The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-09-03
LONDON SEWAGE.
What 1t Is Estimated to Be Worth, ana
Plans for Its Disposal Considered.


What 1t Is Estimated to Be Worth. AND
Plans for Its Disposal Considered.
1t has been computed that the annual
value of London sewage amounts to S.
Cd. per individual. and. estimating the
populat on at 100000 persons, the
total value would be more than SS,OOO.-
900 per annum. 1t would thus appeer,
on the face of it, that in some way or
other this sum should be saved for the
city. There are two ways of deriving
profit from sewage: One is by the ap-
plication of sewage to hand, as, for in
stance, is done IT Pullman, H., or from
treatment by chemical processes. Pre-
cedents for the first plan exist IN
Great Britain, the more notable one
being in Edinburgh and Doncaster; but
from ne ther of these could the commiS-
sioners derive sufficient encouragement
to infer that the pumping and other ex'
penseS would not cancel all OF the pos
sible profits. The second plan is re-
garded as vet moro unfavOrably, for ths
available material value of the sewage
is at present too small to admit OF
obtaining from it any product which
can be sold at anything like the cost oil
its productiO
With reference to the plans for the
/ treatment of the metropolitan sewage,
| four possible schemes are presented and
analyzed. These are broad irrigat. on,
filtration through land, processes of de-
| position or precipitation, and preclplta-
I e., lx- IN
land. The testimony seems TO be quit
/ decisive ald uniform that for every 100
persons one acre would be needed in
| broad irrigation, and that the sewage
/ should be strained or purified before
permitted to finally pass upon the sur
! face of the land. When it is remembered
that 10000 acres are equal TO about
sixty-two square miles, the impracticabil-
!ty of this scheme is apparent, for no
/ such farming area can be found III the
neighborhood of London.
The method which meets with the
greatest favor from the commission Is
the last one mentioned. The chief adj
vantage is that the sewage is thereby
much more thoroughly deprived OF its
nOxious qualities. The process is
found in actual use in Birmingham, and
is described as follows: Tine sewage
is treated with lime and al.
lowed to deposit in a series oi
large tanks; the clarified liquid is
then passed through porous land, aftel
which it runs into the river, being found
perfectly innocuous. The sludge de-
post, which amounts to $50 tons Il day
is allowed to run in its semi-fluid state
upon portion of the land laid out tc
receive it. after which it is dug into the
ground, which is covered with soil,
planted, cropped, and used for filtra
ton. One acre per week is allotted fol
this purpose. and the land so used re
mains for three years before sludge Is
put upon it again. Thus the quantity o.
land required for the disposal OF the
sludge would be 156 acres" Such 3
system meets the chief difficulties. II
does not require the large area de
manded for broad irrigation, and il
clarifies the filth which is now polluting
the Thames. even up to the bridge The
history of LOndon's sewerage expert
ment conclusjvely shows that Il city has
not solved the problem when it ma:
even devised Il method for drawing of
its drainage. The termjni must be con
sjdered, as we'll as the lines OF trans
portation. -Brdltstreet'S RcportS.