New Britain herald., 1914-07-09
DniIders 0f Sewer Beds Are
 Fired0n By Nay0ralty Guns
Cannot Be Too Severely Criticized for Gross Careless ness" Says Quigey-Counci Authorizes Commit
 tee to Look Up New System for New Britain

age problem, one of the largest enigmas to be taken up by the pres ent administration, the common coun- cil at special meeting last evening authorized Mayor George A.. Quigley to appoint a committee of four to in 'vestigate sewage plants and to re- port to the council a system that they believe will be feasible for New Brit ain. The committee will consist of Mayor Quigley, Chairman E. N. < Humphrey of the board of public works, City Engineer William H. Hall and manufacturer yet to be select ed. The council authorized the ex- penditure of not more than $1,0OO by the committee during its investigation.
 Mayor Quigley read a special message on the state of affairs at the sewer beds in Berlin and appended to it a report from George w. Fuller of New York, sanitary engineer, who investigated conditions at the beds.
 Sharp Raps From Mayor. f In his message the mayor attacked the men who had. charge of installing the present beds, saying: '"The men who had charge of the work of in- stalling these beds cannot be too severely criticized for their gross care- lessness in not studying more closely the then existing sewage problem of New Britain"
 Sanitary Engineer Fuller recom- mended the installation of sprinkler system with Imhoff tanks. This would cost approximately $400,000 to install and $15,000 per year to maintain. He also spoke of another system, but did not recommend it.
 The great problem that New Britain faces in regard to its sewage dis .posal plant, the engineers report stat ed, was the large amount of iron that Isescapes into the beds from factory pickling vats. This clogs the bed, which he found to be seriously over loaded and grossly overtaxed. He also reported that it would be cheaper in the long run to build new beds than to make repairs from year to year. Another statement in the report was that the beds are practically of no svalue at present. The system he rec Commended is used. successfully in xReading, Pa, and Atlanta, Ga.
 "A Mayor Quigley's message follows: T have been Investigating, for the past two months. the condition of the wish fto. report tonight to this body the conditions I found to exist. #
 At first I hesitated to officially bring to your attention the condition Ilof this plant, believing that possibly Iconditions might sbe improved With a 6mall expenditure and that publicity Of this matter would be against the best interest of the city, but, after an Investigation extending over a period of two months, l came to the con- clusion that it Is no longer possible and neither is it good policy to con- ceal from the citizens of New Britain the real facts concerning our sewage disposal plant.
 "The failure of this plant to prop |erly treat crude sewage has been Recognized by the board of public works for several years, and efforts made by the board to remedy the conditions have been futile.
 .The men who had charge of the work of installing these beds cannot be too severely criticised for their gross carelessness in not studying more closely the then existing sew hge problem of New Britain. G
 "Thousands of dollars have been spent upon repair and maintenance of the sewage beds, people threaten Ing to bring law suits for the pollu- lion of the brooks and streams have been bought off at large expense, and we have now arrived at crisis where immediate action must be talk en.
 "After my two months investiga- ion decided that, someone must be consulted whose opinion would set at est any doubts I had in my mind re- yardlng the true condition of the bewage disposal plant.
 with that end in view, George w. Fuller of New York, a sanitary engi- heer of national repute, was hired by he board of public works to come to New Britain to give his opinion as to what our problem really was.
 "After a very careful investigation If the conditions existing. MT. Fuller keturned to New York and on Tues
 ay we received his report which l
 herewith append as part of my mes. age to your honorable body.
 "After reading this report you an form some idea of the sewage
 isposal problem that confronts this ity.
 "Recognizing the imperative neeo
 f immediate action, instructed the
 oard of public works to rebuild bed fo. 20 at the sewage disposal plant vhfch was done at an expense of
 bout $850.
 saThfs bed with four or five others, onstructed on the same plan, win
 ford some relief until we can decide
 pon a new method of treating sew
 re at the disposal plant.
 s.we must bear in mind, however,
 hot we face a possible expenditure of
 etween $4O0, ,O0O and $500,oO0 to in-
 nil q new system, and, until we can Ike definite action we must De care-
 al as to the expenditure of money
 the present plant as any relief
 hat we can get Is at best merely tenn
 nrary. a.ssfs.s8