The Wilmington morning star., 1940-10-04
WATER SHORTAGE
FORCES CITY TO
USE BIG WELLS
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80 milies with drinking water ma per
hans 10 or u big wells at industrlai
nlant that could supply about l'VoC
families with drinking water.
NIinimizes Danger
He minimized the danger OF salt
in water. but suggested that the
neop1e might be able to drink more
of it il they would leave salt from
their foods.
"The danger in this is not the salt
in the water but the people gong
ont and drinking water o wells
that are not purified he said.
Maffitt said that if the residents
find that the water is too nara Tor
washing clothes and dishes that a
fe3sp0onful of boraX in a pan OF
water will soften it up SO that 1t
would lather sufficiently.
Toomer's Creek; the city water
supply, now has 500 parts Of alt
per million in its water, Il 10 the
seasonal extremely high tides OIL
Wednesday night and yesterday
morning and the lack of rain on the
cane Fear watershed.
Naffitt said the weather bureau
predicts no rain at this time. "They
see no rain in sight, he said, ana
even should it rain today on the up
per reaches of the Cape Fear water
she'd it would be ten days before that
water would reach Tooner's Creek.
The last rain on the watershed
he said. occurred some ten days ago
at Greensboro, when a half-inch fell
The benefit of that rainfall has al
ready been received and is gone, ne
said.
Muskrats and other animals, he
said, have dug holes through the
earthen dixie which surrounds Toom-
er's creek and salt water from the
high tides Is seepins into the creek,
communicating the water waiting
there for pumping into the city va
ter qualification plant.
II is. of course, impossible to re
move the salt from the water, he
said.
He reported there are $50 parts of
salt per million at the upper end OF
Toomer's Creek, through which the
most of the city's water normally
comes into the intake, That count
was made at dead low water, he said,
and Immediately upon the change OF
he tide the count rose to 1000 parts
per million.
Water in the city pipes yesterday
morning contained about 300 parts
oer million, which rose to 400 early
yesterday afternoon, and Maf1itt said
here is a indication the amount OF
salt will continue TO rise.
He recommended that he be al
lowed to contact apartment
houses. ice plants, laundries and
other establishments having pri-
vate deep wells and secure per
mission from them to use such
water from their wells as they do
not need.
Where he is given such permis-
sion, he said. he would install
pumps and pipelines to pipe the
water to the sidewalks where fau-
Gets will be set to allow the public
to come with buckets to secure
fresh drinking water.
In addition he asked that al
persons in the city who have prl-
vate wells at their homes notify
the public works department i'm
mediately if they + willing tc
allow the public TO come there for
drinking water. These pumps, he
said, will be listed and persons in
curing for a source of water viii
be referred to them by the depart
ment of public works.
Wade's recommendations
After hearing Maffitt's report.
Commissioner of Public Works j.
E. L. Wade recommended that ID
a special appropriation of 81, DOC
be made for the water department
to deal with the emergency; co
that all city wells producing good
water be put into condition; co
that private deep wells be used
where possible, piping the water
to the street so the public can gel
it in buckets; az that work be
started Immediately to repair the