Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-03-12

| 1 to the manufactures along it's banks, than to expend the same money In treating the sewage at disposal works. It is true that the sewage only causes real nuisance during the driest parts of the year, and occasionally we have whole season during which the river keeps high enough to carry off the sewage fairly well. 1t is certain that the extensive development of the wa tershed by means of storage reservoirs would provide water for the dry months sufficient to maintain respec- table stream. The resultant dilution might still be unsatisfactory but it is to be noted that even with Waterbury sewage all out of the river it's waters will always be impure. It is the nat ural drain for POO square miles of wa tershed, including many small settle ments, several good sized towns, one city of 15,vuO people, with an extensive sewerage system, besides all the fac- tories, most of which sewer and drain directly into the river or it's tributaries.
 The regulation of the flow in the river would certainly improve the san itary conditions in the valley. It would also be a distinct benefit ill i'm proving water powers along it's course.
 The cost of building reservoirs suffi- ciently large to accomplish the desired result would be considerable. No data is at hand from which estimates can be prepared, but without doubt 1t is more than the city of Waterbury alone would be justified in expending. The carrying out of such a plan would re- quire the cooperation of the manufac turing concerns throughout the valley. That they would be interested may be n TrnYol 1nns,, nafi i,, % ing to get q charter from the last gen. eral assembly, under which they could have constructed storage reservoirs anywhere in the Naugatuck valley. Their request received only the scant- est courtesy from the legislature, and their application was refused on technicality.
 It is to be hoped that the future may see such plan put in operation. But for the present it would seem to be impracticable. owing partly to the time which would be required for the neces- sary negotiations with the various manufactures.
 Filtration Plant. at Beacon Falls.
 One of the plans seriously considered by MT Herring consisted of trunk sewer to Beacon Falls, delivering sew age to a tract of land on the west side of the river where it would be filtered through gravel. Surveys were made at considerable cost and general plans prepared.
 The great difficulty and source of ex- pense in this project is the building of the trunk sewer. ten miles long, through an exceedingly difficult coun- try. Otherwise this would be an at- tractive proposition. Allowing for in crease in cost of materials and labor since the report was prepared, it is rea- sonably certain that $1.O0e. 900 would be required to construct the works complete ready for service. They would answer until the population ex- ceeded 100000. and then their capacity could be increased by means of sedi- mentation and septic tanks
 Proposed Treatment at Platt's Mills.
 The other plan considered by MT Herring in his report of August, 1896, located the disposal works at or near Ilatt's Mills. on the west bank of the river. Having brought the sewage thus far in large trunk sewer, it was to be treated by the chemical precipt- tation method. removing the suspended matter. and then pumped to filtration areas and passed through gravel beds at the rate of 100000 gallons per day per acre.
 . Tn his supplemental, report Novem- Der, 1900, he recommendeds sedimenta- ton and septic action in place of chem ieal precipitation, treating the effluent as before on filtration beds at rate of 100000 gallons per acre. His esti- mated cost is $405. .O0O, and the mini- mum length of time the works would be adequate he gives as fifteen years. or until the population reaches SO,OOO. It is reasonable inference that they might answer the purpose for some time longer. When they become in- adequate the trunk sewer is to be ex- tended to Beacon Falls. Adding to his estimate to cover the increase in cost of materials and labor, and for certain items not included in his fig ures. it is llKely that the cost would not be less than $5OOOO0.
 Conclusion.
 So far as I know the methods out lined above include all of the practi-, cable means for removing the sewage from the Naugatuck river, in accord ance with the order of the superior court
 I do not understand from the vote of your honorable board quoted above
  mendaton as to which method should be selected. It would seem best, to study the subject further. and make some detail plans before actually de- ciding which scneme to adopt.
 Very respectfully,
 K. A. CAIRNS,
 City Engineer
 The communication was received and placed i'll file.
 A communication was read from Highway Commissioner Mcdonald relative to the state road appropriation. amounting to $3,466.6S, which if not spent by April 1 will have to be con- veyed back into the city treasury. 1t 1 was decided to pay the money over to MT Macdonald before that time, so that it will be available when the Middlebrry road job is finished. 4 F. W. Mooring submitted a com- munication relative to water rates, which he protested against the unfair | discrimination in favor of large coll sumers. MT Aoorin~ contends that | the city has no r/t to charge one taxpayer more for what he gets than