Waterbury Democrat., 1901-03-08
THE sEwAoB i,ljlS 0il.
Another Report Prepared By the State
 Commissioners.

Commissioners.
 The second report of the Connecticut state sewage commission to the gen eral assembly has been issued and IS ready for distribution. It is pamph- let of about seventy pages, divided into three parts. The first part if de- voted to brief outline of the busi- ness done by the commission during the past two years. The second part gives a general review of the advance in bacterial methods of sewage purl- fication and the last part contains report by prominent sanitary expert on the latest developments applicable to such cases as Waterbury and towns similarly situated, where sand beds are either not available or are of small extent.
 The act creating the commission was approved June 13, 1899, and Gov ernor Lounsbury appointed as mem- bers Robert A. Cairns of Waterbury, the Hon Lorrin A. Cooke of Winsted, Frank R. Gallagher of Essex, Edward H. Jenkins of New Haven and John N. Woodruff of Sherman.
 Soon after the commission organized with Edward H. Jenkins as chairman and Robert A. Cairns as secretary.
 The commission has held frequent meetings. It has consulted with the officials of several cities and towns re- warding sewage disposal, given spe- cial study to the propositions made, and has formally advised the town or city authorities on the matter.
 In December. 1899, the commission issued an eight-page circular of infor- nation on promising developments of bacterial processes of sewage purihca- ton.
 Three of the commission have visit ed England to gather information on certain special phases of. sewage dis pOSal. These members visited the works of twenty-one English cities and towns and studied the history and present workings of their systems of treating sewage.
 In the two years covered by this re- port the evils arising from the dis charge of sewage into streams have been intensified by extraordinary drought during two successive sum- mers. The flow of our rivers has been |, reduced to a point seldom reached be- fore, and the resulting concentration of refuse in their beds has made some of them nothing better than neglected sewers. Partly as a result of this and partly because recent court decisions have given encouragement to many persons who are injured by this pollu- tion of streams, claims and suits for damages have been brought by rip arian owners against several cities in increasing number. It is becoming clear that inland cities. which do noth- ing to cleanse their sewage, are in an insecure position and at no very dis tant day may be forced to purify it in some way before discharging it into 1o- 1, 1n1 int fn ing up this matter, the more expen- siye will it be when it becomes inn perative.
 In 1890, 51.7 per cent of the popula- ton of Connecticut were living in the thirteen cities of the state. In the following ten years this percentage ln- creased to 55.2 and while the rate of increase seems to be diminishing, we must expect still further concentration of population with an attendant, in crease in the amount of sewage dis charged into our rivers and shallow harbors.
 The authorities of several towns in Connecticut have, from time 10 time, asked the sewerage commission for ad- vice. A statement of the facts in these several cases and of the special problems connected with sewage dis
  large part off the report. The -princi- pal towns anu cities consulting the commission were New Britain. Water bury. West Hartford and Berlin. In each case thorough investigation was made of the situation. and careful re- ports given. In the case of New Brit ain especially the report shows that great deal of time and thought was given.
 The city of New Britain, with an area of about 2.25O acres, and popu- lation of 26.O0O, has about forty-hve miles of streets and more than tWen- ty-seven miles of sewers. built on the combined system, and discharges ifs sewage into two comparatively small watercourses. One of them. Piper's brook, flows through the town of New ington to Hartford, where it empties into Park river, a small stream flowing through the state capitol grounds into the Connecticut river. The other sew age discharge is into Shuttle Meadow brook. thence into Sebetne river, and finally into the Connecticut just above Middletown.
 For fifteen years at least complaint has ben made by riparian owners of the foulness of Piper's brook. The city has been obliged to pay be- | tween $4O,O0O and $3O,00O in court judgments or in settlements out of court for damages to property. There are at the present time, pending de- 1 cision in and out of court, claims az gregating nearly $5O.00O.
 Finally, and in addition to this. the city of Hartford has entered complaint | against the city of New Britain on ac- count of the pollution of Park river, and asked for S5OOOO damages and a | perpetual injunction restraining New Britain from polluting the waters of | Piper's brook. The case is now in the | courts.
 On December 21, 1899, letter was received from his honor. NJ. c. Weh- ster. mayor of New Britain, asking this commission to visit New Britain as soon as possible, look over the situa'
 ton and a proposed system of dis posal and to give the latter their ap- | proval if it appeared to them to be 1 satisfactory.
 The commission made two reports
 had analysis made of the soil, and