A Report of Water Pollution in the South Platte River Basin February 1953

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POLLUTION CONTRIBUTED TO WATER RESOURCES Pollution of Basin streams results from organic and inorganic wastes including silt, Communities contribute a large and increasing segment to the pollutional load. Ira. the decade 194-0 -1950, the Basins population increased 28 percent from 660,000 to 84.0,000 and a major part of this increment settled in urban areas, particularly in metropolitan Denver. The population served by municipal sewerage is estimated at 707,320. Industrial plants connected to municipal sewers raise the combined municipal load in population equivalents to 891,'720 (table 6 and Ili a p 3 ) � Sixteen primary treatment plants and 27 secondary treat- ment works reduce the overall municipal, pollution about 46 percent (table 7)o Treatment plant effluents, in addition to untreated wastes from 16 communities, account for 480,070 population equivalents that are discharged to Basin streams. Industry contributes the largest part of the Basin's total wastes. Table 8 and hap 3 contain basic data on sources of pollu- tion originating in industries which seasonally discharge an estimated 49198,410 population equivalents directly to streams. The table, while containing all available data, may not be complete. However, it does include all significant sources of industrial pollution. There are 12 beet sugar facto-ries, 11 of which seasonally con- tribute an estimated 4.,110.000 population equivalents. Six of the plants are Steffen house, 5 are straight house, and 1 plant at Johnstown recovers. through a special process, additional sugar from Steffen house molasses obtained from the other plants. It is inter- esting to note that the latter plant is the only one in the world known to be operating this procese. Use of Steffen house discard reduces the amount of wastes which otherwise would have been sent to streams. More effort should be directed toward reduction of approximately 33,000 population equivalents of cannery wastes which is discharged to streams with little attempt to reduce the pollutional load, Table 7. South Platte River Basin - Summary of _existin municipal treatment facilities Degree of treatment N u m. b e r Population provided Municipalities-_ Plant's served Secondary Primary 26 27 31 ** 16 149,240 538,650 No treatment 16 191430 *Includes incorporated or unincorporated municipalities, other legal bodies as sanitary districts, countless towns, significant institutions., resorts, recreational centers or other population centers. **15 sanitary districts served by Denver treatment plant, 23