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<br />1101853 <br /> <br />Chapter 1 <br /> <br />INTRODUCTION <br /> <br />Water has played an important part in Kansas' development. Early <br />in the state's history, many manufacturing establishments used <br />water as a power source. Among the first needs of the settlers <br />was to grind corn and ",heat into flour and meal. To satisfy this <br />need, small grist mills were built in nearly every community, <br />usually beside a stream and po",ered by water. In 1875. according <br />to the Fourth Annual Report of the State Board of Agricul ture, <br />there were 10 flour mills using wind for power, 136 saw, flour, or <br />grist mills using water for power; and 265 saw, flour, or grist <br />mills using steam for power. Over 200 of these were flour mills <br />from which Kansas' mil ling industry grew as wheat became establ ished <br />as a major crop. <br /> <br />As power demands increased, water was replaced by steam as a primary <br />source of power because steam was more reliable and could provide <br />a greater choice of locations away from the stream. Steam has <br />remained important as a source of power and is used extensively to- <br />day in the generation of electric power. As industrial development <br />has taken place in the 5tate, the uses for water have increased. <br />Large quantities of water are now being used for air conditioning. <br />cooling, and processing of manufactured products. <br /> <br />At about the time that water was being harnessed as a power source <br />for the mills, some municipal water systems were also being establ ished. <br />The first municipal water system was established in 1874 at Blue <br />Rapids in Marshall County. Other early systems were establ ished at <br />Newton in 1879, at Atchison in 1880, and at Topeka in 1881. By <br />1942, Schmitt reported the number of municipal water systems had <br />increased to 387, served over one mill ion people and provided 120 <br />mil I ion gallons per day (mgd). The report on Water in Kansas stated <br />the number of municipal systems in 1954 was 426; and~in the drought <br />years of the mid-1950's, they pumped 203 mgd to over I 1/4 mil lion <br />customers. By 1968, an inventory prepared by the Kansas Water <br />Resources Board listed 542 communities with publ ic water suppl ies <br />which served over I 3/4 mil I ion persons and provided 230 mgd. <br /> <br />Water developments for rural domestic purposes preceded water develop- <br />menrs for municipal and industrial purposes. The first significant <br />settlement began about 1854, and one of the first requirements was <br />an adequate water supply for households and I ivestock. This need <br />was met in most caSes from wells or springs. The amount of water <br />used, however, was not great since the water usually had to be hand <br />carried from the source to its place of intended use. This situation <br />has gradually changed until hot and cold running water are now <br />commonplace in rural areas. The introduction of electricity to provide <br />