PAPERS ON GEOGRAPHY AND GEOLOGY 173 



At Qnincy, the sewage is emptied into the river above 

 the city water intake, which, however, is far out in the 

 channel. The sewage and factory waste of Moline, par- 

 tially treated, go into the tail race and then into the 

 Mississippi river channel at Rock Island. Bock Island 

 pours the contents of its sewers into the Mississippi. 

 The sewage and waste of the large city of East St. Louis 

 are conveyed into the Mississippi river below the city. 

 Alton finds the river a convenient receptacle for its 

 waste and sewage. Cairo's sewage and waste .pour into 

 the Ohio and then into the Mississippi river. Other 

 cities along both sides of the river from the north end 

 of the State are abusing this magnificent waterway and 

 contributing to its contamination. In low water the 

 river is for weeks and even months likely to be a foul 

 and filthy stream. 



Tributaries that flow into the Mississippi river are 

 polluted also. Take Rock River, one of the most pictur- 

 esque rivers in the state, whose banks have been noted 

 as picnic grounds. One of its tributaries is the Peca- 

 tonica river, and within the city limits of Freeport raw 

 sewage flows into it in five places. This includes factory 

 waste. Rockford, the main city on the river, known for 

 the extent of its industries, turns its sewage into the 

 river, and the report for Sterling, another good sized 

 city, is of the same nature. All this sewage must tend to 

 make the river less desirable and a menace. Belleville, 

 not far from the Mississippi, uses a small creek for 

 sewage in part, although it has a disposal plant. Shelby- 

 ville reported, "We are emptying everything into the 

 Kaskaskia", and a similar answer came from Vandalia. 

 On the other side of the State one finds Danville empty- 

 ing its sewage into the Big Vermillion. 



In nearly every case the reports make the statement 

 that the rivers and streams are too foul to use as sources 

 of supplies without treatment. In the state department 

 report for 1919-20 we find this strong statement : 

 "Stream pollution is depriving the public of the legiti- 

 mate use of the water therein. For years streams not 

 only in Illinois but in many states have been accepted as 

 a natural means of sewage disposal. Increased develop- 



