Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-07-15
TRUNK SEWER NOW
ASSURED; WORK TO
BEGIN NEXT FALL
foontinued from First Page,


clusion that a trunk sewer was the
proper method.
This commission hoped to be able to
avoid emptying sewerage into Newark
bay. bat the government of the United
States alleged that, owing to the shall
low condition of the bay and the neces-
sity for constant dredging it would not
permit this to he DONE.
Paterson lake Objections.
The proposition, as 1t Their stood, pro-
yided for a trunk sewer from the south
erly boundary line of Paterson. This
was not satisfactory to Paterson be-
cause it did not provide an intercepting
sewer to take up the sewerage of the
lateral sewers in Paterson, but COM
PEELED that city to bring its sewerage to
its southern boundary. AS a result
this proposition failed.
The present commission was APP
pointed by former Governor Murphy
under an act of the Legislature of 1902.
With Mr.. Herring as consulting en-
gineer this commission investigated the
whole matter, examined all the
methods of sewerage disposal in this
country and Europe, and was forced
to the conclusion reached by its prede-
cessors-that a trunk from the
great falls in the city of Paterson to
New York bay was necessary to accom-
plish the ends proposed.
Commission Is Created.
The Legislature in 1908 passed a law
which gave the sewerage commission
ers mandatory powers to construct this
sewer and assess the. cost upon the
municipalities within the district. When
this act was passed there was inserted
a provision at the instance of the city
of Paterson to the effect hat no money
should be spent or work done until
the commissioners had investigated
and reported to the Governor of the
State that there would be no offensive
pollution of New York bay, to the detri-
ment of a neighboring State.
This investigation occupied a year
and was thorough. The report was to
the effect that there would be no Of
fensive pollution of New York bay,
and this report was confirmed by the
Governor Inc the encouragement.
The commissioners then advertised an
issue of bonds for the purpose of be-
ginning the work.
Plans Are Certiorsried.
Paterson applied for a writ of GER
tiorari to the Supreme Court upon the
ground that the commissioners could
not exercise the power of assessing and
collecting taxes. The Supreme Court
upheld the commissioners, but the
Court of Errors n Appeals reversed
the decree and the project failed.
In 1907 the Legislature passed what
might be called a 'permissory" act. as
1t permitted the various municipalities
to contract with the commissioners for
the accomplishment of the work. In
1908 the commissioners issued a report,
accompanied by plans, of the work to
be done. Since then they have been
hampered In their work by efforts to
secure legislation which would prac-
tically render the trunk sewer impos-
sible. 1t was not possible until the
adjournment of the last Legislature for
the commissioners to proceed with the
undertaking, but since that time the
project has been vigorously pushed un-
til 1t has reached the present state.
New York Brings Suit.
After the report of 1908 the Mer-
chants Association of New York city
succeeded III inducing the State Of New
York to bring an action against the
| State of New Jersey and the Passaic
Vallew Sewerage Commissioners to
prevent the emptying of sewage in New
York bay. The Federal government
was also induced to intervene in this
| suit.
When application was made by the
commissioners to the war department
for permission to erect the necessary
works in New York bay. the New York
harbor line board gave a public hear
ing, at which DIRECTORS were heard. As
q result of this hearing, the harbor line
board made a unanimous report in
favor of the proposition. and the secre-
tary of war issued the necessary per-
NIT for the erection of the works in
New York bay.
I. s. withdraws from suit.
The government of the United States.
after investigating through its legal
offices the case in court. withdrew from
lie suit. The petition of the city of
New York to intervene was denied by
the Supreme Court. The suit OF New
York still is pending, with little pros
pect of success, the commissioners be-
lieve.
Route of Proposed Sewer.
The trunk sewer will start in the up
per part of Paterson, just south of the
falls. 1t will be four feet in diameter
to begin with. At the southerly boun-
dairy of Paterson It will have a diam
eter nearly twice as great. At this
point an automatic measuring device
will be constructed to show the exact
amount flowing through the sewer
each minute.
The sewer will continue through
Acquackanonk to Passaic, ever increas-
ing in size. At Passaic will come an
other measuring clock. Then the sewer
will pass through Acquackanonk again
Nutley n Belleville. passing under
Second river. At this point 1t will have
a diameter of twelve feet and a ca
pacity of 225.0 0o, 900 gallons a day. There
will also be another measuring device
at this place.
The design of the meters is to pro-
vide an absolutely accurate method IF
determining the amount of sewage
/ aau-I,,n fro-a oarh 80 A. 14k..-