The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1915-03-05
POLLUTION
OF STREAMS

health regar ding the pollution Of
streams is a carefully prepared paper
going much into detail. It's summary
and it's suggestions are as follows:
From the foregoing investigation
the board concludes that with few ex-
ceptions all the streams Of the state
give evidence of pollution. In the case
of large streams like the Connecticut,
Thames and Housatonie, the flow is
so large and the volume is increased
so greatly by the influx OF salt water
at each tide, on those portions which
are tidal, that the di1ution is suff1-
Gent, at present, to take care of the
sewage and wastes from the different
cities on them, provided the outlets
discharge far enough out from the
shore to provide quick and adequate
mixing and dispersion Of the wastes
and to permit their being carried
away by the tidal currents. Unfor-
tunately this condition is not true of
most towns; the outlets discharge at
the banks of the river and very often
a,bove low water mark, the result be-
ing the formation of banks of foul
smelling sludge and solids and ex-
creta floating on the surface. Only
three of the large cities, y Meriden,
New Britain and Danbury treat their
sewage before dischargtng it into the
streams. OF the smaller towns, the
following have adopted some method
rof treatment: Bristol, Ldtchffeld,
Manch ESTER South Manchester, Nor
folk, Canaan, Ridgefield, Rockville
SiTnsbury, Southington, West Haven
and Greenwich. Within the next few
years many towns will be obliged to
install some kind of plant, and it is
very important that the type of such
Installation should be passed on by
some state board, in order that the
rights Of adjoining towns and the
public at large be protected. In
oxygen present is dangerously near
the limit at which major fish life
ceases to exist, and the constant
presence of the Buco1i is in evidence
Of contamination by human or ami
NAL exreta. Most all the smaller
rivers flowing into the Sound seemed
badly polluted and in all the amount
of dissolved oxygen is surprisingly
low, and former Investigations of the
board have shown that the condition
of many of the harbors needs i'm
mediate attention.
The stream switch extend beyond
the borders of the state into Massa.-
chusetts all show signs Of pollution
caused by the discharge of sewage
and manufacturing wastes from the
towns situated on their drainage
areas above the state line.
Industries, the waste of which are
particularly responsible for the pollu-
ton of streams, are bleacheries, wool
en- mills, cotton mills, breweries, dis
ti11eries, canning factories, cream
cries, dye works, commercial Iaun-
dries, ga1vanizfng works, galvanized
wire works. gas works, paper mills,
rendering works, sawniIls slaugh, ter
houses, soap works, starch factories,
tanneries. vinegar factories and wood
alcohol works.
The waste liquors from cotton, flax
hemp, and jute b1eacheries are in
general only slightly poIluttng, except
that which is discharged from the
kiers- The amount discharged per
1000 pounds of cloth is about 5000
gallons. The liquors from cotton
waste b1eacheries are about the same
as from cotton with the addition of
large amounts of grease; about a.
900 gallons are discharged in treat
ing 1000 pounds of cloth. The wastes
from wool washing vary from "a to
PA gallons per 100 pounds of wool
the more pol1uting wastes coming
from the sleeping tanks. All of these
wastes are detrimental to the purity
Of the streams and before being dis
charged should receive treatm ent, If
nor for sanitary reasons, at least for
econ nnic. for the value of the by