Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-09-13
THIRD CLASSCI
SEWERS ARE BIG
Reading Leads With Over 18O
Miles of Drain; Harris
burg Is Fifth

Studies of municipal improve
ments in the third class cities of
Pennsylvania made by the State Bu-
reau of Municipalities, branch of
the Department of Internal Affairs,
sshow that Reading. the largest of
the cities of that class, leads with
.1S0.70 miles. Wilkes-Barre is shown
ITO be second with 1916; Erie, third,
with 1877; Altoona, fourth, with
t91; Harrisburg, fifth, with 90, and
fNew Castle, sixth, with 1915.
! 1t Is estimated that 81 of the "a
i4hird class cities reporting have 1 500
miles of sewers, while four main
tain disposal plants. Reading uses
"a double sewer system, while IS
cities use combined storm and
gsanitary sewers. All of the cities
Ehave either storm or sanitary sew
ers. The cities have various Sys-
TENS of paying for the sewer i'm
provements.
The report made by J. Herman
,Kinsely, chief of the bureau, says
regarding length:
Reading stands approximately so
miles ahead of her nearest competi-
tor for first honors in sewer con-
struction mileage in the third class
cities of the Commonwealth. Sew
enth place is held by Williamsport,
OO.oOH HlllSSp lOllO"tu ny
town, 62.42 miles; Lancaster, 60
miles; Lancaster, 60 miles; Mead
willie, 81 miles; McKeesport, 47.32
miles; York, AZ miles; Oil City, A
miles; Chester, 1922 miles; Butler,
1876 miles; Bradford, S1.94 miles;
Dubois, 1910; Lebanon, % miles;
Connellsville, 20 miles; Uniontown,
20 miles; Pittston, 1897 miles; AL
lentown, 1904 miles; Bethlehem,
1850 miles; Hazleton, 1907 miles;
Cory, 14.69S6 miles; Easton, 14.09
miles; Titusville, 14.S miles; Lock
Haven, 1890 miles; Franklin, IL
miles; Monongahela, S.5 miles;
Coatesville, 7.50 miles.
THE cost of approximately 1900
miles of sewers now existing In Inc
third class cities of the State has
already gone far into the millions OF
dollars. the report of the Bureau OF
Municipalities shows. Readings
system is reported as being worth
S2,40S,373, while that maintained by
wilkes Barre cost between ST. 6OO,-
600 and 100000. Sewer costs in
Harrisburg have reached S1,750,0OO
and in Johnstown, s1,167,s24, has
been expended for that purpose. The
cost in Altoona, the report shows,
has been $1,500,O00.
Sewer costs in some of the other
cities follow: Allentown. 100000;
Bethlehem, s352,707; Chester, S216,-
O57; Coatesville, $4,000; Connel!s-
willie, $4,000; Cory. $151,062;
Hazleton, s342,450; Lancaster.
s70O, 900; Lebanon, $4,000; Nc
Keesport, s49O,021; Meadville,
s201,41E Pittston, $408,976; Titus
VILE, $163,0O0; York, 100000.
Sewer construction is paid for in
various ways in the cities of the
third class. In some cases the
money Is raised by general taxa
tion; in others there is levy against
the abutting properties; in others
bond issues are made; while in
other instances the city and the
abutting property owners join in
paying for the construction. In
number of cities too, fees ranging
from 70 cents to $1.25 per foot
front are charged for tappage and
this money is used to help pay Tor
sewer construction.
For third class cities, the report
sets forth, maintain sewage dis
posal plants. They are Altoona,
lebanon, Reading and York. The
Altoona plant cost $215,1l1; the one
in Lebanon, $4,000; that in Read
ing, $426,324, and the York plant
$4,000. Sewage in all of the cities
is disposed of in either adjacent
rivers. creeks or cesspools and IN
come cases with the aid of lmhoft
.anks and sprinkling filters.