Sanitation and Water Disposal Sites

A sizable sewer construction project in Worcester, Mass. was undertaken with the assistance of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. PWA Docket No. MA 1324

"The WPA also funded the laying of sewer lines in various areas" on the North Texas State College campus.

Lewiston took full advantage of New Deal funds to get much work accomplished during the years of the economic depression. One of these federally funded projects was the upgrade of the sewer system. During the hard winter of 1933/34, "Sewer pipes are now being laid on Castle, Dill, Eustis and Foch St. Sewer pipes on Glenwood St., Boston Ave. and at Barkerville are soon to be laid." 1934 Mayors Report: E. R. A. "Please let me enumerate some of the most important projects completed during this last year under the E. R. A. All proposed projects on sewerage have been accomplished to the...

Between 1933 and 1943 multiple New Deal agencies: the C.W.A., F.E.R.A., and W.P.A., funded labor for the drastic expansion of sewers and other drainage pipes in Framingham, Mass. In all 17 miles of sewers and eight miles of drains were constructed as a result of these projects along dozens of roads across the town.

The Civil Works Administration (C.W.A.) and Federal Emergency Relief Administration (F.E.R.A.) constructed drains in Maynard, Massachusetts in 1934. Construction occurred along Florida Rd., Waltham St., and Summer St., and a catch basin was built at Haynes St. Work continued in subsequent years under the Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.).

F.E.R.A. conducted a drainage project on Shawmut Ave. in 1934.

Annual reports for the city of Concord from 1933-1942 show extensive New Deal work on the municipal sewer system during the Depression. In 1933-1934, the reports discuss PWA work on storm sewers and "combined systems" on Prospect Street, Walker Street, South Street, Concord Manor and Plains. In 1936, the WPA laid pipes on Joffre St., Penacook, Elm St. Cross St., West Concord, Clark's Field Outlet, Franklin Terrace, Redwood Ave., Downing St., Plains, and Prescott St. In 1937, the WPA and the PWA continued work on the city's water system, building 4,345 feet of sewers and 2,878 feet respectively. Work included the following locations:...

Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) labor constructed sewers and storm drains in Haverhill, Massachusetts. WPA Bulletin: Two hundred additional catch basins and 7000 feet of 8 inch pipe line has been connected with the present trunk storm drain throughout Haverhill by the WPA. These much needed basins and connections will remove storm waters more efficiently. Sixty-two men were employed on this project.

The Works Progress Administration contributed $42,732 toward sewer and street improvement work in Ketchikan, Alaska, between 1939 and 1940.

A sanitary sewer and sewage treatment plant construction project in Canton, New York was undertaken with the aid of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. The PWA supplied a $11,125 grant toward the $41,110 eventual total cost of the project. Work occurred between May and September 1935. (PWA Docket No. NY 5085)

The Works Progress Administration contributed $8,135 toward sewers construction in Petersburg, Alaska, between 1939 and 1940.

The WPA and the Department of Parks together developed an extensive park and parkway area (sometimes known as Shore Road Park and sometimes as Shore Park) along the shore adjacent to the Belt Parkway. The area eventually developed extended from Owl's Head Park south to Fort Hamilton, and included multiple playgrounds and athletic fields. In August 1941, Parks announced the completion of the first section of the Shore Road Park development stretching from Bay Ridge Ave. to 72nd St. The WPA's work included: "remov a considerable quantity of old paving, benches and drinking fountains. The new promenade along the west side...

The Works Progress Administration installed new sewer lines on Silke Gade in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas.

In 1940, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) installed sewers at 16th and Oates streets in the district's northeast quadrant. This work was part of a massive New Deal era program for Washington of sewer construction, separation of sanitary and storm sewers, and sewage treatment at the new Blue Plains facility in order to clean up the badly polluted Anacostia and Potomac Rivers.

The Works Progress Administration built storm sewers on Sixth Street in Huntington, Cabell County.

The Slauson Ave. Storm Drain in Los Angeles is one of a number of infrastructure projects undertaken with New Deal aid and Works Progress Administration (WPA) labor in Los Angeles. Excerpt from a 1939 WPA publication, courtesy of the Los Angeles Library (Connolly, Donald H. and G. I. Farman. Report of Accomplishment of the Operations Division. Works Progress Administration, Southern California. January 1, 1939). "The Slauson Avenue, Santa Barbara Avenue and Vernon and Vermont Storm Drains, Work Projects No. 642, 9736 and 1508, sponsored by the City of Los Angeles, are all units of the extensive Slauson Avenue Storm Drain System, which...

"In Snohomish County, farm land conditions will be improved by a drainage system affecting seven sections of land between the cities of Snohomish and Monroe. Cooperating with the State of Washington, sponsoring the project, WPA will invest $14,989, according to an announcement from WPA Administrator Don G. Abel. Clearing, deepening and Widening existing ditches and constructing a new ditch will tend to remove the danger of floods and simultaneously help prevent erosion. Although this work is sponsored by the state, no additional taxes or assessments will be levied. Similarly private property rights will not be violated as easements have been obtained...

New Deal workers constructed "early flood-control, sewage and water systems" in Sonoma County.

The federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) worked on a land reclamation and shore beautification project on the south shore of Perth Amboy, New Jersey. The project involved "the laying of electric cables for electric standards to provide a lighting system; also the laying of hundreds of feet of pipe to carry storm water from abutting streets ninety feet out into the water so that the parkway will not be flooded."

Cleveland's massive Southerly Wastewater Treatment Plant was originally constructed during the 1930s as part of a massive federal Public Works Administration (P.W.A.) project. Photo captions at The Cleveland Memory Project state: 1. "Here is one of the twelve sewage digestion tanks being built as part of Cleveland's $8,900,000 sewage disposal project with funds furnished by the Public Works Administration. The picture was taken at the Southerly disposal plant at E. 71st street and independence road. Two years will be required to complete the entire project, aimed at improving health conditions through ending pollution of Lake Erie." 2. "Cleveland's plans for sewerage treatment works...

This culvert, located on the east side of Pecan Bowl Stadium in Okemah, Oklahoma was constructed of large cut stones by the Federal Works Progress Administration (WPA). The culvert runs east-west, at the intersection of N. 6th St. and W. Frisco. The opening is about 2 ft. high and 6 ft. wide. The WPA was very visible in Okemah. The Armory directly south of this culvert was also a WPA project, as was Pecan Bowl Stadium adjacent to the culvert.  

In the 1930s Works Progress Administration laborers undertook a sewer construction project on Stanley Avenue in the Jamaica Bay section of Brooklyn. Pictured here are WPA crews at work on the sewer project at the intersection of Stanley and New Jersey Avenues (WPA - Five Boroughs Project).

Hudson County sponsored multiple park-related federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) projects in northern Bayonne, New Jersey during the Great Depression. Among them was construction of a 36-inch storm sewer for County Park (now the Stephen R. Gregg Park), which employed 50 men.

The Works Progress Administration completed road improvements and built a sewer system on Stewart Street in Morgantown, Monogalia County.

“Completion of the third of a series of WPA projects in Morris Plains was announced today by District Director J. Francis Moroney. The third project consisted of the construction of 220 feet of 24-inch storm sewer on Canfield place and Dayton road, and 50 feet of 12-inch sewer, connecting with two catch basins, needed to carry off surface water, before permanent improvements of curbing and paving could be undertaken. Plans have been made for these improvements for the past three years, but work has been delayed due to lack of funds for drainage work. The project employed an average of...

The federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) constructed storm drains in Atlantic City ca. 1935-6.

The federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) constructed a storm sewer in Broadalbin, New York during the Great Depression. More information is needed to determine the present status and exact location of this project.

Decatur, Illinois received a storm relief sewer system in a project begun in 1938 with the assistance of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds.

A storm sewer development project in Atchison, Kansas was undertaken during the Great Depression with the aid of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. The PWA provided a $14,382 grant for the project, whose total cost was $32,494. Work started in Oct. 1935 and was completed in Feb. 1936. PWA Docket No. KS 1003

The WPA allocated funds and labor for the improvement of storm sewers along "portions of Stewart avenue, Baldwin place and Central avenue" in Bethpage, N.Y.

A storm sewer construction project was undertaken in Cheviot, Ohio during the Great Depression with the assistance of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. (PWA Docket No. OH 2376)

The Work Projects Administration (WPA) constructed a "12-inch storm sewer in the alley west of Rural street and between Ninth and Eleventh avenues." The work on the 1,030-foot storm sewer and attendant manholes employed 30 men from Nov. 1941 to Jan. 1942.

A storm sewer construction project in Grand Island, Nebraska was undertaken with the assistance of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. The PWA provided a grant of $46,142 for the project, whose total cost was $165,997. Construction occurred between August 1934 and May 1935. PWA Docket No. 4177

The federal Civil Works Administration constructed numerous storm sewers in Greenville, Pennsylvania between 1933 and 1934. According to Greenville's Record-Argus, these "projects include the Bentley avenue, Short street, Brockway, Lever-Morgan, Shady, Rooney, Main, Canal and Bessemer street storm sewers."

A storm sewer construction project in Hastings, Nebraska was undertaken with the assistance of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. The PWA provided a grant of $40,869 for the project, whose total cost was $139,363. Construction occurred between June and November 1934. PWA Docket No. 3967

A large sewer construction project in Houston, Texas was enabled during the Great Depression byfederal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. The PWA supplied a grant covering nearly half the total cost of the project ($310,053 of $676,777, not adjusted for inflation). Work occurred between December 1937 and May 1939. (PWA Docket No. TX 1142)

A Feb. 1937 news story references a soon-to-be-undertaken WPA project involving the construction of storm sewers "on Maple street and Brook avenue" in Islip, N.Y.

The works Progress Administration manufactured 18", 24" amd 36" diameter reinforced concrete pipes on site, dug trenches and installed the pipes underground for a storm sewer system in Luling. The official project number was 665-66-1-161.

The federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) constructed storm sewers in Manville, New Jersey in 1936.

A storm sewer construction project in Mitchell, South Dakota was undertaken during the Great Depression with the aid of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. The PWA supplied a $53,000 loan and $21,946 grant for the project, whose total cost was $75,110. Work occurred between August 1934 and May 1935. (PWA Docket No. SD 2311)