MILLTOWN SEWAGE PLAN DISAPPROVED
Council Appoints Advisory Water Commission to Carry Protest Against Lawrence Brook Pollution to State Board of Health.
Following a strong appeal from the Advisory Water Commission last night, Common Council passed a resolution, offered by Alderman Goodwin, protesting against the plan Milltown has evolved of sewering into settling beds along Lawrence Brook, because it is believed that the overflow would still pollute the stream.
Mr. Goodwin also moved that the advisory commission be named to carry New Brunswick’s protest to the State Board of Health. This motion was carried and Chairman Burt appointed the commission. The members are: Drury W. Cooper, Alfred E. Titsworth, Alfred S. March, Eugene P. Darrow, W. H. Benedict and Frederick Schneider.
The communication of the Advisory Commission stated that Milltown had filed plans as stated above which the Commission deemed dangerous to the water supply, and likely to bring the city’s name into bad repute. The commission suggested that Council demand a hearing in the matter before the State Board.
Commissioner Darrow was given the floor to explain the matter more fully. He said that Milltown proposed to sewer through a 15-inch pipe to a point just below where the Raritan River Railroad crosses Lawrence Brook, into three settling tanks, each of 30,000 gallons capacity, and overflow into four filter beds with a three-foot layer of sand and gravel, and finally discharge into the head of Weston’s Mill pond. The distance from the sewage bed to the pond would be 100 feet, Mr. Darrow said.
“The discharge would be pure when treated,” Mr. Darrow continued, “but when floods came the plant would not work properly. The thick sediment from the sludge beds would be washed into the pond. We consider this plan dangerous and certainly not creditable to the city, and that it can be avoided. We recommended to the city that the sewage be pumped to a point below the pond, and still favor that plan. The city should take some action to protect the water supply, and we believe that if this is done some other plan will be provided. The city is in a position where it can fight the matter successfully.”
Give and Take.
“Milltown feels that if it puts in a sewerage system it must have a water supply. The town also thinks that as New Brunswick is to be benefitted it ought to bear a portion of the expense.
“One suggestion is that if Milltown puts in the sewerage system, New Brunswick should give the town a water system, charging the same rates as in New Brunswick. Another suggestion is that New Brunswick pay the cost of filter beds for Milltown.
“Besides an official protest to the State Board, there should be a conference with Milltown officials as to the best way to get together in the matter.”
A protest against the Milltown plan was also received from the Filtration Commission.