heights. wandered down to the river,
draining the asylum grounds to Il
point southwest of the water plant.
There it turned eastward and ran to
another little stream where ii entered
the river. But the state changed the
flow of the stream and ran it into an
other stream that originates in Gage
park.
State Violates Own Ruling.
At the time Potwin Place endeav-
ored to put in a sewer above the plant
then located on Harrison street, a SUI
preme court decision restrained them
from doing so. At that time it de-
velOped that the source of water sup
ply alAeady was contaminated by sew
erage from the asylum. The sewer
was in place before the water plant
and the city was forced to move the
plant to the present location up the
river from the point the asylum sew
erage enters the stream. Then Pot
win got in its sewer main.
Now the state is violating the ruling
on which the city had to move the
water plant.
Bolmar says that DIR. S. ]. Crumbine
wrote him to the effect that the water
would have to circulate thru the
ground for so long a distance before
reaching the wells that it would purify
itself. State officials denied the find
ing of contamination I'm the water sup
ply. They declared that if it was there
ii game from some other source than
the drainage ditch in question. The
matter was called to the attention of
the former city commission by Boil
mar but they evidently took no action
as'the stream is still there, a constant
source of danger. 1t may be true that
the drainage, surface drainage, from
pig pens, cow barns and other live
stock pens, swill dumps and outhouses
may not be a source of danger and
IT may be true that the water is puri-
fled before reaching a point where 1t
can get into the wells or the stream
above the plant, but there is doubt
about it in the minds of Topekans
Commissioner Stanfield forcibly and
publicity stated his position in regard
to taking up the fight against the state
in allowing them to continue to run
this drainage ditch to the water plant
When it was called to the attention
of Mayor Corwine, he stated that il
conditions were found as described il
was without doubt a menace to the
city and that the city commissioners
should get into action against the con-
tnuatiDn of this practice. The mayor
inlfnds to make an eXaminat ton of the
teEritOTy under question. He will cal
tnrthe assistance of experts in an eff.
Sfort to ascertain without reason fol
doubt the source of contamination
proved to exist in the water before
the chlorinators were installed. If the
DECISION is attained that the state
may be held liable for injecting the
city water, some action will doubtless
be- started at once to eliminate the
trouble.