Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-01-31
STATE ENGINEER HALL cN THE SEWAGE
QUESTION


! TIE following letter from VIM. Ham. Hall,
State Engineer, embodying his views on The
question of the disposal of the sewage of the
| city was presented st a recent meeting of the
| Citizens Association, and would have been
published before this but for the crowded
condition Of our columns:
SACRAMENTO, January %, 1884.
! To the Drainage Committee of the Cltl-
zens' Association of Observation-Disclosures:
| You have asked my opinion as to the meas
ures which should be carried out in the mat
ter of the temporary disposal Of the sewage
of Sacramento duriGg the approaching sum-
mer and fall, and pending the construction
| of permanent works Of sewage disposal and
sewerage; and. as supplementing the results
of cur consultation, l take pleasure IN reply
| ing as follows
The sewage Of tina city is partly collected
in sewers and carried to an outfall IN what
is known as the drainage canal.
a very large part of the sewage Is inter-
cepted in cesspools and Is absorbed by the
ground of the city site.
The question is, What can be done to dis
pose Of the sewage impurities during the
next two years, we will say, SO as to mate
rally reduce their possible bad influence on
First, SIS to that part of the sewage which
finds its way to the drainage canal: In my
Judgment. for reasons which have been set
forth in official reports it Is permissible to
deposit sewage in any water course only as
last resort, in case of emergency, and then
only for the limited time which must neces-
sarily elapse before other and better means
can be provided for its disposal. The ques-
tioa is then presented to me : In the 40
ssncs of means and time to provide per-
manent works for sewage disposal. will it be
necessary to put this sewage into the river in
order to do away with the bad effects Of con-
tiuuing to lead it into the drainage canal dur
ing the next two years, for the eight months
of each when bad effects are to be feared
The population of Sacramento is claimed
10 be about - 600 in number. The city ia
only partially severed, and We safe in as
Stunning that if sll sewage due to the house
connections made actually found Its way into
the sewers, the amount would not exceed that
due from 10000 people.
But the fact is that the house drainage, in
obedience to a city ordinance, is Intercepted
in cesspools, and a large proportion of the
solid matter. and no small proportion OF the
liquid impurities is withheld from the sewers,
particularly at the time of year when the
present question of temporary disposal is
pressing.
Owing to this fact, and to the further fact
that Sacramento has very small proportion
of manufacturing refuse which finds its way
to the sewers, l am of the opinion that, as
compared to that of European Cities the sew
age Of this city as delivered to the drainage
canal during the eight dry months, represents
the impurities due from population of about
10, 900 in number.
Now, examples are of record wherein, in
much less favorable climates than this, the
sewage of towns has been temporarily dis
posed of on lands at the rate Of less than one
acre to each 1000 people.
In view of this fact it seems to me that this
city could certainly. with perfect safety and
without unpleasant results, temporarily
that is, for two seasons of eight months each
dispose Of its sewage on twenty acres of
land, which would be at the rate las com.
pared to European examples, where such ex-
periences have been had,) Of one acre to
every 800 people
The lands along the rivers bank and just
inside the levea below the city, are of light
loamy nature, and are naturally very well
underdrained during the eight months OF low
water in the river, and are admirably adapted
for this purpose Of temporary application Of
the sewage.
Therefore, I should recommend thst this
means of sewage disposal be adopted, if such
lsndl can be procured tor the purpose, and
that pumping into the river be resor5ed to
only as a last resort.
For this temporary purpose thu city might
lease a tract of land, prepare it somewhat for
sewage irrigation. and release it for market
gardening, or alfalfa growing, for either of
which purposes it would be admirably
adapted.
Certainly, where it pays the market gar
deuers in the immediate neighbOrhoOd to
pump water copiously as they do for irriga-
tioD, and to take the contents OF the Odorless
excavators, now used in cleaning the cess
pools, for manure. the sewage-5eing water
and manure combined-would be valuable |
annex to the land. And if the city
were to do the pumping, the land ought to be |
leased at a high rate.
The subject is one well worth careful ex-
AS to the sewage intercepted in the cess
pools To put this city in fair sanitary con-
di.ion, temporarily even, this matter ought to |
be pumped out as often as possible-much |
oftener than it Is now,
My advice is, for the present. Clean the
cesspools lease twenty acres of land; sub
lease it with sewage for irrigation; pump the
sewage on to the land for as great portion
of the year IS the ground will readily receive
il. Very respectfully yours.
VIM HAM. HALL.