To Protect Des Moines Water Supply

To Protect Des Moines Water Supply

It was announced last week that to protect the Des Moines, Ia., water supply the Des Moines Water Company would make application to the district court for an injunction aaginst the city of Valley Junction to prevent sewage from being dumped into the Raccoon River, also for an order against the city of Des Moines to prevent sewage from being turned into the river from the Thirty-seventh street septic tank. As a further precaution. Dr. G. H. Sumner, secretary of the State Board of health, announced he would issue an order to the Rock Island Railroad, and all other lines using the tracks between Des Moines and Valley Junction, that the closets on the trains are not to be opened on this stretch of the road. Dr. Sumner looked into the purity of the Raccoon River water. He assigned Prof. Lafayette Higgins and the state chemist to investigate conditions at Valley Junction. They reported that after a conference with the Valley Junction city officials they had been promised that the work of constructing a septic tank at the end of the sewer system would be pushed rapidly. In the meantime, they said, the sewage from the city is bejng emptied into the Raccoon River Neither the state board nor the water company was willing to permit weeks and months to go by before the condition is remedied and the state board offered co-operation in its intended action. The reports of analysis of the city water by Noah Davis, city chemist, show the water being furnished by the local company to be good. During July the quality of the water was above compalint. However, with the lack of rain and continued dumping of sewerage into the Raccoon River, the authorities feared disease germs might find their way into the water suppply. General Manager C. S. Denman, of the Des Moines Water Company said that it is his policy to protect the water supply from contamination and the injunction process seems the best method to follow.

It was announced last week that to protect the Des Moines, Ia., water supply the Des Moines Water Company would make application to the district court for an injunction aaginst the city of Valley Junction to prevent sewage from being dumped into the Raccoon River, also for an order against the city of Des Moines to prevent sewage from being turned into the river from the Thirty-seventh street septic tank. As a further precaution. Dr. G. H. Sumner, secretary of the State Board of health, announced he would issue an order to the Rock Island Railroad, and all other lines using the tracks between Des Moines and Valley Junction, that the closets on the trains are not to be opened on this stretch of the road. Dr. Sumner looked into the purity of the Raccoon River water. He assigned Prof. Lafayette Higgins and the state chemist to investigate conditions at Valley Junction. They reported that after a conference with the Valley Junction city officials they had been promised that the work of constructing a septic tank at the end of the sewer system would be pushed rapidly. In the meantime, they said, the sewage from the city is bejng emptied into the Raccoon River Neither the state board nor the water company was willing to permit weeks and months to go by before the condition is remedied and the state board offered co-operation in its intended action. The reports of analysis of the city water by Noah Davis, city chemist, show the water being furnished by the local company to be good. During July the quality of the water was above compalint. However, with the lack of rain and continued dumping of sewerage into the Raccoon River, the authorities feared disease germs might find their way into the water suppply. General Manager C. S. Denman, of the Des Moines Water Company said that it is his policy to protect the water supply from contamination and the injunction process seems the best method to follow.