The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-12-16
OF ITS WORK
SEWERAGE COMMITS
SION MAKES REPORT.
Disposal Plants Do NotEndanger Health,
Members Think-Refers to Sewerage
Progress in Different Cities.

Governor Stokes has received the 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 Morris
town have made quick strides toward most
complete sewerage systems. with disposal
plants designed according TO the best
engineering practise. Riverside has taken
similar action, and East Rutherford Is
taking steps toward the same end. Work
is progressing at Merchantville, where a
new plant will soon be in operation. Bor-
dentown is preparing for sanitary sewerage
work. North Plainfield is spending time
and money to plan for the best action
and will soon be in shape to do actual
work.
THE commission meets with some ques-
tons arising from local opposition to the
sites selected for sewage disposal plants.
The commission is satisfied that a sewage
disposal plant is not a nuisance, and that
it is not a danger to health. When man
aged with even ordinary care 1t should
be entirely inoffensive. Most of the oppo-
sition encountered to disposal plant Local
tons has arisen from prejudice or ig-
norance of actual conditions, and after a
short period Of operation Of the plants to
which opposition had been made the oppo-
sition fades away.
This commission has been called upon to
investigate a few complaints of nuisances
as disposal plants for which it can assign
no other explanation. In this regard, an
improperly managed plant can do inn
measurable harm to sanitary progress.
Sentimental objections to the location of
sewage disposal plants are as real as OBJ
~jections with more substantial reasons, n
where 1t was possible the commission has
made efforts to satisfy all concerned.
THE powers of the commission for the
prevention of injury due to pollution of
the waters of this State were increased by
the last session of the Legislature, espe-
cially by the removal of a limitation on
its jurisdiction which prevented action in
relation to pollution OF the Atlantic Ocean
In so far as 1t 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 to the seaside resorts, due to the
unclean practise of all these municipali-
ties in the disposal Of their wastes. 1t
adds nothing to the attractiveness of our
summer resorts to foul the ocean beach,
their one beauty, with immense quantities
of crude sewage"
IL SR0
venting pollution in the Shrewsbury, Nave
sink, Raritan, Railway and other rivers,
and-the measures by which the Delaware
River is being relieved of the pollution
along it's banks. Extensive experiments
have been conducted as to disinfection
by chlorine. Regarding this the report
says:
During the year 1906 the commission
considered this question in conjunction
with the photographic division of the
United States Geological Survey, with
which Professor Phelps was then asso-
ciated. A joint experiment was tried at
Red Bank for a short time, In this 1t
developed that while chlorine would kill
bacteria, as had already been shown by
many experiments, yet a much larger
quantity Of chlorine was needed to treat
septic sewage than was the case in treat
ing raw sewage. This was due to the
chemical condition of the sewage as dis
charged from a septic tank.
During the present year the Geological
Survey could not participate in the further
trial of chlorine for lack of appropriation,
and the work was carried on BY the COM
mission, with the assistance and supervl-
sion of Professor Phelps. The results have
been highly satisfactory and the report of
experts indicates that a practical and econ
omical method of destroying bacteria an a
sewage ef1uent has been demonstrated by
this work.
1.-THE commission finds itself embarrassed
by a decision of the Court of Errors and
Appeals that creamery wastes are not
sewage. The fact Is, they are Identical
with ordinary domestic sewage. and legis-
lation to define them as such is urged as
necessary to prevent great injury to
streams"