The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1911-05-02
SUCCESSFUL WORK
OF Sewer SYSTEM
Results Of Tests Show That
Plant is Doing Well.

Morristown's sewer system, after
working all through the winter, is do
ing fine work and bids fair to be the
most successful system in the state.
Clyde Potts, who has the system in
charge, and his assistant, Henry Ryor
are keeping careful tabs on the re-
suits and are highly gratified at the
results of their tests.
The plant is far from running to its
full capacity. over 500 connections
have been made. this giving a total
of approximately $500 people using
the sewers. The flow of sewage
fluctuates between 100000 to 100000
gallons on dry days and from 1000
to 500, 900 gallons on wet days. The
flow reaches its maximum just be-
fore noon and just afternoon each
day. There is a larger flow on Mon
days. because of its being wash
day"
Only one of the four septic tanks
is now being used. In this tank be
gins the work of purifying the sew
age, the germs being generated in
this receptacle. About thirty pei
cent. of the total solids are lost In
this process. The solids in the sew
age approximate 800 parts to millio
parts of sewage in. solution and the
solids in suspension aggregate 14I
parts to the million. When the sew
age leaves the septic tank at the enc
of about six hours the solids in solu
tion amount to 260 parts to the million
and those in suspension about q
parts to the million. BY the action oil
the sewage that takes place in The
septic tank a reduction of sc pei
cent. is made in the solids.
From the septic tank the sewage
flows to the contact beds. The flow
is automatically regulated by an in
eenious apparatus that permits The
filling of each of the beds in turn
Only three of the beds are now being
used. The apparatus automaticall.
dumps a bed when filled and turn.
the flow of sewage into the next bed
With the present flow of sewage the
apparatus makes one and one-hal
cycles each day.
Each of the contact beds WHICH are
filled with broken stone, empty int
the sand filters, each bed having it!
own filter. From the filter the eff
fluent flows into the main drain ant
on to the discharge point to the river
Compared with the purity of th'
river water and also that of the drink
ing water of the town the effluen
shows favorably Every day a tes
is made of the effluent in Mr. Pott
laboratory by Miss Pruden, the chem
list, and records are kept of eacl
days results.
! During February the amount o
bacteria in the sewage fluctuate,
from $4,000 to 9,15S,OOO per cubi
centimetre while the effluent showe
the bacteria to number from 81 90
to $4,000, or reduction of iron
1913 per cent. to 98.3 per cent = TIL
river water during the same mont
showed bacteria to be present from
1000 to $4,000, its greatest purity be
ing on rainy days.
In March the tests showed the bac
terra to be present in a cubic cent
metre of sewage to number 6,201 90
to 1,047,0 while the effluent showe
a test of from 25S, 900 to $4,000, re
duction of from 9S.3 per cent. to 93
per cent. The river water ran iron
$4,000 to 1000 per cubic centimetr
in daily tests.
That the .effluent is very close t,
being pure is shown by tests made o
the drinking water. These shove,
the bacteria to range from 100000 t,
$4,000. Tests taken of the river waite
above and below the outlet of tn,
sewer effluent showed the water t,