Chapter One Water, But Not Enough To Drink
The few existing wells, in a dry river bed, were not able to cope with the demand for water that the mines made. Steam power needed vast amounts of this scarce commodity, so a variety of water storage cisterns were built and new wells sunk.
The toxic thermal water, which the de-watering plant pumped into the valley, contaminated these new wells. To make matters worse, another mine started pumping thermal water into an adjacent valley, threatening the old wells. What was to be done?