The Wilmington morning star., 1940-11-03

If cost; and recognizing that some
effort should be made to improve
tne salt condition of the water here
during the fall months, even if
total elimination of salt is improD-
able, I suggest for your serious
consideration the immediate ex-
ecution Of the Improvements to
your present source of supply at
Toomers Creek as detailed under
Project No. l., and this would be
my recommendation"
This recommendation to use
Toomers Creek was fully carried
out.
It do not believe this improve
ment will entirely eliminate salt
from the City water when tides
are high and rainfall very low.
Il does appear to me as probable
however, that with proper dams
and dykes this improvement might
so nearly eliminate the serious salt
condition, except in extreme cases,
as to cause very little inconven-
fence.
This construction and tn proper
operation of the gates might so
improve the water situation that
it would suffice fore years, if not
eternally. The expenditure for this
work would not be tremendously
large. On the other, I am aware
that should we have a very ad-
verse salt year in 1888, and this
construction should not prove en-
tirely satisfactory, your body
would be criticised, regardless OF
amount expended.
The public, however, should be
sympathetic and liberal minded in
this matter. It's a most serious
problem in the last analysis which
they will more fully realize if the
city is ever forced to go 81 miles
up the Cape Fear to get water
fire of salt for but two short
months in a var. l feel that they
should be sympathetic enough O
supper you in the experiemn at
Toners Creek, if it proves t be
such. You positively do not have
ample information in hand, nor is
it available within several years,
to justify moving your present
water intake to any one point in
this whole section. You have there
fore a choice of two courses as
I see it. 1st-To spend the smallest
amount possible to properly i'm.
p1 your present source of water
supply with the hope that it will
prove satisfactory for years to
come, while the Chemist connected
with your Broad of Health or your
Water Department, begins next
fall on an annual study, by actual
tests, of the river water conditions
suggested herein. 2nd-Allow the
situation to remain as it is today"
These tests were regularly made
and disclosed no unsuitable water
supply until the unusual emergen-
cy arising October 3rd, 1910.
cat Kings Bluff, 81 miles up
the Cape Fear River. the U. S.
Government constructed several
years ago a dam, with looks, in
their project to give Fayetteville
navigable water the year round.
II is possible the study by the
chemist will reveal the eventual
necessity of going above this dam
at Kings Bluff to ecure water
free Of salt 1865 days each year.
If such a calamity should ever
befall us it would require a pipe
line about 20 miles in length and
that, with pumps etc, would cost
approximately 900, 100000. Only the
study by the chemist can remove
such a cloud.
I do wish the whole population
Of Wilmington could learn in some
way the definite fact that e
Northeast River waite rhas been
tested time and again by chemist
and water experts, and on account
of its color mostly, which cannot
be removed inexpensively, is un-
suitable for a water supply for a
city. That same condition prevails
in practically all tributaries of the
Cape Fear and the Northeast
Rivers, and always if they are fed
by sWamps. Dead leaves from
thousands of acres of swamp lands,
with its growth, creates a tanic
acid, a color, and makes the water
stated, undesirable for City use.
The conclusion, therefore, as to
the source of supply of Free water
for Wilmington is simple, but most
definite. It is the Cape Fear River
at some point that will always be
determined except during the salt
water periods in the fall, and then
over a period of years. Until that
information is available we have
no place to turn for a brighter
hope for better water in the fall,
than the improvements detailed for
Creek"
Thus it may be seen that our
present emergency was not un-
foreseen by Mr.. Becton and the
governing body of the City at the
time Toomers Creek improve
ments were made. In short the
dyking and damming of Toomers
Creek was an experiment. This
experiment proved satisfactory un-
til October 3, 1910. when salt water
reached the upper mouth of Toom-
ers Creek at low tide. This con-