Kansas University Science Bulletin. 



Vol. II, No. 7. 



NOVEMBER, 1903. 



Whole Series, 

 Vol. XII, No. 7. 



SOME CITY WATER-SUPPLIES. 



BY E. H. S. BAILEY AND EDWARD BARTOW. 



'T^HERE are practically five sources of supply for cities in the 

 Missouri valley, viz. : (1) Rivers; (2) points or wells 

 sunk into the soil near the bank or in the belt of the river ; 

 (3) wells; (4) artesian wells, or those that are bored to great 

 depth; (5) ponds or lakes. 



Local conditions in each case must determine which shall be 

 the source of supply, but it often happens that from a financial 

 standpoint one source of supply would be selected, while from 

 the standpoint of wholesomeness of water an entirely different 

 w^ater would be used. Rivers are liable to be contaminated 

 from the sewerage of towns, or from the barn-yards, stock pens 

 or hog wallows on their banks ; and the same remark applies 

 to ponds and lakes. The w^ater of a well may or may not be 

 pure, according as the well is or is not properly situated with 

 reference to drainage, sewerage, and other sources of filth. 



In Kansas and vicinity a large number of cities draw their 

 water-supply from wells, because that is the only feasible 

 source. There are in Kansas the following river systems 

 where the water is abundant enough to be used as a source of 

 public supply, viz. : (1) Missouri, (2) Kaw, (3)Maraisdes 

 Cygnes, (4) Neosho, (5) Verdigris, and (6) Arkansas. On 

 these streams are situated the largest cities and villages, and 

 so on these streams and their larger tributaries are most of the 

 plants for supplying water to the public. 



Some years ago a thorough analysis was made of the water 

 of the Kaw valley system, during the winter stage, and this 



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