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Show USE mm IMl WATER FOR SPRINKLING; SHVE SUPPLY FROfl CSNYONS ... : "The Big Cottonwood water conduit plan Is an immense one," said a member mem-ber of the party who' visited the big ditch Sunday, to The Telegram. "It Is true that it is going to cost a large amount of money before It is finished, but It will be worth every cent that it costs if the water expected can be delivered into 'the city. "It Is by far the largest and most comprehensive water plan that the city has ever undertaken, as far as the conduit Itself Is concerned. If the water can be secured, and I believe it will be, it will mean that Salt Lake will have one of the finest and purest water supplies of any city of twice Its size In the country. "But the city ought not to stop when the conduit Is finished and the water turned Into it. Even if the conduit is the success which it Is expected to be, there Is still work to be done on the water supply of the city. "The waters of this stream are too good to be used for the purpose of sprinkling the streets. The same Is truw of the other mountain streams. The streets can and should be sprinkled by the waters of Utah lake. These waters wa-ters are hardly fit for drinking and other household purposes, but there Is no reason why they should not be used for the purposes which I have mentioned. men-tioned. True, the supply is hardly large enough, taking into consideration the contracts which the city has for exchange of water with the farmers, but I am of the opinion that the supply sup-ply can be very materially Increased, and that, too, without increasing the pumping plant at the lake shore or Interfering In-terfering with the rights of other canal companies. Loss From Seepage in Canal. lt is a fact, acknowledged by every one who is familiar with the Salt Lake and Jordan canal, that from 35 to 45 per cent of the water is lost by seepage seep-age between the point where It enters the canal near Utah lake and where It enters Salt Lake City. J. Fewson Smith, who is an engineer of acknowledged ac-knowledged ability,-1 understand places the loss by seepage at from 45 to 65 per cent. Admitting for argument's sake that Mr. Smith's figures are high there is still a great loss. I have the statement of a man who is familiar with the canal that the loss is from 35 to 45 per cent. I believe that a large part of this loss can be saved. True, It is a big undertaking, but a little can be saved each year." "How?" was the question asked. Cement Canal Bottom. "You have an idea as to how water can be saved by seeing this conduit. If a ditch were dug through this mountain moun-tain side for the seven miles from the intake to where It Joins the Parley's conduit, there would never be a drop of water enter Salt Lake from Big Cottonwood. Every drop of It would sink into the ground. With this con- dult less than 5 per cent will be lost in the seven miles. "With regard to the Salt Lake and Jordan canal, I would advocate the cementing ce-menting of the canal, not the entire distance, at least Just at present, but a little at a time. There are many places In the canal In which the seepage is greater than at other points. Say there la a mile of porous ground, in which a large percentage of the water is lost. Let the city cement that mile next year. Then pick out the next poor place and cement that the following year, and ' keep It up until there is practically no loss of water by seepage In the entire length of the canal." Claims It Isn't Needed. The above Idea was submitted to a man who has taken an active Interest in the water supply of the city for Several Sev-eral years. The substance of his statement state-ment is as follows: "The plan Is a good one, but very expensive. ex-pensive. It would take many years to do the work, but I am Inclined to think that It would pay In the end. "The loss of water in the Salt Lake and Jordan canal Is not as great now as It has been in years past. "The idea which seems to control those in charge of the canal for many years was that it should be cleaned out every spring. This meant the reopening reopen-ing of every porous place In the canal. This Idea Is a little out of date now, as It has been found that by letting the water run through the canal for one or two years It forms a sort of slime cement on the bottom and sides I which prevents the seepage to a very marked extent. 1 "I have not heard of the canal being cleaned out during the last two or three years. "If It Is necessary for the canal to carry more water, it la not dug deeper, but the banks are raised higher." "Would the above idea pay?" was the question put to another man who is familiar with the water situation. Use for Lawn Sprinkling. "It is expensive, but I should say that it would. I would not be in favor fa-vor of bonding the city in order to do the work in a few months or a year, but I am of the opinion that It would pay for the city to spend a little money each year In order to stop the leakage in the canal. "Los Angeles will spend nearly $30,-000,000 $30,-000,000 in the next few years in order to secure a water supply. It is not necessary for Salt Lake to spend that amount, but this city should look to every ounce of water that it can secure se-cure or save. Of course, the waters of Utah lake are not such as we would care to pass to our guests at the dinner din-ner table, but they are wet Just as wet for the purpose of sprinkling the streets as are the waters of the mountain moun-tain streams, and I might add that they are Just as good for the purpose of soaking the lawn. True, they could not be used for the lawns In the high part of the city, but that Is no reason why they could not be used for the lower part of the city. If necessary, give those In the lower part of the city two water systems, one for the house and one for the lawn. Water Plenty, but Wasted. VI have been In a number of cities and studied their water supply and per diem allowance, but I have never been in a city in which water was as cheap and wasted as much as It Is In Salt Lake. There are few. If any, cities In the country that have as pure a water supply as has Salt Lake, but many of the people do not seem to appreciate ap-preciate It. When I first came to Salt Lake, a number of years ago, I was struck with the' beautiful water which flowed down everv cutter, and I mar- velcd at what the people of some cities would think of such a waste. I soon learned that there was plenty of water for all. But that condition has changed In the last ten or fifteen years. There Is still plenty of water for all, but they must learn how to use It. I do not mean that any one need be stinted in the use of water. There is plenty for all, 1 repeat, but they should learn not to waste It. "Salt Lake will be a great city within with-in the next few years. No city can be great without a good water supply, but the people must be educated to the lolnt of not wasting water and the city should use every means to save every drop of water that they have or are going to have." |