The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-07-25
Board of Public Works Is
Considering Two Great
Trunk Lines Down Each
Bank of Whitewater.
"A DISPOSAL PLANT
ALSO PROVIDED FOR
This Would Eliminate Pollu-
ton Of the River and Be a
Great Benefit to Health
of Community.

The biggest improvement that has
ever been considered by the city, is
the construction of two enormous
trunk sewers. on each side of the river
bluff, and a big disposal plant at
some point on the river bottom. The
sewers will carry away all the sewage
from both the east and west side,
which is now flowing into the river
within the city limits. The cost of
such an improvement would be be-
tween 100000 and 100000, complet-
ed, with the disposal plant. Several
city officers discussed the matter this
morning, and 1t was mentioned that
the disposal of sewage into the river
was both unsanitary and menace to
the health of the community. Four
big trunk sewers empty their contents
into the river, and most of them have
outlets at the top of the bluff, the
sewage running down the rocks. The
stencil arising in hot weather has
caused councilmen to protest. There
are other storm sewers emptying into
the river. but these only take off
storm water.
A State Agitation
Game associations and health au-
thorities all over Indiana are demand
ing that the state legislature pass a
statute requiring all sewage from the
cities. excepting storm water from
the streets, be purified in disposal
plants before emptied in the rivers
and streams Of Indiana. The statute,
which citr officers admit will be pass
ed with. at least five years, will
mean that thousands, even millions of
dollars, must be spent over the state
on improved sewer systems. Recog-
nizing the probability Of the passage
of the act, a disposal plant was built
some years ago by the city, back of
Earlham college. This plant receives
the sewage from the trunk that drains
the southern half of West Richmond
1t empties into Clear Creek.
The plant has been inspected by
many engineers from Indiana cities
and is pronounced one of the most
modern in the country. Sewage en-
tering the plant in the most impure
state when emptied tests higher than
the water furnished by the water
works company for drinking purposes
The other four trunk sewers
drain Fairview, South Richmond and
all the city north of Main street and
east OF the river. The plan advanced
by one official is the construction OF
two twelve foot trunk sewers. One
would extend from a point north OF
Gaar, Scott and Company, to a site
which has been mentioned as a salts.
factory one for a disposal plant. II
is located within mile from the
heart of the city. The other pipe
would run from the outlet of the Fair
view sewer system, near Bridge av'
enue. south to the prospective plant
Whether or not the present sewage
plant would be abandoned has not
been mentioned. In fact there has
been nothing but talk" SO far, al
though the matter has been mention
ed in council meetings a number OF
times.
For the 1912 budget, there will be
provisions made for the construction
of a big addition to the Fairview sew
er system, if the plans of the board
go through. 1t will cost above $4,000
There will probably be no other big
sewer jobs in 1912.
Street Commissioner Gem, declar
sd this morning, that so far as it went
the Richmond sewer system is a good
one. but it is not large enough to car
ry off the storm water during heavy
tains.