WELLS OF ILLINOIS. 



Sotirces of water supply for towns in Illinois — Continued. 



563 



Wayuesville (M) 



Wenona 



Western Springs (SI) 



Wheaton 



Wilmette 



Wilmington 



Winnetka 



Woodstock 



Yorkville 



From the above table it appears that in 69 cities and villages, or about 

 one-third of the number in Illinois now having waterworks, the supply is 

 obtained from rock wells either flowing (artesian) or with strong hydrostatic 

 pressure. Of the 250,000 inhabitants of these cities and villages it is prob- 

 able that more than one-half are dependent upon the public water supply. 

 In some cities and in many of the villages a large part of the population 

 prefer to obtain their supply from private wells or cisterns, a preference 

 which is due in part to inability to meet the city water tax and in part to 

 objectionable properties of the water. It should be stated, however, that 

 throughout much of northern Illinois wells of this class furnish wholesome 

 and very palatable water. It should be noted that wells of this kind are 

 extensively used in vaiious industries in the city of Chicago and in several 

 other cities in northern Illinois, the aggregate amount of water thus obtained 

 in Chicago approximating that furnished by the city waterworks. 



In contrast with the extensive use of this class of rock wells as a city 

 supply is the use of rock wells having weak hydrostatic pressure. Only 

 twelve villages, with a combined population of scarcely 10,000, are known 

 to depend upon the latter class of wells. It is possible, however, that a few 

 others reported in the Waterworks Manual may be of that class. Such 

 wells rarely furnish an adequate supply for a large town. 



The table indicates that aside from Chicago, with its population of 

 more than one million, there are 52 cities and villages, with a combined 

 population of nearly 300,000, in which surface water constitutes the public 

 supply. In Chicago the population is mainly dependent upon such water. 



