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

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Benefits attributable to pollution control and abatement are directly related to water uses of the Basin. Installation of sewage treatment facilities at many of the municipalities has reduced nuisance conditions, produced local. beneficial results -to irrigators, industrial water users, and has generally improved the public health and welfare. It is axiomatic that when man is surrounded by a proper environment he tends toward a longer and more productive life. Municipalities of the South Platte Basin have made considerable effort toward control of their wastes, Twenty -nine sanitation districts have been formed in the Denver area for collection and disposal of wastes. Fifteen of the districts have contractual agreements with the City of Denver for waste disposal through its treatment plant. The remaining groups have treatment plant,6 or are planning for sewage collection and disposal. Wastes frcm 31 municipalities are treated in 16 primary treatment works and 26 communities treat wastes in 27 secondary treat-, meat plants. However, 16 corimninities discharge wastes without benefit of any type of treatment. About one-half of the industrial, establish-- merits discharging directly to strewiis provide some treatment for wastes. The beet sugar refining industry is studying its waste problem and has inaugurated a program of recovery and treatment, kbout 180 industries connected to municipal sewers have wastes treated in municipal instal- lations. 4 Legislation controlling pollution has been notably inadequate in two States of the Basin. Colorados through a committee appointed by the Governor, is now proposing legislation to improve control of pollution in that State, and in Nebraska an attempt is being made to secure stream pollution control, legislation. Recently, the statutes of Wyoming were amended to considerably broaden -the water pollution- control. agency's enforcement powers. The Engineering Section of the Missouri Basin Health Council., consisting of the Chief Sanitary Engi- neers of the 10 Missouri Basin States, has adopted tentative objectives as a recommended guide for water pollution control programs in the Basin. These objectives recognize that a.minimum. of primary treatment, or its equivalent should be prcvided at 11 a sour , ces of pollution, additional treatment, should be in--ta'I'Led where reeded., and toxic materials should be virtually eliminated from waate discharges, There is need, for 15 new municipal plants; 271 enlargements or additions, and 2 replacements. These iMprovemaryt.s would serve more than 627,.210 people. Treatment or other control measu:rre.9 sho-LLId be effected at 56 major indu5trial p-lants lAth separate outlets; 2 of the existing works should be replaced, Only 14 cities and 22 indus- tries have facilities which are considered adequate at the present, time. Table 1 lists the names of municipalities and industries where treatment is needed and the recommended degree of treatment. Disin- fection of sewage treatment, plant effluents is recommended for control of bacterial pollution to protect downstream water supplies and to re- duce possible contamination of food crops during the irrigation period. Construction costs of the recommended municipal projects are estimated at $7,000,000, Industrial wastes treatment, needs are esti- mated mated to require approxi 3 1M mately �v' ,000, Trunk sewers$ pumping sta- tions, chlorination equipment.. maintenance and operation costs are not included in these figures, 5