The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1907-12-24
STATE SEWERAGE COMMISSION
Disposal Plants DO Not Endanger
Health Members Think.


Disposal Plants DO Not Endanger
Health Members Think.
Governor Stokes has received tile
annual report Of the State Sewerage
Commission. A synopsis Of the report
follows
During the past year plans of work
voluntarily undertaken by the city of
Elizabeth to relieve the Elizabeth
River have been adopted. Madison
and MorristoWn have made quick
strides toward most complete sever
age systems, with disposal plants de-
signed according to the best engineer
ing practice.
1.-THE commission meets with some
question arising from local opposition
to the sites selected for sewage dispos-
al plants. The commission Is satisfied
that a sewage plant is not a nuisance,
and that it is not danger to health.
When managed with even ordinary
care it should be entirely inoffensive.
Most of the opposition encountered to
disposal plant locations has arisen
from prejudice or ignorance of actual
conditions, and after short period Of
operation of the plants to which oppo-
sition had been made, the opposition
fades away. I'm
"This commission has been called
upon to investigate few complaints
of nuisances as disposal plants for
which it can assign no other explana-
tion. In this regard, an improperly
managed plant can do Unreasonable
harm to sanitary progress. Sentiment
al objections to the location Of sewage
disposal plants are as real as objec.
tions with more substantial reasons,
and where it was possible the commits
sion has made efforts to satisfy all con-
cerned.
"The powers Of the commission for
the prevention of injury due to pollu-
tion of the waters of this State were
increased by the last session Of the
Legislature, especially by the removal
OF a limitation on it's Jurisdiction
which prevented action in relation to
pollution of the Atlantic Ocean in SO
far as it affected the shore front. The
result Of this was to place the seaside
resorts Of Monmouth county under the
jurisdiction of the commission.
The commission has noted the
growing injury tothe seaside resorts,
due to the unclean practice of all
these municipalities In the disposal Of
their wastes. 1t adds nothing to the
attractiveness Of our simmer resorts
to foul the ocean beach, their one
beauty, with immense quantities Of
crude sewage. lya~q., ~
The report says extensive expert
ments have been conducted as to dis
infection by chlorine. Regarding this
the report says: ss-aelaSaisi' (
During thecyear 19O6sthe commits
sion considered this question in con-
junction with the photographic di-
vision ofstfle United States Geological
Survey, with which Professor Phelps
was then associated: A joint expert
ment was tried at Red Bank for a
shortJime. lin this itsdeveloped. that
while chlorine would lSillsbacteria, as
had already been shown by many ex-
perinients, yet much larger quantity
of chlorine was needed to treat septic
sewage chan was sthes case in treating
raw SEWAGE This was due to- the
chemical condition Of the sewage as
discharged from septic tank ETA .lst
s5sDuGing the present year the leo
logical Survey could not participatelin
the furthertrial of chlorine for lack of
appropriation, and sthe work was carr
ried on'by theacommission, with the
assistance and Supervision OF Professor
Phelps The results have been highly
satisfactory and the report of experts
indicates that practical and econom-
ical method of destroying bacteria in
sewage etfiuent has been demon
strated by this work"
aza