Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-05-27
To TRUNK
SEWER; TALK OF
DISPOSAL PLANT
MOntclair and Four Other Essex
Communities Consider
Iml1off Plan.

AS a weapon with which to fight the
Passaic Valley trunk sewer project
Montclair, Orange. East Orange.
Bloomfield and Glen Ridge are con-
sidering the use of the new Imhoff
separate disposal work plan, which
was explained in its entirety by DR..
Carl Imhoff. the German engineer. at
a meeting In Montclair. attended I'M
officially by the representatives of the
five municipalities.
That DIR. Rudolph Herring, the origin
al engineer of the trunk sewer project,
had abandoned his plan for the purih-
cation of the Passaic liver, has been
asserted, and the rumor has obtained
credence more particularly in Passaic
81 have done nothing of the kind,
DR.. Herring said to an Evening STAR
reporter today. you can't compare
the trunk sewer with the Imhoff sys-
TEN. What Professor Imhoff has done
is merely a small part of the whole.
He has perfected a system of deoder-
izing the sludge, or solid matter. and
rendering 1t entirely %innoxious and in
offensive. 4but tue iluulu Hidltsi SIN
remains.
'"The trunk sewer is the better--l've
| always said so and / say SO still. II
disposes of the sewage once and for
all.
However, for Montclair, Orange.
East Orange, Bloomfield nj Glen
Ridge | believe it would be cheaper,
but by no means better. for them to
Install the Imhof plant for disposing
of the sludge.
II went to Germany three years ago
| especially to study the Imhoff method.
Of which there are perhaps seventy
successful plants over there. / went
again last year. | am putting up q
plant at Atlanta, one near Buffalo and
two or three others. They are UNI
doubtedly a success.
But it doesn't affect the trunk sewer
in the slightest. The Imhoff system
might be used in connection with 1t
Just as we'll as not, but 1t Won be g.
big engineering question to determine
whether it would be advisable to sub
stitute this new method for that of
lower bay outflow
John S. Gibson, secretary of the Pas
sale Valley Sewerage Commission, was
somewhat skeptical.
"a number of methods have been
tried, but they've failed, every one OF
them. After a few years the best of
them become u%nsanitary and offensive.
Our engineers have investigated them
again and again. and they all turned
out the same way.
Ever though these five communities
70 Off by themselves the other river
towns will remain. They've got to get
the sewage out of the river, anyway.
You will notice that these towns
that want individual plants don't want
them in their particular ~neighborhooo.
All of them have been trying TO get "A
| location in Hudson county. But you
know how the Common Council OF
Kearny came out against that scheme.
East Orange tried a system, and it
failed absolutely. Plainfield became
Disguised with theirs. That's why I'm
doubtful about any new scheme.
Furthermore, DR.. Herring has always
said that the trunk sewer was the only
way"
Mayor Hinck, of Montclair. outlined
his view of the matter to a STAR re-
porter.
1--WE had an informal meeting here,
ar which DR.. Imhoff explained his plan
He was visiting this country and he
gave his lecture at my request. no
official action was taken, Of course.
have investigated this very thoroughly,
however, and I'm convinced that for
these FIVE towns one Imhoff plan should
be installed. It would cost LOCO, 0oo
complete, and would provide for 100000
people. although We have only 100000.
Our estimated assessment for the trunk
sewer is 50. 900. zoe"
David Henney, of the New York en-
gineering firm of Twombly & Henney,
n member of the Montclair Council.
said that no action nae been taken at
the wednesday night meeting, the talk
being merely explanatory of the linz
hoff system.
'~Personally / don't think there's any
possibility of Montclair joining in the
trunk sewer plan. h cost prevents
II. The Imhoff system would certainly
be favored. although no action has
been taken