Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-01-26
TEE DRAINAGE PROBLEM.

Association OF Sacramento, held st Pioneer
Hall last evening, the following report was
real, and the recommendations relative TO
the temporary disposal of sewage were
adopted
To the Citizens Association of Sacra-
mento-Gentlemen The question of pro.
viding fer the city of Sacramento proper
system OF sewerage and drainage is one for
which the detail OF plan cannot be expected
| to emanste from your Committee on Drainage.
We have carefully considered in general
way the best method of dealing with this
| city's sewage and its sewerage system, and we
present the result of our inquiries in the
! form of series of conclusions.
We offer them for yeur consideration with
full knowledge of the fact that Sacramento
at present retains in vaults and cesspools
much of the material which ought to be
otherwise disposed of; that it now has no
adequate means Of disposiHg of the same,
even if It were properly collected by a system
of pipes or other conduits, and that neither
| the drainage canal nor Sacramento river can
| be made a permanent receptacle for the city
| sewage,
| CONCLUSIONS as To SEWERAGE AND SEWAGE
| DISPOSAL FOR SACRAMENTO.
| l. AS a permanent work, the sewage of
! the city Of Sacramento should be disposed of
in irrigation and filtration, on land specially
prepared for the purpose, which land should
| be cultivated after the manner of the best
examples OF sewage farming in other coun-
| tries.
| 3 The city should own and prepare . for
| irrigation the land upon which the sewage is
used, and should lease it with the sewage, on
terms which will insure its proper care and
cultivation, and the thorough and constant
] 6 ~,
! thereon.
! 8. Sewage waters alone, and not drainage
| and rain waters, should be conducted TO, and
used on the land OF, ia other words, sys
! TEN Of conduits for collecting only the house
| hold and industrial liquids and water-carried
wastes excluding the waters from the
ground, streets and housetops-should be
constructed q collecting system.
| I. 4 separate system Of drainage ways in
| the form Of treet.gutters, open bitches or
canals and underground pipes should ul.i-
nstely be provided for conducting away the
surface and suts1rfaca drainsge waters Of the
town into the river and into the present
/ drainage canal if it be permissible to keep
| this latter permanently open tor this purpose.
| >. The present liaes Of sewers should be
utilized Tor this latter purpose CT drainage
and not for sewerage.
| .. The permanent sewerage works of the city
should be constructed upon a thoroughly
studied archaeological in detail and COM
| pared with equally wellconsidsred plans pre-
pared for this special case on other systems,
If such there be. having reasonable appear
snce of applicability.
! 7. As q general proposition, the strictly
! separate system Of sewerage being adhered
to il the matter Of collecting the sewage,
thus far the system Of works should con-
sist Of pipe sewers CT the smallest practicable
dimensions u lead the Sc wage by gravity
! flow to $ central station, or perhaps a hum
barof district stations or depo5s, Wheuce to
| be forced through main outtall pipe or pipes
[ by direct Application of steam power, or III
direct application of that power through the
medium Of compressed air sent from a central
station TO the point of application TO the land,
as set forth in the first conclusion.
S. As a financial question the determine
ton even Of the proper general system Tor
the maiG collection and distribution Of the
sewage, that IS, beyond the matter Of local
collection in small pipes by gravity tioT, Is a
movement not 10 De hastily made seeing that
this determination viii fix, once for all, not
| only the matter of first cost Of works, but
also the cost Of maintenance and operation
Of those works forever afterwards.
9. The question should be 30 studied il the
! light OF experience elsewhere, that we would
know. not only the probable first cost of the
| several systems, but also, so that at the
rates for the production and application
of power which must rule here, we
shall know what will be the probable
cost of operation under the several systems
examined, and in the light of experience else
where we shall know what will be their rels-
tive efficiency, and cost OF maintenance.
| TO- Having considered the several general
propositions to effect the movement of the
! e l,a cif hryc, 10 In
the application of compressed air, and not
having the complete expositions of these sys-
tems-as they should be applied in this city
before US, we are unable to determine which
method, even in general terms, tbs citizens
and their representa- lives should favor.
| II. As general proposition, the flow by
gravity alone should he utilized to the turth-
| est extent to which it is economical, and that
! onlv when irst cost Of works by this method
| becomes so great as to go beyond the reach of
! the local exchequer for the time being, or be
| equivalent to 3 capitalized amount whose ac-
/ cruirg interest exceeds the cost OS operation
| by other methods, should the utilization Of
| this natural force be abandoned and artificial
power in any form be resoTted to.
| u. We are impressed with the advantages
/ presented by the application OF compressed
gis to the movement Of sewage, and Ws think
/ IL pnssible that Sacramento nav have TO re-
| thai of the collection Ct sewage alone to local
stations by gravity flow, as means Of remcv-
! ing her polluted waters.
! 49, Beyond this general declaration We do
not feel justified 10 going, believing ss bust
ness proposition that the subject should be
! fully presented IN a thoroughly practical
way, by persons specially competent so to do,
| before any final decision can lnt5ligently be
made.
IA. This season is too far advanced to adj
| NIT of our citys being properly cleaned
| through the medium Of a sewerage system,
| in time to insure a good sanitary condition Of
affairs before the next hested term and sub
sequent comparatively unhealthy fall months
are upon Us.
Is. In view of the approach of these times
| OF necessity for special care, we are impressed
/ with the desirabliJy Of immediate action. 20
| ire end that all ordinary causes of rnhealth-
! full condition Of the air Of our city and our
houses be removed.
l6. Defective house drainage, neglect Of
| cleanliness around and under houses, Ut
cleaned cesgpools, unfinished sewers, consti-
| tute the chief removable causes for al un-
sanitary condition of our atmosphere.
| II. As a temporary measure demanded for
our health and prosperity within the next
wear, these causes st least must be removed.
! IS, Until a proper system of sewerage can
| be constructed, the City should, at cost price
| 10 each householder, and compulsorily upon
him, clean and keep rigidly clean all the cess
pools in the town and should constantly at
short intervals flush The sewers and house
drains. For the flushing of the sewers there
should be direct connections between the
water main on l street and the heads of the
sewers in Third, Fifth Seventh Ninth and
Thirteenth streets (where such connections do
NOS already EXIST be made as will be adequate
| to thoroughly flush the sewers.
10. The city should rigidly inspect all
house-drainsge pplisnCes-through the Ine-
dunn of q person or persons specially compe-
tent by reason of knowledge of scientific
house.1rsinsge work-aud in each case enforce
such slteratious, additions to or corrections
of the house drainage pipes. ETC., as would
insure the most complete protection to the
householders possible under the circum-
stances.
20. Ordinary sanitary inspection of yards
and cesspools should be conducted systems,-
ically from house 20 house, missing none and
enforcing proper action on all.
u. This city should act immediately in
these matters, upon set plan Of actor and
not in fragmsntsry and aimless way.
%. Sanitary work has developed into a
science having great range of scientifically
deducted rules and practically attained ex-
Deriences Of success and failure recorded in
its literature, and no local authority can act
for the best Interests of its community with