New-York tribune., 1912-03-04
PLANS DRAINAGE AREAS
Metropolitan Sewerage Commits
sion Submits Report to Mayor.
FOREIGN CITIES SHOW WAY
Board Will Recommend Huge
Main Works for Collection
and Publication.

The Metropolitan Sewerage Commission
a board of engineers created by the city
and state Of New York for the purpose OF
making plans for the sanitary disposal OF
New Yorks sewage, has submitted 10 May
or Gaynor the second In a series OF reports
IN which the necessity for colossal main
drainage works is clearly foreshadowed. 1t
is planned to create these drainage works
after the fashion of those now in use In
Paris, London and Berlin.
The commission recommends, that the
city be divided into four drainage areas, In
each Of which there shall be a number OF
central points at which the sewage is col
lected and there purified to such an extent
that the remainder can be discharged into
the harbor without danger to health or the
possibility Of becoming a nuisance.
In the present report the commission has
undertaken to prove the necessity for con-
structing the great public works which will
be needed in order to deal with the sewage
In sanitary manner and lays the founda-
ton for subsequent reports in which the
situation. size, cost and method of con-
structing and operating the great drains,
pumps screens and outfalls will be fully
described
This second report Of the series is sub
mltted in the form of an eleven-page
pamphlet, together with map Of the di-
vision OF the city into drainage areas. Each
phase of the problem is gone into al some
length, the final opinion Of the commission
being given as to the best manner Of solv-
ing the difficulties to be met with.
The commission believes that, so far as
practicable. the collecting points should be
as near the ocean or Long Island Sound as
possible, and as close to the unobstructed
flow in Deep tidal channels. Points of out
let II is said. should never be situated In
shallow, stagnant or remote parts OF the
harbor, when the disposal Of untreated
sewage is TO be accomplished. In cases
where It is found impossible TO have such
outlets near tidal water, II is recommended
that the sewage be treated more highly for
the removal of impurities.
Concerning the Jamaica Bay division Of
drainage the commission says that there Is
little danger Of its being affected by the
drainage of the rest of the city. The Ill
vision covers an area OF about 103 square
miles. seventy-sx miles Of which are land
and twenty-seven miles are water or low
lying HlaTSny lSldnus. Inc lO'di .Popul"-
ton Of this division is placed at about $685.
600, with probabilities that 1t will reach
more than 100000 in 1850 or 1880.
The Richmond division includes the whole
Of Staten Island. of a total area OF about
hfty-seven square miles. with a population
OF about 10000.
The lower Hudson, lower East River and
Bay division includes all the boroughs OF
Manhattan except that portion at the north
eastern end which naturally drains into the
Harlem River, all Of the Borough Of Brook
lyn except that part which naturally drains
into Jamaica Bay and the eastern end OF
Gravesend Bay and that part Of the Bor-
ough of Queens which naturally drains into
the East River south of Lawrence Point.
near He'll Gate. To the southeast lies the
Jamaica Bay division. to the northeast the
upper East River and Harlem division and
TO the southwest the Richmond division.
This division now has a population OF
about 3JOO,CO0, and by 1910 is expected to
have a population Of more than $4,000. 1t
presents numerous engineering difficulties
in the proper disposal of sewage, although
the Hudson and the East rivers have swift
tidal water
The upper East River and Harlem divis-
ion includes nearly the whole OF the Bor-
ough Of The Bronx, that part Of Manhat-
tan Island which naturally drains TO the
Harlem River. and that part OF Queens
which naturally drains TO the East River
east OF Lawrence Point. It's population in
1910 was about 100000.