Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1920-07-23
STORM SEWER
Is PAID FOR
Some Citizens Dubious Over
Merits of Construction
Officials Confident
CRITICISM MET BY
CAREFUL EXPLANATION
Idea That Storm Sewer and Sanitar,
Sewer Are Interdependent Is
Wrong

LadySmith's storm sewer system, so
ar as projected, is completed and con
ractor w. ID. Morgan has received his
,ay, which amounted to little more
han $4,000
Some of the citizens are skeptical
yer the adequacy and efficiency of the
yStem, as constructed to meet the
eeds which called for a storm sewer
yStem.
Most Of the criticisms and doubts eX-
ressed, however, are due to a lack of
nOWledge of the actual contruction of
he sewer and the service it is intended
q perform, in the opinion of Mayor
.ueIl
1t seems to have been the idea Of
many that the storm sewer was intend
ed to take care of the overflow of the
Sanitary sewers. The storm sewers
will, it is expected by the engineer who
made the plans and by the officials who
accepted them, take care of all the
storm water from the areas which
was intended they should. and not 51;
the surplus which the sanitary ;ewc:
could not accommodate.
1t is not known by many that the
catch-basins, which were formerly trio
utary to the sanitary sewers, were filled
to near their tops and then cemented
with the purpose of carrying all water
which flowed into them directly into
the storm sewers. There are a few
catch basins two of them being sit
uated west of the railroad tracks on
Lake-av.-which will continue to con-
tribute to the sanitary sewer, but the
area drained by these is small. The
bulk of the rain water which has
caused trouble heretofore by overflow
ing Che old sewers comes from the area
bounded on the north by Riveryiew
Heights. on the west by the 500
tracks and ON the south by WOrden-av.
1t is confidently asserted by the Off
ciating engineer and by Mayor Luell
that the new system is ample to accom-
modate all storm water from this area !;
that the sanitary system is not to carry
any al it, So it is difficult to under
Sfand why there should be any uneasi-
ness from fear of basement flooding
hereafter, If street and alley cutters
are kept open and free of trash and
dirt
The storm sewer pipe is from 30
inches in diameter at its lower end to
81 inches at its upper end. 1t has been
asserted by some that no cement was
used In -ioining the. sections of pipe,
but the mayor assures the people that
cement was used ON each joint, half
way around. which is considered suffi-
cient
There is the question of water freeZ-
ing in those parts of the system where
the pipe is nearest the surface OF the
street. III cold weather. No trouble is
anticipated from this source by those
who have studied the matter There
will be some freezing and thaWing, bat
not enough to cause any harm or dO
any damage to the pipe. There has
never been a serious flood from melting
snow in the history of this city. The
melting process has always been grad
ual and free from serious harm.
That the sewer pipe is III any dan
GER from breaking by pressure from
above, where it is near the surface
it is only about eight inches under the
street surface in one districts not
believed by the engineer,
Everybody will know more about il
after it has been given Il good tryout