Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-10-23
DRAINAGE. SEWERAGE AND
WATER SUPPLY.
Report of Lieutenant HOxie.

sioner:
WASHINGTON, october Is, 1850.
MGJOr:-I have the honor TO submit the fol-
lowing report OF operations for the fiscal year,
ending June 80, 1850, together with estimates
for the ensuing year. The revision OF the
special assessments has been continued In con-
formity with the acts of Congress. approved
June 10, 1875. and June q, 1879, and the rules
adopted by the Commissioners. as given In my
former reports The pressure OF work TO CON-
plete the revisions before the coming session OF
Congress has prevented the preparation OF tne
tabulated statements OF revfSiOnS IN Tune 1of III
corporation with this report
DRAINAGE AND SEWERAGE.
Work upon the large auxiliary main sewers,
now In course OF construction. Is progressing
favorably. The New York avenue sewer Is CON-
pleted 10 18th street west, ana the Boundary
sewer has reached 18th street east. Minor lat
eraI sewers have been constructed in various
parts OF Washington and Georgetown. Details
OF construction are shown upon the accom-
general features or the present plan OF drainage
and sewerage for the District Or Columbia have
been heretofore presented Rain fall anu s w
age are carried of In the same conduit. prop
eTly constructed for the purpose. 70 deep water
In the Potomac river. The work now In pro-
gress. besides extending the system, Is intended
storm water; to ADAPT the cross se;-
ton OF the sewers TO tie variable How
of dry weather and storms, to lower the plane
or flOw ia the flow grounds, and 10 gradually IN
tTOduce the proper means OF thorough 2eTeatiou
OF the Interior of the sewers lt has oeen
already explained that this work Is necessary
for drainage, and can be used FOR sewerage
until sufficient reason appears Tor separating
the two systems. Should it De decided to do
this It Will be necessary to add such intercept
Ing sewers as may be required Tor conducting
the sewage TO the pumps, and separate SyS-
TEN OF sewers for areas draining below tide
level, together with the necessary pumps and
appuTtenanCeS, and conduit from the pumps
10 the point at which It may be decided TO locate
the outfall. The present system now cOn5tt-
tuteS part OF what would be the new one. and
would, In the new one, continue 70 serve
double purpose down to the level of high tide
The question for the future Is the necessity for
the change OF plan OF disposition OF sewage,
which would Involve the additional eX-
penditure. To every large city, adopting
is presented, but the circumstances OF each
must govern the decision. In one the supply OF
water may be ten gallons per capita per diem,
the source OF supply distant and limited. and
the inland river flowing past the city may be an
important fishing ground as well as source Of
water supply to other towns lower down the
stream. In another the supply may be one
hundred and sixty gallons per capita per diem
the source OF supply near at hand and pracu-
cally unlimited. and the river flowing past the
City, an estuary OF which the comparative
yolume OF water defies injury to the fishing
interest, and the water itself Is not used as a
potable water by other towns lower down the
stream In the one case the limited water
supply, when discharged through the sewers,
after It's use for all household purposes street
washing and manufactures, becomes c0nCen-
trafed poison which must be kept from contain
mating the river. In the other case the copiouS
water supply viii dilute and neutraliZe In
part the poisonous mixture which may then
How into the estuary, harmless under proper
conditions. In the former case the proper dis
po5al OF the sewage Is grave problem OF mod
ern civilization. In the latter case the solution
OF the problem Is easy. Between these two
extreme conditions there are many degrees OF
comparative immunity from the troubles OF the
former, and many varying solutions OF the
problem. The first which suggests itself Is the
removal OF the nuisance 70 some other locality
where It Will not be offensive TO the OriginatorS
but unless some proper disposition can be made
at the end or the route, this is simple transfer
which does not solve the problem.
SEWAGE FARMS.
There are sewage farms to which the flow of
tie sewers Is conducted, and. By a system OF fr-
rtgatfOn, made TO fertilZe large crops OF rye
grass and other produce, while the filtered
water flows into the adjoining water-course.
The flow OF the sewers is continuous, and the
continuous use OF the sewage compulsory. The
water supply or the town can only be increased
ar the expense of diluttng the sewage and In
creaSing the embarrassing surplus. AS a fertl-
lNer. concentrated in meager water supply.
the sewage Is worth about one cent per ton IL
1t can be supplied as Il IS wanted and the sur
plus otherwise disposed or; but exhaust We In
veStfgatiOn shows that il has very generally
been used In irrigation at loss. The sewage
farm has also to contend With an universal pre-
1udlce against the use OF the produce. and a
deep seated aversion 70 the proximity o.
the farm. Where these farms are COZ
Sldered an important factor 10 the disposal O
sewage, II IS found by competent sanitary au-
thOriJy that they are 1nnOXlouS and comDlra-
lively tnodorouS, and the produce thecefro n
proper food for man and beast. In the repor
OF the local government board OF Great Britain
for 1876, it IS stated: 1.-The Cratgentinny
meadows were made the subject OF an exaaus
tive inquiry by the War Department during the
time that Lord Macaulay was member Tor Elm
Durgh and parliamentary secretary for that de-
partment. Complaints were made that the
proximity or tne irrigated meadows and the
efiuvium from them produced disease In excess
among soldiers QuarteTed In the neighO0ring
barracks Official inquiry was made by army
neilcal officers, who took the returns or health
and mortality for twenty years back from bar
racks situate In different parts or Great Britain
where troops similar in numbers and perform
Ing similar duties had been quartered and these
returns were taDulated, the results Obtained
proving thar the barracks adjoining the Elm
Durgh seWaged meadows mad the lowest
SICK and death rate In the list, so that
the allegations against the Craigentinny
meadows fell TO the ground Neyerthe-
less. this case, which IS one OF the most
crude and primitive irrigation is by Implication
anm1tted 10 De nuisance, though nor Injurious
10 health. 1t may be stated, without argum ent
tnaJ the contents OF the sewers are not laSs
Offensive at the Outfall, however remote this
may De- We have less offensive, natural sew
age farm on the flats which border this city
the irrigation IS Intermittent and scanty by the
spread or the tide, and The produce a rank
natural growth or tall grasses. This Will b.
ODlterdted with the extension OF the projected
canals 10 deep water When the sewage comes
100 1aSt fOr the farmer, Il is sometimes turnet
upon nltTat1On areas anG strained as RAPIDLY "a
the water can be made to filter through. 4 wiIn
the help OF expensive understanding all Idea OF
utilizing the sewage as u fertilizer being aban-
doDed. III land In kind or Quantity unsuitable
ior the purpose can not b. had and the 1nexor-
aole condition or publication remains me-
chanicaI and chemical devices are reSOrJed to az
SUI greater expense and with doubtful results
Most or these methods clarity without purify
Ing. All are expensive and net a loss whatever
The enterprise associated with them. All re-
Qulre StilI greater parSmony In the use OF
water, because the greater the dlIutIon the
greater The difficulty OF dealing with the sewage
TIE LONDON EXPERIMENT.
Since ls66 the sewage OF London has been
carried by interceptiug sewers to outfalls In the
Thames, lower down the stream between the
towns OF Woolw1ch and Firth Here IL Is
turned into the river just as It flows from the
sewers, having been formerly turned into the
liver along the water front OF London rTha
city has simply an outfau remote from the me.
tIopouS and contiguous 70 smaller towns The
TIDE OF the Thames at London Bridge has q rise
and fall OF about seventeen feet Al YantIeffi
Creek IL Is fourteen feet, and at TediInptnn
Weir four feet IL Nils and ernpties me 0raat
reservoir between the varying levels OF low
and high tide. confined between the hanks
OF the river and the sea twice each day. The