Norwich bulletin., 1921-03-15
BIG PROBLEM FOR STATE
CONCERNS SEWAGE DIS

One of the most important problems
matter of treating domestic and indus
trial wastes and the increasing and
equalzing of stream flow of many of our
rivers. During the past several years in
vestigations and reports have been con-
Quoted not only by the state board of
health, by its state Industrial wastes
board but also by prominent consulting
engineers employed by the corporations
OF many of our valley towns.
Probably the first step in this direc-
ton was taken in the spring of 1914 in
the Naugatuck valley, when about 80
corporations engaged the services of
Charles H. Preston, prominent engineer
OF Waterbury, formerly Of Norwich ito
investigate and report on the feasibility
OF water conservation project in the
upper reaches Of the Naugatuck river
whereby immense quantities Of water
would be impounded as a means of Sc
curing additional water power, edua1iz-
ing the stream flow of the river during
the dry months of each season, and in
cidentally flushing the river to much
J more sanitary condition during that ne.
Rod of the year.
Although contrary to the oninion of
! prominent engineers, Mr.. Preston after
years of research reported to the cor
| porat1ons that in his opinion a sufficient
| amount of water could be conserved by
| the construction of a series of huge inn
| pounding reservoirs to not only furnish
| the necessary. amount of water for indus
| trial purposes including power but that
The sanitary conditions would also to a
vary great extent be relieved and rec
ommend the construction Of three mon
| G n j
| the tributaries Of the Naugatuok.
| The first of these dams is DESIGNED IA
be 1900 feet m length, 142 feet In
height, 11s feet thick at the base, of cy-
| clopean masonry creating a basin of &.
13,0o0.0o0 gallons.
All three dams on this tributary will
impound S,0o0,O0e,o0o gallons
From the report Of the state industrial,
wastes board it Is now evident thai III.
whole solution of the problem will b,
to install plants for. the partial treat
ment of sewage and Industrial wastes to-
gether with. vtter conservation devotion
ments as outlined which. not only Great.
by-products for the manufacturers bu
make the river safe and. healthy as /,
former years before our great industrial
growth
The report Of the state industrial
wastes board is IN part as follows:
The vast proportions to which pollution
of Connecticut streams has grown, tn
menace Of it to the health of the public
the injurious effects on the fish in thes
waters and on the sea food industr,
along the Connecticut coast, and thu
financial losses due to industrial vast
age, are stril1ingly indicated in repor
of the industrial wastes board Of tn
state department Of health. But as Al
! offset to this sornber picture, 1t is show
that constructive woniz is going hand il
hard with the investigations Of the board
for methods OF treatment Of industrial
and other wastes have been discovered
which it is stated, give promise not onl
of decreasing the stream pollution, bu
also of effecting great saving In cost
to manufacturers.
All possible means of relieving tn
situation have been studied comparative
ly by the engineers and chemists Of tn
board during the two years they hav
, some to the conclusion that the mos
promising solution seems TO be the treat
ment Of the wastes at their source. Dit
!, ferent methods for doing this have bee
/, outlined and the board is now prepal
;. ing to determine what treatment is mos
suitable for each community and in
. dustry, with cost figures for each pal
s ticular method of treatment.
: There are about IS groups Of indu!
5 tries IN the state. It is pointed out. wit
9 group valuations ranging from SS0e.eC
to ,$1e,000,oeo. Not all Of these pr