New-York tribune., 1874-01-17
Jersey WATER SUPPLY.

gE,UIT or TIIE SURVEYS AND ANALYSIS OF HE
PA,sAIC RIVER AND MORRIS CANAL.
Each succeeding Summer for several years
past the bad quality OF the wafer supplied To JERSEY
City Hobokeu, and Newark has Occasioned many com
peint. During several months in the Summer the
wafer had dsagrecabe color t1ste and SMELL much
80 that the doctors recommended the removal OF many
OF their patients 10 some other locality where the
wlter vas better. IL cases where the removal
was Impossible they forbade the use ~of any
water except that obtained by dissolving ice.
For several years attention paid by the authori
TIES 10 those facts but the Fall OF 1Sil the Jersey City
Board Of Public Works determined 10 have an examina-
ton made with view to ascertainng the cause, and
il possible remedy fog tine trouble. The services OF
Professors wurz. Leeds, aud Chandler were secured
and er six months work the field and laboratory,
full account Of which published IN TuE TRIBUNE
last SUMNER they presented elaborate report 10 the
Board While this work going on the Legislature
passed law creating Joint Commission
ON the Water Supply of the cities of Newark
aud Jersey CITY, consisting OF the Newark
Aaueduct Board aud the Board OF Public Works Of
Jersey City aud authorizing the purchase Of the Morris
Canal with its franchises, which include Lake Hopat
nonI and greater portion Of the head waters Of the
Passac River. Soon after the Legislature adjourned
the two Boards met in Newark and organized The
preyious analysis OF the water and the desiraDty
better supply be obtained BY gravity instead OF by
ppmplng works, was considered and new survey and
ANALYSIS ordered. Prof. II. wurtz again secured,
and reports on the water supply OF Newark and
Jersey City were requested from e. II. Bailey and j. r.
Culver engineers OF the two boards Work was begun
under these early In July last and has been
prosecuted continuously since meeting OF the Joint
commission will be held at early day receive the
reports.
The investigation 10 relation TO the pollution Of the
Passaic River. and also ! chemical examination OF the
water conveyed by the Morris Canal, was
committed to Prot. Wurtz He made a careful eX
animation, collecting numerous specimens OF the
water at different times and places and under
different crcumsta nces and his report will present
some curious facts In the exploration OF the Psssac
RIVER Newark Bay 10 the Falls at Paterson, IL was
found that the sod constituents IN gallon OF water al
the jersey City pumping works were tls grams at hsh
tide and 4O7 low tide the difference being caused by
the Newark sewage which is carried up By the tide II
wa. also found that the luxurlant growth Of water
weeds between Newark and Belleville acted as
filter and during the Summer months this
immense mass of growing vegetable matter
ahsorbed and assImilated a large proportion OF
the nitrates and compounds OF ammonia which reached
the river from the Newark sewers the rate Of absorption
being about oneenth OF grain per gallon per mile The
amount OF combined ammonia and found ut
Newark was about three and half grains per gallon;
at the Jersey City pumping works the amount was
scarcely spprec,sble, while at the Newark pumping
works o mile further up the river, the drain
age from Passaic aud Rutherfurd PARK made the
samples show unmstaksbe ihdica atons OF fresh sup
ply The amount Of abuminOid ammonia found st
Newark three-tenths Of grain TO the gallon. indi
eating nearly twelve grains OF rotten egg the gallon
amount equal to an egg In % gallons. The river be-
tween Newark and The pumping works literally swarms
with fish, which devour animal matter. These, with
the effect Of she beds OF weeds reduce this albumnoid
between Newark and the Jersey City works 10 Just one
tenth Si nS amount ,9a when n: Ss hs. 10 aewSa
DpprucAble. 1 largo quantity Of Sewage 70 brought