Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1915-10-09
WATER SUPPLY
CONTRACT READY
FOR APPROVAL
Commission to Submit Draft of
Wanaque Agreement for
States Endorsement.

! With the final drafting of a con-
tract TO be submitted to municipalities
interested in the development of the
Wanaque watershed, the State Pota-
BILE Water Supply Commission yester-
day decided to submit the contract TO
Assistant Attorney-General Herbert
Boggs for approval. For several
months the municipalities desirous of
entering the WSnaque project have
been awaiting the formal contract
which will permit them to enter.
In order that Newark, Paterson,
Passaic and lIontclair might be as
sessed in proportion to the benefits to
be derived. the contract specifies that
the basis of calculating the assess
ment shall be 100000 per million gal
Ions. The money TO be raised in this
manner will form q working capital,
With which the State Water Supply
Commission proposes to develop the
Wanaque, at the joint expense of all
municipalities interested -Four per
cent. interest will be paid on all
money invested.
In July the State Water Supply
Commission considered an application
of the city of Newark wherein New
| ark proposed to take over large
area i'll the Wsmaque watershed and
develop 1t at its own expense. Pater-
son and Passaic objected to the
granting of this application since they
urged that it be made joint propo-
sltion. Had Newark been permitted
10 develop certain portions of the
Wanadue watershed, an additional
created.
When The Water Supply Commits
sion decided that other municipalities
should have an opportunity to pay
portion OF the cost Newark at once
agreed to take ten million gallons and
pay proportionate share of the cost.
Not Yet Adjusted.
| There is still some difficulty in con-
nection with the purchase of
the East Jersey Water Company's
plant at Little Falls, which is valued
! at about SS.000a0 Without this plant
| Paterson. Montclair and Passaic will
have no means OF taking advantage
of the Wanaque supply. 1t is the In
tention of the State commission to
submit contract to Paterson, Pas
sale and Montclair. Kearny and
Montclair will also sign a contract,
since their representatives have gone
on record as favoring the develop-
| ment of the Wanaque
All of the cities interested in the de-
velopment of the Wanaque watershed
realize that il is only a matter of n
few years when they will have to Sc
cure additional water, and the Wana-
que is the only large watershed that
is available and properly located.
In July last the city of Elizabeth
went on record as being opposed to
the Wanaque plan, since 1t is believed
the proposition would be entirely too
costly.
On the basis of 100000 per million
gallons, it is expected that the So
000,000 which Is the estimated cost of
developing the Wanaque, can easily
be raised. The cost TO Newark would
be s2,000.000 while Paterson would
pay in about 81 900. With the va
rious municipalities paying in
various large sums to form work
ing capital, the project would be
amply financed and n source of wa
ter supply for ct least thirty years
to come would be available.
At the conference of the state Wa
ter Supply Commission held at the
City Hall yesterday, the Commission
ers finally passed upon the form of
contract Engineer Morris r. Sher-
rerd suggested that the approval Of
Assistant Attorney General Herbert
Boegs be secured, before the contract
il submitted to the interested mun-
cipalities for execution.
In nearly all the cities the pay
ment of the assessment will be ac-
complished by bond issue. When
the State has sufficient money on
hand, the practical work ut the Nan
aque will be started.