The site of this city is very undulating, and in some places more than 200 feet above tide water. The form of sewer adopted during the last ten years, for all sizes above 15 inches, is egg shaped, the greatest width being two-thirds the height, and a very little less for the smaller ones. The 15,12 and 9 inch sewers are stoneware pipes, circular in form, having socket joints and laid in cement. Surface water from streets enters the sewers through cast iron gratings, over trapped gullies, placed much nearer together than the catch-basins of the large cities of this country, forty yards being the distance apart recommended there.
Water closets are quite extensively, but by no means universally used.
In 1846, the Sanitary Act for Liverpool was passed. Previous to that time much hadbeen done towards draining the city, and many miles of sewers, of square, round, oval and various combinations of these forms, of different heights and diameters, from 1 to 6 feet, were constructed. The outfalls of many of the sewers were into the docks, which, being cut off from the scour of the river, were liable to fill up and become offensive, unless frequently dredged. Many of the sewers having their outlets below high water, were liable to be flooded during heavy storms, and conrequently the cellars connected with them were very unsafe for the storage of valuable property. Besides being used for receiving goods, many of these cellars were permanently inhabited, so that throughout the entire city, a population of 30,000 were accommodated in this way, but as believed then, and as subsequent experience has proved, it was at a great sacrifice of their health.