The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-06-05

Pure WATER 4 PLENTY.
But No Decision Yet Which
Company Shall
Supply.
REVIEW OF THE WATER TRIP.
Contamination Can Be Avoided and
Lots Of pure Water
Secured.
OF THE WATER TRIP

Just what the result of the two days
trip of the city officials to the Rockaway
River water she'd will result in, is at
present, a matter Of speculation. Every
man who made the inspection returned
to Jersey 9th with the knowledge, con-
firmed, that the northern part OF the
State of New Jersey possesses a remark
able amount OF pure and wholes ONE
water. That the supply would naturally
be smsller at certain periods of the year
than at others, is fact which inipresses
itself upon ones mind by looking at the
old waterways. These waterways also
show that in years past the course of The
water has been diverted. In fact. In one
or two instances in and around Hlbernla,
kockawav and Boonton it has been so
diverted that at one time where great
volumes of water must have rushed over
the mountain sides and through the
valleys, nothing now remains but shallow
brooks.
| Again. of late years, the water courses
| have been changed by engineers and III
one instance 1t has been changed TO such
| an extent, that it now takes in a territory
from whence jersey Cityites fear
damaging contamination. This poiot Is
| at Boonton, where the water furnishes
| sufficient power to operate the extensive
rolling mill plant of the Cooper Lord es-
tate. After rushing through the i'm
mense water wheel of these works the
water disappears almost entirely from
view. under the dozen or more shops
| where it is utilized TO cleanse iron ore
1 and then passes out into the river again
| and into the proposed intake of Moffett.
| Hodgkins & Clarke. The company and
Its engineers say that the water would
| this water wheel.
| POSSIBLE CONTAMINATION.
| BE this as 1t may, the officials fear it.
| but not to any great extent, as the
| amount OF water received from this
stream is insignificant when contraste d
with the great eulks Of water to be I'M
pounded at the intake, which, tree from
| any contamination whatever. rushes
directly into it from spring supplied
| lakes and ponds. What little conLami-
mating fluid might be picked up from
| Boonton would undoubtedly se5tle.
The intake will have u depth at all
! times of 80 feet, and the intake pipe Is 10
| be 40 feet from the pump, SO that the
| water drawn down by Moffett, Hodg-
kins & Clarke would in every way be.free
| from the effects of a glaring sun on sucn
body OF water.
Again, this immense intake would be
sheltered by trees and the river banks.
The sewage Of Boonton proper Will not
reach the Rockaway. as it Is proposed to
carry it far below thu intake. The cossi-
bilitv of the north bank becoming ouilt
up settlement created some fear III the
minds of the officials. but Moffetr, Hodg-
kins & Clarke propose TO carry all this
sewage across their intake and into the
maiu sewer at Boonton.
Contractor Hugh J. Reily's plan is not
Objectionable, because of BoontoE's sew
NOE h1f hia r,r0nQsition pffectad bV
Dover sewerage more particularly than
Moffett, Hodgkir & Clarke's.
Reilly's plans gain an elevation OF lS0
feet over the Moffett bid at the intake, and
he advances this as good feature. as it
gives him the mower to deliver his water
Beleville and High Service without
pumping.
To Reilly's plan at Powerville (his in
take (some objection was made that the
water would be so swallow, that IN draw
ing off very much. the bed of the reser-
voir would IN places be left bare, and par
ticles of decomposed vegetation carried
into the Verona Lake. Reilly, in the first
place, proposes to adopt principles OF
aeratiou at Powervllle and all his reser-
voirs, and again at Belleville.
PLEASED WITH NOFFET's.
In q few words, the officials like Mof-
felt. Hodgkins & Clarke's scheme, be-
cause 1t has greater supyly TO ueal Win
below Powerville.
What the Moffett Company must do. is
to get rid of the Boonton and Dover sew
age. On the other hand. Reilley's plan is
admired, because it taxes water at
PowerviiIe and is free from Boonton
sewage, and is at such an elevation that
the water can be carried to High Service
without pumping. What Rellley must do
is to dispose or the Dover sewage. and
then Mayor Wanser and the rsst of the
city officials will talk water contracts. but
not before.
Pure water has been In abundance.
but the city is no nearer having a pure
supply than it was six months ago Mr..
Riley's main reservoir, with It's $50 900, 900
Friday next.