The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-08-20
RIVER MAPPED OUT.
Passaic Sewage Commission
Has Several Problems
to Solve.
SECRETARY SCOTS VIEWS
offices Hired in Newark and a
Competent Draughtsman APP
pointed to Assist.

The Passaic Valley Sewage Commission
has begun active work by engaging offices
and securing the appointment Of a
d-raughtsman. Mr. H. E. Abbott, of
Bloomfield, will ASSIST Engineers Fteley
and Jacobsen in drawing the plans for
the disposal of sewage now dumped in
the Passaic River. Mr.. Abbott has been
in the employ of the East Jersey Water
Company and was highly recommended
by John S. schaffer, Civil Engineer of
Newark.
The Commission has engaged room So
on the sixth floor of the Globe Building
in Newark, where the engineers are busy
preparing a map of the Passaie River,
from Paterson to salt water, showing the
sewer systems of the whole District and
their outlets into the river. The map
will show the different levels and all
the engineering problems to be met In
the disposal of sewage from Paterson to
the mouth of the Passaic.
The engineers found that they could
more readily devise a satisfactory plan
by having maps before them showing
all the details Of the difficulties to be
met. When these plans are prepared,
It will not be difficult to determine
whether It will be better to construct
a trunk intercepting sewer from Pater-
son to the sea for the disposal of all
sewage, or whether it will be necessary
to construct isolated works along the
river to dispose of the grosser products
Of sewage before it fs dumped into tide
water
Perhaps the most difficult problem of
all which they viii have to consider" said
Secretary Scott, of the Sewage Commits
sion, this morning, lis how to dispose of
the waste products OF factories along the
Passaic River. In England and Massa-
chusetts, where the problem has been ex-
tensively dealt with, the plan invariably
pursued has been to make the cost as
small as possible to the manufacturer. In
most cases the engineers have suggested
individual plans for the disposal of sew
age or waste and the municipalities have
borne most of the expense of such dis
posai. As far as 1 know, there is only
one kind Of mandatory in the Passaic
Valley where waste can be reclaimed at
a profit. and that is the class Of manu-
features in which wool cleansing or
bleaching IS carried on. In any other
branch Of Industry it would not spay TO
reclaim the waste product
-on the other hand, if the rnunfef-
palfeies should connect the various maIfu-
factories, numbering, ii is said, about go
TO 300 along the Passaic, with the pro-
posed trunk in~tercepting sewer, another
serious problem would have to be met,
and that is the removal of too much water
from the Passaic, thereby diminishing the
water supply
"The engineers must also consider how
to prevent draining the surface waters
of the Passaic Valley into any trunk
sewer system that ma be constructed.
The trunk sewer would have to be very
large to carry off the drainage of the
valley, N in heavy storms the sewer
might not be able to take care of the
foods of surface water. On the other
hand. il storm sewer are to be con-
structed all over the Passaic Valley, in
dependent Of the regular sewage plants,
1t will necessitate building a new sys-
tenn of sewers in every town and city.
OF course, storm sewers would easily
solve this difficulty, because they would
be constructed to carry all rain and sur
face water directly into the Passaie
River, thus keeping the stream at its
regular level. It looks very much as IL
the disposal of waste from manufactures
would v to be arranged to suit each
individual case"
Secretary Scott is now sending out cir
culars to each manufacturer In the Pas
sale Valley. asking for information as to
the amount of water aiken from the
Passaic or any of it's tributary streams
daily. the nature of the product and
waste of manufacture and the manner
of the disposal of such waste or refuse.