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<br />l. <br />II <br />II <br /> <br />i <br />!I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />I <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />I <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />CHA?TER I <br />GENERAL INFORMATION <br /> <br />The following report has been prepared on behalf of the Morgan County <br />Quality Water Association to determine the feasibility of supplying good <br />quality water to a large portion of rural Morgan County. The feasibility <br />study was funded jointly by the Association and the Colorado Water Conser- <br />vation Board. <br /> <br />Need <br /> <br />All domestic and livestock water supplies in Morgan County are obtained <br />from wells, generally individual wells serving each farmstead and residence. <br />Most of the wells tap the alluvium of the South Platte River, which receives <br />its major recharge from irrigation water applied to overlying lands. The <br />South Platte alluvium also supplies water to many irrigation wells. The use <br />and reuse of the ground water for irrigation has resulted in an increasing <br />concentration of dissolved solids contained in that water. For some time <br />the ground-water quality has been inferior to standards recommended by the <br />U. S. Public Health Service and the Colorado Department of Health for drink- <br />ing water. <br /> <br />In addition to the health aspects, the inferior quality of water now <br />being used is costly. Incrustation and corrosion make it necessary to <br />replace wells, pumps, pipes, valves, other fittings and utensils at frequent <br />intervals. In addition, water softeners are needed in every home resulting <br />in sizable expenditures for the equipment and its maintenance and periodic <br />regeneration with salt. <br /> <br />Chemical analyses of water from domestic and stock wells have been <br /> <br /> <br />made by William Allison; water chemist. A summary of his analyses, in terms <br /> <br /> <br />of total dissolved solids, hardness and nitrate concentrations, is shown <br /> <br /> <br />on Figure 1. As can be seen the total dissolved solids concentration of <br /> <br /> <br />the ground water is considerably above the Federal and State recommended <br /> <br /> <br />limit of 500 mg/1, and the hardness is four to five times that which is <br /> <br /> <br />generally considered to be desirable. The nitrate concentration, known to <br /> <br />M. W. BITTINGER AND ASSOCIATES, INC. <br />