The Wyandotte herald. (Wyandotte, Mich.) 1879-1943, 1942-10-23
CITY SEEKS TO
IMPROVE WATER
WORKS SYSTEM

Monday night:
\; your meeting of October >. 1912
the question Of the extension of our
water system. i'll accordance with the
aspiration of the Municipal Service
Commission To the Federal Works
Az Ley. filed on May ,, 1912. was dis
cuS>Ad and You instructed me to out
line the situation regarding our ap-
plica;iOn and also regarding the pro-
posed water main extension from
Seha- fer road, Detroit to WyandOtte
Crosse He and Trenton. You were par
ticularly interested in knowing the
facts i'll regard to the relative neces-
sity IF the two projects and the effect
of both oh the war effort in view of
their respective costs and the use in
each Of critical materials There was
a question i'll your minds whether all
these facts were i'll the possession of
the War Production Board.
The existing WyaDdOtte filtration
PLANK which is the limiting factor in
our water supply system has been in
operation without any additions for
the past ~ years and has q firm ca,
pacity of six million gallons per day.
Our source of supply is from the east
side Of the first channel of the DE
trOit river through "A inch cast iron
intake line.
In 1911. because the bacterial count
was increasing, it was deemed advis-
able - search for another source of
water supply.
Investigations were made by this
department and with the assistance of
Pate and Him, engineers employed by
this department. All of these inyeSti-
cations disclosed a good source of wa
ter supply in the second channel Of
the Detroit river. The tests were made
before and after the winter of 1911 II
and all tests showed a constant sup
ply Of water satisfactory to the State
Board of Health was available in the
second channel of the Detroit river.
1t will require an extension of our
existing intake of hoo feet in order
for us TO reach the new supply of wa
ter.
1t also became apparent to us that
greater filtration capacity was need
ed The Wyandotte filtration plant be-
gan operation in 1918, serving pop
ulatiOn of 1900 and the city has now
grown to 5000. Need of additional
filtration capacity was fOrcfbly brOugt
home to us in the summer of 1912
when there were u few days in which
the demand for water exceeded the
capacity of the filtration plant.
To meet situation which the NUM-
cipal Service Commission deemed
urgent. it was decided to enlarge the
filtration plant by adding additional
filters thereto and to extend the in
take 10 the new source of supply. Ap-
plicatiOn was made on May .. 1912. to
the Defense Public Works Agency for
aid for this project, which was given
docket number Michigan 20-26SS
Among other things. it was represent
Ell to the Federal Works Agency thar
the city of WyandOtte has many i'm
portant industrial plants devoted To
the manufacture of war materials, and
the population is rapidly increasing
i, that during the month Of July, 1912,
we had five days during the hours of
4 pm. Ia 8 pm. when our total pump
age exceeded the capacity OF the fill
Iration plant, and it was necessary To
depend Oh our storage facilities to
make up this deficiency; and on one
day it was necessary to reduce pres
sure five pounds during the above
mentioned hours to avoid lowering our
storage capacity to a point where it
would not be possible to have sufficient
water To take care OF large fire.
On July 13. 1912. our application
was diSapproved. In his letter to us of
that date. the regional engineer STATE
that the action taken, disappearing
our application, had been based upon
the views of the Federal Security Of
flee. which We quote as follows: Due
To the critical shortage or vital war
materials. and in view Of the standby
water thus made available, 1t is our
opinion that at the present time 1t will
not be necessary to expend money and
mate rails i'm water works improve
ments ut Wyandotte and TreLtOn.'
We appealed this decision on July
3, 1912, and the latest information
received in regard to 1t was that
Washington was reviewing the pro-
jet.
The Federal Security Office, in men
tiOning standby water undoubtedly had
reference to the proposed water main
extension from Schaefer road. Detroit.
To WyandOtte. Crosse lie and Trenton.
EOI Il HuIiItCE VI gCaAS oAOSS~ NV
and the village Of Riverview have Oh
tanned their water supply from the
city Of Detroit through one small wa
ter main in Fort street. The pOpull
tion in this area has increased rapidly
in recent years. and because Of this
and because Of the rapidly expanding
naval air base located on the southern
end Of Crosse lie. the Detroit water
supply became, inadequate.
SO serious had the water situation
become at the naval, air base. that Of
ficials Of the township OF Crosse He.
late this spring. made plea to Wy
sndOtte for relief. and. accordingly. To-
prevent a serious water situation at
the naval air base. an eight inch con-
nection to our main At Biddle and
Transatlantic avenues was hurriedly
Installed. This eight inch connection
rms from PENNSYLVANIA avenue TO the