the creek; and probably only a few storm sewers empty into it. The only effluent of importance passing into the stream is the industrial waste discharged from the Kurth plant, which consists of the previously mentioned barley washings and grain room washings. The color of the barley washings-four washings are usually made I believe-varies in intensity from the deep yellow and slightly turbid first washings to the practically colorless and clear fourth washing. All of these washings are decidedly unstable, and particularly the first cleaning, which takes up oxygen with remarkable avidity. The grain room washings are milky white and opalescent, due to the large amount of suspended starchy material which they carry; these washings, also, are decidedly unstable.

The reason these washings do not putrefy is because of the low temperature of the wash water. The temperature varies from 9° to 12° Centigrade, a temperature too low to allow putrefaction to take place. These washings are, however, potentially capable of causing and promoting a nuisance under suitable conditions of temperature, such as, during the summer months, exist in the creek into which they are discharged.

The creek above the outfall of the Kurth plant has the appearance of a normal stream; the vegetation along the bank close to the water's edge is in a green and flourishing condition.

The effect of the unstable barley washings on the stream is immediately discernible below the point of discharge; the general appearance of the creek is decidedly altered and very noticeable; the vegetation near the water's edge, from this point to the mill pond, is in a decaying condition.

It is readily discernible that the industrial waste from this plant is a contributing factor to the unsanitary condition of the creek, and this opinion, formed during the inspection, was substantiated by the subsequent analytical findings.

Briefly, the condition of the organic matter during the warm. weather is so putrescible that the creek in its present state is practically a septic tank. This condition of affairs has come about gradually. There is an increasing amount of unstable organic matter passing into the creek, and it is certain that unless remedial measures are taken the nuisance will be augmented, and ultimately the condition of the creek will become practically unbearable at times.

At some previous time the capacity of the stream was suffi

cient to receive and digest the organic matter then finding its way into the water. Gradually the amount of unstable organic matter has increased, until today the lower part of the creek at least, has an odor and appearance more characteristic of a septic tank than a stream.

The method of dealing with this problem is relatively inexpensive, and involves the restoration of a creek current to fair velocity; walking in the creek between James street and School street-a distance of about one quarter of a mile; and removal of most of the deposit from the bed of the stream between the above mentioned points-School and James streets.

At the present time the creek water is prevented from freely flowing into the Crawfish river by the dam at the "Columbus Mills." The spill board on the dam is so high that it not only causes stagnation of the creek water in the mill pond, with resultant precipitation of the suspended organic matter and accumulation of deposits, but the water in the creek itself is maintained in a stagnant condition. In order to allow the creek water to flow more freely and establish a fair current the spill board. should be removed, and other measures taken if necessary, so that the foul creek water may be readily removed and oxidized by the oxygenated water of the Crawfish.

The banks of the creek should be walled between James street and School street at least; the walls which now exist at and somewhat above James street should be extended to School street in order to prevent the vegetation, which exists in abundance all along the bank, from falling into the creek, there to be deposited and subsequently putrefy. It is the putrefying vegetable matter along the banks and the putrefying vegetable deposits which are prime factors in the causation of the existing nuisance; therefore, the stream should be walled to prevent the vegetation from getting into the water.

The heavy deposit of organic matter is not only the most important cause of the annoying condition of the creek, but it is also the cause of the perpetuation of this undesirable state of affairs; practically none of the organic matter is removed by the movement of the creek water-rather, there is a constant increase in volume and whenever the necessary temperature is reached -summer conditions-putrefaction sets in and a nuisance is at hand. The normal volume of pure water flowing through the upper creek is entirely insufficient to satisfy the oxygen require

ments of the extensive deposits in the lower part of the stream. In consequence of this condition it will be necessary to remove most of the deposit if permanent relief is to be hoped for, and to secure this desired result most of the deposit between the mill pond and James street must be removed.

The Second Ward creek is in a putrefying and very poor sanitary condition, and measures should at once be instituted to abate this nuisance.

The sanitary condition of the creek may be reclaimed by restoring a reasonable current velocity; removing most of the deposit from the bed of the stream between the mill pond and School street; walling the creek between James street and School street; and purifying the industrial waste before it enters the creek.

The industrial waste from the Kurth establishment contributes to the insanitary condition of the creek and should be purified before it is discharged. The desired degree of purification may be obtained by a process of natural aëration.

As an alternative method of disposing of the waste, the city sewage disposal plant may be considered. The character of the waste is such that it may be successfully treated at the disposal works, but before this method of dealing with the waste could be instituted the capacity of the plant would have to be increased to about 540,000 gallons per day.

REPORT OF INVESTIGATION OF DISPOSAL OF INDUSTRIAL WASTES FROM THE PLANT OF THE MILWAUKEE RIVER CANNING FACTORY, MEQUON, WISCONSIN.

By E. J. TULLY, Chemist, State Laboratory of Hygiene, Laboratory of the State Board of Health.

The industrial wastes discharged from the establishment of the Milwaukee River Canning Company, located at Mequon and about one-half mile from the Milwaukee river, consist of two distinct types of effluent-peȧ washings, and acid vine juices.

The daily volume of pea washings-washings which always carry a considerable quantity of suspended matter-amounts to approximately 25,000 gallons. The vine juices, however, which daily pass from the silos,* do not amount to more than onefiftieth the volume of pea washings, or approximately 500 gallons; but these juices make up for what they lack in volume by their disagreeable odor, pungency, acidity, and color. These latter characteristics are, of course, the result of fermentative and putrefactive changes which take place in the vines, part of which is stored in a concrete silo, the remainder being heaped into a large pile adjacent to the silo.

It has been the practice of the Company to discharge both wastes, pea washings, and vine juices, untreated, into a creek which flows, in a fairly direct passage, into the Milwaukee river, distant about one-quarter of a mile from the plant.

At this time, however, because of local complaints, the Company, realizing the advisability of abating conditions which

*Stack of vines referred to as silo, in this instance.

either constitute or may lead to the creation of a nuisance, and desiring to establish entirely satisfactory conditions and thereby eliminate complaints, have decided to separate the effluents and to subject each to a suitable method of treatment-sedimentation, and subsequent discharge of the effluent, by means of a pipe line, into the Milwaukee river, in the case of the pea washings; and filtration on the instance of the vine juices.

As a result of an inspection of the local topography and geological formations, and of the river with respect to condition and volume, it appears that the wastes may be satisfactorily disposed of by screening, sedimentation, and water carriage or dilution with reference to the pea washings, and natural filtration-seepage through the soil, which consists of sand and gravel, in the case of the acid vine juices.

The volume of the Milwaukee river at Mequon will always be such as to ensure a dilution of at least one to two thousand-a very high dilution and one which will preclude the possibility of creating a nuisance at this point or lower down the stream by the daily discharge of twenty-five thousand gallons, or even a considerably greater volume, of pea washings.

In view of the fact that the creek will no longer be burdened with the carriage of the concentrated and very objectionable acid juices, I have recommended that the pea washings effluent from the sedimentation basin be discharged directly into the creek instead of conveying it by means of a pipe line, as was originally intended, to the Milwaukee river.

As the flow of the water in the creek is somewhat sluggish at certain points, due to earthy deposits of one kind or another, I have advised the company's representative to remove the earthy obstructions, so as to establish and ensure a fairly good current, and thereby hasten the carriage and dissipation of the waste in the waters of the Milwaukee river.

This procedure, the removal of earthy obstructions so as to establish a fairly rapid current, will be more economical than the installation of a pipe line from the sedimentation basin to the river, and will, I believe, be just as effective and satisfactory a medium of removal as a pipe line. However, I have adwaste is on trial and

vised that the creek water carriage of the that if adverse conditions arise, a pipe line directly from the sedimentation basin to the river will then be necessary.

In view of the fact that the daily volume of washings will ma