The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1927-12-14


Millions of gallons of sewage, only
partially treated, flows past one of
the chief purifying units of the city
sewage disposal plant straight into
White River.
This, while far from the state of
of affairs citizens have expected
from a plant costing more than
$2,000,000, is not so terrifying as it
sounds.
The sewage which goes into the
stream largely is aSsimiliated by
the river water and rendered harm
less, and expenditure of compare
lively few thousands of dollars will
iron out defects and increase ca
pacity at some bottle necks" which
would eliminate the trouble, ac-
cording to Charles H. Hurd, con-
Sulting engineer, who designed and
supervised construction of the dis
posal plant
5O,OOO,OOO- Gallon Peak
The city delivers normally to the
Qualification plant, the first process
in sewage disposal here, from As
100000 to 100000 gallons OF raw
sewage day. The plant originally
was designed to handle peak Of
100000 gallons.
The plant, however, due to the
need for more capacity in one
process, is not treating fully more
than about 100000 gallons day.
The Qualification process, which
separated roughly about 40 per cent
of the solids from the liquids, oper-
ates successfully upon the load de-
livered from city sewers, according
to Hurd. The solids are rendered
harmless by a digesting process in
Inhof tanks. Russell T. McFall,
sanitary board member, disagreeS
with this.
At any rate the capacity of the
second process, the activated sludge
plant, is SO reduced that from TO-
100000 to 100000 gallons a day
can not be handled in it and hence
it is diverted into a pipe which car
ries it on out into the river.
Blast Hurts Plant
Explosion of a turbine in the
power plant last September, which
cuts the use of about half of the
aeration tanks in the activated
sludge plant. is responsible for much
of the loss in capacity.
Even with all tanks being operated
however, the capacity of the Sec
ondary settling tanks, the next step,
is insufficient to meet the full load
by several million gallons.
This, according to Hurd, was due
to desire on the part of the sani-
tary board and engineers to cut costs
to the bone. He says that capacity
of the secondary settling tanks
called by some engineers the bottle
neckS" of the plant, can be increased
sufficiently for comparatively
small sum.
Meanwhile, the turbine which ex-
ploded. damaged another. The city
had $4,000 insurance, but no con-
tract to replace the turbines has
been let. And the extra sewage
surges on past the activated sludge
plant and goes, less than half puri-
fed, into the river.
Two Theories Advanced
Explosion of the turbine disclosed
another problem which the city
must meet.
An inspector for the insurance
company declared his investigation
showed that a lack of non-return
check valves, cutting out the air.
compressor on one turbine from that
of another, to prevent air from back
ing up and reversing the machine,
caused the blast.
Hurd says this theory is ridiculous.
He says he can show any engineer
that the machines do bear non-re-
turn check valves, and that the
backing up of compressed air did
not cause the explosion.
: An investigation he made right
after the explosion convinced him.
he said, that the explosion was from
steam, and not air.
Not Told of Needs
The power plant serves both the
sewage disposal and garbage dis
posal plant, near by. The latter de-
mands such a heavy load of steam
at certain hours-a load which the
designers of the power plant were
not advised to anticipate by the de-
signer of the garbage plant-that
sediment from boilers is sucked
through the pipes and valves become
clogged, according to Hurd.
Both the regular and emergency
valves were clogged on the turbine
which exploded and employees who
tried to close them when they real
lied the turbine was in danger could
not do so, Hurd declared.
Next-Hurd's suggestions as to
what might be done to put the idle
dehydratiOn plant into successful
operation and iron out defects in
other units which he says naturally
show up in any pioneering project.
Sues for 100000