Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1922-02-09

Commission Believes 1t Has Solved
Most of Them, Says Gross.

| Most of Them, Says Gross.
Bringing an adequate supply of good
clean, pure water to 1900 customers in
a city, who are dependent upon the
city supply for water for drinking,
cooking and other purposes is a real
job. 1t is one that needs to be at
tackled with a full store of detailed
information, and to get best results,
tie people in charge Of the work should
have all the cooperation and helpful
suggestion that anyone in the city
can possibly furnish them.
During the past year the water sup
ply for the city of Wisconsin Rapids
has been a source of some vexation to
both the consumers of water and the
Commission that has charge of sup
plying it. Numerous factors have en-
tered into the problem that have COM
plicated it enormously. First, there
was the unusually dry season of the
past summer, which cut the supply
short. Then there was the lack of ade-
sauate pumps at the Oak street station
which was the most reliable source of
supply. The dry hot summer caused
an unprecedented demand for water
for sprinkling lawns, etc. Then there
were one or two occa sions in which the
power to run the pumps was cut off
by the burning of overhead electric
wires making it necessary to fill the
mains with river water.
The users of water in this city have
had cause to complain about the stu
alton. The Commission has "sweat
blood trying to remedy the difficulties
as they arose, and to provide against
future emergencies.
The Reporter has gone very fully
into the water situation and will at
tempt to analyze it for the benefit of
the public, with the hope that such
analysis shall help all parties concern
ed toward an early removal of causes
for complaint that shall be reasonably
permanent and satisfactory to all.
Possible Sources.
There were three possible sources
for water supply The first two, the
river, and the creeks to the south, were
open to the same objection, namely
that an expensive and complicated sys-
tenn of filtration would be necessary,
and the river water would also require
he solution of hard problem in chem
lcal treatment. The third possible
source is the large number of springs
flowing into the river, through STRAIT
I'm Of water bearing sand which under
lies the main part of the city on the
east bank at depth of about fourteen
feet. These springs used to flow out
of the bank all along from about where
the Forest Hill Cemetery is now down
to what is known as the Bulls Eye"
mile and half or more below the
city.
Now there were two ways of tap
ping this spring supply. 1t could be
caught in a collection system on the
river bank, as is being done at the
Third street pumping station, and
pumped from reservoirs into the city
supply system. Or it could be tapped
by wells and collection system placed
back from the river on the east side of
the city, as is being done at the Oak
street station.
Now here comes difference of o.
pinion among those who have studied
the proposition. Some maintain that
the collection system on the river
bank is better, as being easier to keep
free from surface water, and having
filtered farther through the sand, is
freer from the marsh smell and taste
which they claim is inseparable at the
present time from the water collected
in wells to the east of the city. They
maintain that a sufficient supply of
this purer water, fee from ordor, taste
or discoloration can be secured by ex-
tending the Third street system of col
lection reservoirs and thing, and that
the purchase of the land about the
Sand Hill which acts as natural fill
tration plant, would insure the supply
against contamination. This land could
be used for park purposes, aviation
grounds, and the like. The flow of
water from one well now on the B. NJ
Vaughan place below the Third street