The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-07-16

city government in reaching the belief
thar It is wise to abandon Believille. is
the fact hat in 50 doing we are not, as
many seem TO suppose we are, abandon
gines at Beiieyille consists OF two Cornish
engine5 Of which mas been il Use
Shirtx-4ve sd ora twentyssix years. and
l Is 9aa sSss s sEg xs4n ea yea s. p ioa
duty Ean3H would sbe economy to throw
them&aV4X8eysnE if zthe present station
IS coHff3ffad. 01r mat1s across the mead
ows have been in use, one forty-four, one
They n6fabfs any longer 70 bear an
Eli 4 alS asa ~ y,. s. EFsT5 au j e tt siys Dl aaf
must be renewed Within a few years.
even If we retain the Believiile station,
These are~tre several considerations which
Il is wisdom and economy to abandon
Beiieville as a source of supply, and OBJ
tain water from q highland stream drain
gng an area which we can reasonably
hope to preserve from pollution.
In reaching this determination I believe
we have strrlp1faed your problem, and
Jlat in going 70 the necessary expense TO
accomplish this our city is making a val
liable contribution to the cause of purif-
eaticn OF Passaic River. The difference
In cost between such a degree of pariica-
ton as will render the water at Belle
vile fit for domestic consumption. and
the much less degree of publication Which
viii remove the nuisances OF bad oder,
disgusting color, and danger to the health
OF the neighborhood, which is all that
will then be necessary, viii represent q
large sum- of money saved. If We re-
tain our intake at Beileviile,- We hav
seen that not only the sewerage proper,
but The entire rainfall upon this 50
square miles must be cared for in your
sewers and either kept out of the river
entirely. or subjected to treatment ana
purified. On the other hand. when we
have abandoned Belleyiile we have only
the surface drainage may be allowed to
follow natural channels. The first is
what is known as the combined system
ana the second the separate system OF
will understand how the enormous saving
effected by the use OF the separats
system, For this particular drainage dis
tTict the sewer capacity would have to be
not less than eight times as much in
the first case as in the second, and the
cost OF sewersng sthe entire district.
cepting sewers. would be fully three
In the same way when we
s We Should ~ ia Sav gpsf by fse s 81 sns svs paans
during the first twenty years. an aver
age of about 81 million gallons daily Of
sewage; while by the combined system
It would average just shout twice this
amount. AS probably much Of this sew
age must be pumped, and all Of Il pur-
TIED. the cost of operating would be just
AOAblC ~ NdSc We itIifal1f at BeIeFllG.
On the whole, we believe that in view Of
these facts, the amount saved to your
cities in the Passaic sewerage district
would be fully equal to the entire amount
which we must expend for the new water
supply. It is all the more gratifying that
we can effect this saving without much.
I any, increased expense to ourselves.
no matter how perfect the methods
adopted by your commission for puri-
tying the river might be, we should
1ind u necessary if We remained at Belle
cost of rebuilding our pumping plant
and main, building the necessary filter
peas and operating them, we have found
Woum pe practically as great as the pro-
the Highlands.
Assuming then that we abandon our
supply Of water from the upper 0g Dart q E
the stream, the problem is reduced to the
removal Of sewage amounting by 1900 TO
VIII probably Increase To- i1o milton
gallons daily by 1920. While plans should
be made 70 care for the whole Of the dis
from Newark to Paterson, the Immediate
trouble will be remedied by removing the
sewage Of Newark. that Of the Orange and
sewage. Of Paterson and Passaie. 1t is with
some diffidence that / offer you any sug-
g 81 for as 81 e how this is to be accomplish
had an abundance Of this. but perhaps /
may pc allowed 70 cali attention to 4 few
Be Kept IL view a''s First sf re ais5 Rhroflsao y
MS Wnols amount of crude sewag into
Newark Bay may be regarded as a doubt
emily be adopted after q careful study Of
tides and currents, and then. if possible.
ems oniv sewage op he should abb Be discharged
aware q the fact Fiat salt IHs water woa aTa
wonders IN the way Of publication of fresh
of the solid matter and rapidiv makine
way with NEST of the Objectionable sub
stance through the medium of marine life.
the possibility OF a mere oscillation Of
sewage laden water at the head OF the
bay however, should be carefully guarded
Perhaps careful study will reveal tbe
possibility Of applying some method OF
publication without too great an expense
| am not one of those who Believe that
ansse Worss should be undertaken re-
necessary they may be, some one must
foot the bill. and in all such undertaking.
the possible saving by wise forethought
and a proper economy is Immense In
short the best method can only be deter
mined after long and careful study and
estimates upon two or three methods.
me operating expenses Of any system are
likely to be large. I may. perhaps, sug-
gest the wisdom of reducing them so far
as possible. even b an additional out
lay In the first instance. Large operating
at some period in the history Of all such
work whereas, il the same money Is paid
In interest charges, 1t is more likely to
force economy. BY a little larger expen-
ditufe IN the first instance the cost of
pumping the upper part OF this sewage
may be avoided, and this is a gain IN oper-
atfng expenses which is certainly worth
striving for. Even a moderate lift. such
as you would be likely TO have if sths
works were installed with a low grade.
would cost from two to three dollars per
million gallons for sewage handled, ana
this charge would go on indefinitely into
the future upon q steadily growing vols
ume of sewage. For example, the lowest
outlet in the city of Paterson is twenty
seven feet above tide. This gives a fall
of about twenty-five feet to the flats on
the Hackensack River. west Of Little
Ferry.
tigate If It would not be feasible and pro-
son by gravity TO these fats, there 10 be
treated by intermittent filtration or broad
irrigation. So large a part of the sewage
Of the rest of the district could be deiiv-
cred by gravity 70 the fats south Of New
ark by means Of an intercepting sewer &
little back from the river. The compare
lively small district which Is at too low
a level to be thus delivered. could either
have Its sewage pumped, or it could be
discharged direct 10 the river without
serious results. The fact that the pres
ent extremely large proportion of sewage
Ia the river creates a nuisance does not
mean that a very much smaller proper
ton could not safely be carried by the
river. From experience elsewhere ! ana
4 $50 .8 a - = e