The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-03-08
The Fundamental Principle of Sewage
Disposal

Reports concerning sewage disposal
into waters used for municipal supplies
made to two OF the larger cities OF the
country. nv several of our foremost engi-
neers-Iohn w. Alvord. Harrison p
Eddy, Allen Hazen, Geo. c. Whipple and
f. L. Stearns shave recently been pub.
lished and are of unusual interest for
several reasons. The cities in question
are Milwaukee, with population OF
about 100000. which is situated on the
west shore Of Lake Michigan at the
outlet of three rivers, and Pittsburg
with population of about $4,000, which
Is situated on the Ohio river. Each city
discharges its sewage directly into rivers
which flow through it. Milwaukee draws
its water supply from the lake into
which flow the rivers which receive its
sewage The Ohio river is used as a
source of water supply by cities located
down stream from Pittsburg. The two
cases therefore represent the two general
conditions under which might be classed
almost every instance of pollution by
sewage OF water used for public supplies,
In the case of Milwaukee, the report
was rendered by Messrs. Alvord, Eddy
and Nhipple; the Pittsburg problem was
reported upon BY Messrs ilaZen, Whip
pie. Stearns and Eddy. Milwaukee was
induced to seek advice because OF the
nuisance created in the rivers which re-
ceive its sewage and to a certain extent
because of the danger Of pollution OF its
water supply thereby. Pittsburg has
been practically ordered by the Pennsyl-
vania state board of health to purify its
sewage before discharge into the river,
and in connection Herewith to build a
complete system of separate sewers to
insure that no untreated house sewage
reaches the river
Both reports advise against further
publication OF the sewage than the clari-
fcation required to pervent local nui-
sances. with the exception that Mr.. Al
word believes that percolatiug filters
should be added when an outfall sewer is
built discharging the sewage directly into
the lake. as should be done in a few
wears. In the case of Pittsburg, it is
claimed that there are many other
sources of pollution Of the Ohio which
it is practically impossible to suppress,
and also the cost Of building the separate
system of sewers and OF completely puri-
fying the sewage is much greater than
il would cost to adequately filter the
water supplies Of all the cities affected
by this pollution. IN the case of Mil
waukee. also it is considered that there
are many other sources of pollution. such
as other cities on the lake. steamboats,.
etc. which cannot De controlled, and here,
also. the cost of altering the water would
be less than that of removing all dan
gerous organisms from the sewage. No
great city. so far as Messrs. Hazen and
Whipple know. has purified its sewage
to protect the public water supplies of
other cities. and in the case of Milwau-
kee we find i, considered inadvisable to
thoroughly purify the sewage in order to
protect its own water supply.
If lage cities discharge merely clari-
fed sewage into the streams there Ger
tainly could be little advantage or jus
tice in requiring the small towns to
purify their sewage to greater degree.
Consequently, if the opinions Of these