Group 2
Water -Blog 3
1950-1975
Jenna Enright
Old Boise’s historic district has lacked open running water since The Boise City Canal was buried in 1905 (MacGregor 64). No other open sources of water remains on the parcel of this section of the historic district (3rd to Capital, Myrtle to Grove), that will be discussing in this blog. As discussed in the 1900-1950 blog regarding this same parcel of land, the canal was buried for safety, convenience, and to help with the overall appearance of the city. From 1950-1975 the Grove Street mansions were being torn down, and a once glamourous area representing the best of Boise’s elite families, was now home to little more than struggling businesses, dilapidated houses, and parking lots. Meanwhile nationwide standards and a need for waste water treatment were becoming public concern. Because of the industrialization of the parcel, the focus will be on the overall water usage and the effects it had on downtown Boise. Residential water, wastewater/sewage, contamination of the river, and private/public ownership of the water supply will be the main topics covered. Please note that some of the dates may predate the desired 25 year span intended to be covered. If dates prior to 1950 are mentioned it is because the topics of plumbing and waste water were not covered in the 1900-1950 blog in enough detail and some elaboration may be necessary.
In 1962, nationwide standards for drinking water were becoming established and generally accepted by all 50 states (Boise Watershed). The safety of water was becoming a national concern after multiple outbreaks of contaminate-related diseases. By 1972, the Clean Water Act was enacted to “restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of waterways” (Boise Water Shed). In 1966, domestic water for the City of Boise consisted of water supply wells, 22 of which did not meet national water standards (Kent pg.55). According to the Boise Water Corp in 1977, the advantage of using ground water as the primary water source was that the only process required before distribution was chlorination (Water). Also, by using a large number of widely scattered wells, the city gains a reliability in supply. The disadvantage is that the overall quality of the water can vary per well and lack some mineral content. This downside was a problem for Boise residents in the 1960’s – 1970’s. New wells drilled to meet the growing demand had problems with iron and manganese concentration which changed the color and taste of water (Kent pg.55). Being able to physically see impurities were important to how the citizens of Boise viewed domestic water and helped to initiate ways to improve and provide cleaner water to the people.
The city of Boise received its first waste water treatment plant in 1950 on Lander Street (Boise’s Sewer System). Prior to its construction, Boise residents were uninformed and ill-equipped on appropriate ways to discard their waste. While there was a plumbing and sewer system in place by the early 1900’s (Boise’s Sewer System), it was infantile in structure and the sewer system was not friendly to the environment. At the time, the outcome the waste disposal of was not as much of a concern as the disposal itself; out of site out mind. People wanted the waste from their homes and businesses gone and the consequences of improper disposal were not fully recognized…yet.
(Stacy pg.69)
The raw sewage that was dumped down drains and into the ill-equipped sewer system was disposed of by being pumped into a “return ditch of the Grove Street Ditch which emptied into the Boise River” (Boise’s Sewer System). A 1948 map proposing a new sewer line and waste water treatment facility shows the path of the original sewer line as it moved underground through the parcel via a branch of The Boise City Canal. The sewage then traveled further through Boise, before being pushed into an open ditch and discharged into the Boise River. Many other residents and business that didn’t use or have access to these unfortunate sewer lines often disposed of their liquid debris in a similar fashion, dumping it into the river when full.
One of the results of improper discarding of raw sewage and other liquid waste was a typhoid fever epidemic in 1921 from the sewage leaking from residents’ privies, water closets, and the Boise River into the drinking water supply. There were 26 reported cases, of which seven resulted in death (Kent, Bob pg. 8). The need for an adequate way to treat sewage was a problem, and in 1950 the city of Boise constructed its first waste water treatment plant. However, for at least 60 years the waste water of Boise’s population was pumped from the sewers and into the river (Boise’s Sewer System). In 1958, a secondary water treatment was established to break down residual waste that remained after the first treatment. This secondary treatment involved the use of bacteria to break-down and consume sludge and scum. This organic secondary treatment consumed over 85% of residual pollutants (Watershed).
(Wastewater)
The ownership of Boise’s water supply had been subject to debate since the 1890’s, and was continuing with increased interest by the 70’s. The city of Boise’s water supply, as of 1977, had been under private ownership for 115 years (Kent, Robert 15). Although the water had changed ownership many times throughout Boise’s history, it had also been reviewed for a transition to a municipal government run ownership on multiple occasions. However, when reviewed in 1977 by the Boise Center for Urban Research, it was decided that because “water delivery was efficiently and effectively carried out “(Kent, Robert 15) that there was no reason for the city to intervene. This was partly due to the anti-tax attitude shared by many Boisians.
Following the results of this study, The Boise Water Corporation, a subsidiary of General Waterworks Corporation, released information regarding the future of Boise’s water supply. General Waterworks had retained ownership of Boise’s water supply since 1890 (Water). The corporation defended their position of continued ownership through releasing the amount they paid in taxes, $379,000 in 1967; this tax money benefited Boise residents (Water). Without the private ownership of the company, these taxes would’ve had to be raised in another manner. Although municipal water ownership was a national trend of the 70’s, “Boise property owners, who paid the most in taxes, were not inclined to pay for services for those who could not afford the cost” (Kent, Robert 16). Thus the Boise Water Corporations retained their ownership.
In conclusion, 1950-1975 water use on the parcel was primarily domestic. The way people looked at their drinking and waste water was changing. Laws and restrictions were being set forth to protect the citizens from disease and to protect the river from dumping. The ownership of domestic water was debated and studied but ultimately remained in the private sector. It was a busy 25 years regarding water in Boise, and all of these changes affected the way water was used and discarded on this historical downtown parcel.
Sources:
“Background—Environment: Water Resources in the Boise Foothills.” Boise Public Works, 8 Nov. 2000. Web. 30 Mar. 2015. <http://parks.cityofboise.org/media/4189/Foothills_Plan3.pdf>.
“Boise’s Sewer System.” Arts History Blog. Department of Arts & History, 12 Dec. 2011. Web. 1 Apr. 2015. <http://www.boiseartsandhistory.org/blog/2011/12/12/boises-sewer-system/>.
Kent, Bob. “Boise’s Water System 1890-2005: The Municipal Ownership Controversy.” Boise State. History 597, Boise History Project Fall Semester 2005, 1 Jan. 2005. Web. 1 Apr. 2015. <http://sspa.boisestate.edu/idaho/files/2013/05/watersystem_1890-2005.pdf>.
Kent, Robert T. Boise’s Water: The Private Side of Public Works. Boise, Idaho: Boise Public Works Dept., 2007. Print.
MacGregor, Carol Lynn. Founding Community in Boise, Idaho 1882- 1910 Dissertation. U of New Mexico, 1999. Print.
Stacy, Susan M. When the River Rises: Food Control on The Boise River 1943 – 1985. Boise: Boise State U, 1993. Print.
The Boise Watershed (interactive material thru onsite virtual tour)
“Wastewater: We Treat It Right!” Boise Water Shed. Web. 11 Apr. 2015. <https://bee.cityofboise.org/media/216580/43385_Wastewater.pdf>.
“Water.” Boise Water Corporation Answers Your Questions Concerning Water Service to the Growing Boise Area Idaho Pamphlet File. Boise Public Library Idaho History Clipping File Index (1977). Print.
When the Pot Boiled Over. United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service Inter-mountain Region. Film.
Urban Environmental Boise 
