The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-07-10
INTO The MAINS
New Harrison Street Well Is
Hooked Up Today.
Pumps 1850 Gallons a Minute
in First Test.
TO SINK TWO MORE WELLS
Supply Better in Quality and
Quantity, 1t Is Said.
Water VIII Be Turned Into the
Mains Saturday.
70 SINK TWO MORE Wells

Water from the new Harrison street
well was turned into the mains for the
first time this morning. it was an
nounced by w. A. Stanfield, city water
commissioner, and drilling of two
more wells of the same capacity
million gallons per day-wilI be start
ed soon. Stanfield hopes to be get
ting water from one of them by Au-
gust Is and from the other by the
first part of September.
The new Harrison street well came
up to and beyond expectations in pro-
duction and quality. 1t has any of
the west end wells bested 100 per
cent in output and is entirely free
from contamination, while all of the
west end wells show traces of impure
ties, the commissioner asserted.
A representative of a drilling COM
pany arrived in Topeka Friday and
drilling on the new wells will be-
gin as soon as drilling equipment, held
up by the railroad in Kansas City
yards, arrives. Drilling was to have
power vertical motors for pumping
the water direct into the mains from
the wells have arrived.
We'll Better Than Estimated.
Tests made on the completed well
late 1nuTSQay AFTERNOON were BdIlSIdC-
tory-too satisfactory, in fact. so that
the department is making further tests
today. The motor on the pump was
not running up to speed or the voltage
was low, Stanfield says. At 8 O'Clock
the well was pumping 1850 gallons
minute, nearly a million and one-half
gallons a day which is so per cent
above the estimated normal produc-
ton of the well. There was a draw
down of u feet, leaving As feet of wa
ter still in the well, eight feet from the
screen.
The water is drawn off from the
bottom, instead of from the top as I'M
der the old well system, and had a
temperature of SO degrees Fahrenheit.
The supply from the Harrison well
is pure, Stanfield says There was not
a trace of ''gas" in the water. There
will be no need to look for any con-
termination for a period of six months,
according to the water commissioner.
The minute the water was turned into
the mains, the chlorinator was at
tached.
Exceed West End Capacity.
The new well will jump water "a
hours a day to rest up the West End
wells during the summer, the heavy
water season.
referring to the criticism of the
Harrison street plant, Stanfield said
the state board of health gave him
permission to obtain a temporary
water supply from that site, after the
water there had been pronounced pure
by state psychologists. Stanfield
declares public sentiment caused the
removal of the water plant in 1891,
when there was no recognized state
board of health. The wells then were
of the old, open type. the deep well
process only being about eight years
old. Where they used surface water
then, they use water from the bottom
of the well now.
When the city bought the water
system in 1905, it paid 100000 for a
pile of junk" according to Stan
field.
Switching to a discussion of a per-
manent water supply for Topeka, the
commissioner said. 1.-The state board of
health would not submit to the set
Ting basin process for Topeka, be-
cause it is not sanitary. The city
would have to use the water too fast
and would have to depend on care
less workmen. Under that system,
as in the present case, it takes two
days to get a test on water, whereas
under the publication system hour
tests could be made. if necessary"