New Britain herald., 1916-05-18

lem of caring for domestic sewage
 combined with difficult trade wastes which renders the operation of any known system extremely difficult and
 with little Likelihood of any degree of success.
 Sanitary engineers have been free to recommend various plants or sys- tems and yet upon careful investiga- tion it has been found that these plants or systems have not given satisfaction and I feel that New Britain cannot afford to take 9 step which will necessitate an expenditure of nearly half a million dollars until we are positive that we have solved the local sewage disposal problem.
 We are not alone in our study of this great problem; there is scarcely q city in the United States but what is making an effort to solve the prob lem of sewage disposal
 There arc no large sewage disposal plants, either in this country or abroad, which have successfully treated, for any extensive period, combined domestic and trade wastes having the characteristics of New Britain sewage.
 The acidity and iron content from the pickling liquors which are dis charged from the factories into the public sewers, produce conditions that would probably result i'll the total failure of a disposal plant of the standard design, which might successfully treat ordinary domestic sewage.
 In view of present conditions and the lack of a comprehensive plant or system of disposal I believe the pre- liminary step should be the building and operation of an experimental or test plant.
 This would be a necessary pre- liminary step toward insuring the success of any treatment works we might build.
 In view of the foregoing, and after discussing the matter with eminent sanitary engineers, I believe that the sum of $12,000.0,0 or s15,O00.0O should be appropriated with which to construct and operate testing station.
 Possibly this test plant should be constructed along the lines of the octivated sludge process, so-called, which represents the latest develop ment of sewage treatment. Results secured at Milwaukee, Baltimore, Cleveland, Houston, and elsewhere indicate that this method is superior to any of the processes heretofore used, and eminent engineers recom- mend that the investigation here be conducted along this line.
 Even from this satisfa ctory results have been secured where the activated s]udge process has been employed in connection with sewage having differ cnt characteristics from those of New Britain sewage. Whether similar re- suits can be secured with the latter, and, if secured, whether they can be obtained economically, or only after important notifications heretofore employed elsewhere, can be deter mined by the operation of a test plant treating New Britain sewage. The question as to whether trade wastes should be treated separately or in conjunction with the domestic wastes must be similarly ascertained. Such tests should be carried on over an extended scale, probably about one year.
 An experimental or test plant of this character, of temporary con- structlon and having a capacity of about 25,000 gallons per day, would cost in the neighbCrhOod of $7,000 or SS,OOO. It's construction, operation, and adoption should be under the di- recton and control of a competent sanitary engineer, assisted by a first class bacteriologist. The sanitary en- gineer should cooperate with the board of public works and the city engineer It is the opinion that S5, ,OOO to $7,O0O would be sufficient to Lay all engineering fees, salaries and operating charges for about one year.
 The absolute success of such a test plant cannot be predicted with cer- tainty before beginning operations, tut monthly progress reports made by the sanitary engineer should show you the prospect of failure or success within or at the close of a year, and the engineer would probably be able to advise indefinitely regarding future action, at the expiration of that time.
 I believe that the test plant should be built and the results carefully con- sidered before definite action is taken the building of new disposal plant.
 The committee appointed to look into the matter of sewage disposal will make a report to your honorable body of their findings in a short time which will explain fully the con- !ition of the present plant, with certain recommendation as to future plans for the development of an i'm rroved system or the building of an experimental plant.
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