The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1885-01-16

II the volume OF sewage prnvloeu tor reoIhs
aimed BY assuming population OF 4'sis In
b tbltants per square mile, ana tnht pY u
duclng the amount Of roof water oy VeTy
| small extent, and which IL easily Done, INT
savage carrying capacity Of the sewers NAV
| be largely increased. -, - A.
The questi n o the proper disposal oi the
sewage from your city wis not an especlaiy
iiiiicult One. The natural plan seemed TO pe
| to discharge IL into the Minnesota river, hno
after careful consideration OF the ha'e''
this Nude ot disposal was decided upon
The fact has not been overlooked that al
ready In older portions Of our own una Otner
countries, the problems OF preventing tne pnl-
luton Z natural water courses by the wastes
aud drainage from cities and villages, aud
that uf the proper mode OF dispnsing ot tnls
LIQUID wastes from cities, IL demanding care
ful attention, and In manv places expensive
changes of the pre6cnt mode " disposal. In
tots case however the volume or water In the
river Is large when compared with that OF the
sewage, and along It's course Tor seVtral miles
there IL no prospect Of any considerable Settle
ment or village A disposal of the sewage OF
Sg Sy not bp occurred for many
years To come. Whenever such time does ar
rive, there will be no difficulty IN intercepting
templated. and leading Il to some other point
| for treatment, mechanical or otherwise with
| out necesstating any change In the sewer
The point Of ouifsll decided upon Is at the
| foot OF Washington street, and IL q favorable
one because requiring less length OF main
|
and here the river begins to low to some sx-
| tent In u direction away from the city. Be
sides this main outfall Il is intended to have
s sne districts dIscSaree into Vine and warren
| Creeks. That this can be done without danger
| Of pulluting these creeks will DO evident by
shown ON the drawing submitted herewith
These overtiows are so arranged that during
| dry weather the sewage flows through the in-
yerted syphons Under the creeks ana thence nee
| sew ers are running full the bulk Of the water
| will How direct int1 the creek; the arrange
ment by which this result h e secured Is both
| showers, when the sewage will be but little
diluted will pass the overflow. II will be only
during heavy storms that there will be any
| overflow into the creeks,
From figures previously given, the volume
of roof water Is twenty times that OF the sew
| ave, hence he economy resulting from this
| arrangement will be considerable.
| Tue pollution OF these small streams need
ss fi inta the creeks in times
| of storm Is much diluted The discharge into
the creek, owing to rapid flow In the sewers
occurs before the stream Is swollen by The
| drainage from tho streets. lots and less sur
| burban areas, this after food Will completely
carry away snail accommodations Of NTH which
| may have been discharged from the sewers
| and collected along the banks. Again the
| oyertiows are not Tar distant above tho mouth
of either creek, both Of which have rapid
IL may he added here that the city au,hori.
ties shuuld keep close watch over both Vine
aud Warren Crock, especially the latter, rum
| Mug us IL dues, for 81 considerable distances
| thrSIu gh private property, where the owners
are oi ten disposed To reduce tho waterway and
change tie channel tn aid the improving of
| their property, either of which will add large
| ly tn the risk of considerable damage IRON
| Hoods. Tue cleanliness If these creeks should
be carefully guarded, the dry weather dow Is
too small in THIN, the duration of drought too
great aud their channel too tortuous To admit
| OF their being made channels for the removal
of nth from the neighboring property.
To facilitate the hJw OF u minimum amount
of sewage, ali sewers are twenty inches In dia-
meter. ma, = been designed Us egg shaped IN
section All sewers less than twenty inch In
diameter should be pipe sewers, ana are ~
| show On the plans.
In rep.y To your inquiry as To the merits of
cement pipe, may say that it has been ire
quently used elsewhere and with varying sue.
| cess |, tue cement pipe Is properly made and
a In rough Inspection IL had III the process oi
manu- ucIuIc aud tue quality of the materials
| entering into its composition, yOu may use
either IL ar the vitriticd pipe, US may be de-
| termiued by tho consideration Uf first cost.
In case mn excellent quality vi cement pipe
| can TIE obtained u may be Used Tor the small
| Ter sizes al egE shaped sewers with eounumy,
Tut unless tue material IL carefully made aud
| inspected, the brick sewers should he pre-
| IerIed.
| IL may be remarked here that In any efficient
| 81 stem vi sewer work depends upon the quail
~ Of Workmanship aud material entering into
| them, unless the grades are truly cuntOrmed
| To they are likely To be sewers OF deposit ana
not Of transmission, where Is careless work or
poor material they aie not durable Sewer
| work should pe contracted only Inexperienced
| parties und thoroughly inspected i bespeak
| Tor your City Engineer such extra assistance
as he may require AT such times as you have
| under q pIItract any considerable amount OF
| sewer work.
A system Of sewers has been properly called
| an hydraulic machine, and AS such, in order
| that the best results may be obtained, should
| have intelligent supervision. Not infreQuent-
| ly no care Is given 10 public sewers, until hey
| or other matter, but ng before such obstruc-
ton or filling up OF the sewers demands atten-
| ton by reason of resulting Inconvenience,
/ they have ceased to be of any sanitary value,
| water. Catch basins should be frequently
cleaned, also the drip pans under the manhole
| Covers, and the sewers flushed with water frJm
| the hydrants, or from movable tanks.
| IL Is expected, that so tar Us possible, the
sewers In your city will be self-cleanIng. They
Iy every case tine grades obtained have been
such as will give velocity oi now IN excess
! of that required To prevent deposits: This
alone upon the Inclination OF the sewers, but
| tne volume OF the minimum How within them
| As the minimum How will at first be macn
less than has been assumed for ultimately,
| unless there be u general introduction Of the
public water supply into the buildings and re-
| sciences, and their connection with the sew
keep the sewers clean. For the separate sew
| ers automatic flushing tanks may be used, and
these should be located at the head OF the
There is possibly no sanitary construction
| SO important and yet SD often neglected or
careessly and bunglingly constructed as the
drains In aud from the house to the street
sewer. No perfection of detail in the sewers
can offset the evil effect Of faulty house drain
age. In most cities all plans for plumbing
must Oe approved by some experienced offi-
cal, usually under the direction OF the Board
Of Health There are few cities with any
claim 10 good government Dut what nave
some form Of plumbing regulations, and re-
commend that your Clly Council should pass
a carefully prepared plumbing ordinance, be-
fore the completion 81 any sewer work, so that
the large amount of plumbing work to be
done incident 10 the general Introduction of
sewerage and an improved water supply, may
De as an average better zone, than II under
Permit me 10 call your attention briefly to
anew points In connection Win this subject.
All pipes insiue the foundation walls should
be III iron. Soil pipes should De extended u
above the roo, and separate ventlating pipes
should b. y oviGed, Drains from tue house u
the public sewers should have uniform grade
not less IhIu III u, sleeper grade ID uesIf-
uble. House drains are frequently t'O large.
] ecMBmend Tor all ordinary residences
drain not larger than a6 incn pipe, and Tor
b ,Irls and large buildings - inch pipes.
Grease traps should be provided for all drains
Irum Kitchen sinks. The plans which have
been submitted show the location oi flesh air
InlcIs ana traps tor all house drains.
Tnere are varI US localities, where IL ordin-
ary dram Tile Is laid in the sewer trench at tae
tune Ut DuIlutnX tnc sewer, uuCn koO0 Will lie
ucco mplisned by suo-soii drainage. Provi-
siOus Tor las ing such drains sh Juld DE proVid-
I'D for Whenever IN the opiniun " the Lity Eli
gineer the s,iIns. uil i'.. iiAAI'iAa .irp
During times Ui ,xIreme high water IN the
HInn Ia RIVER The s,wer Outthll wall De
closed, and back water " III ill the sewer Tor
: inc distance along FIUnI street. ANS You
will see Is Unavoidable. The use vi pensiucks
r valves at tho outiall have IN otuer plac,
pray, u gem rally unreliable IN such contin-
grncIes as frequently arise. and would u"uot
Isss DC . IN Gus case The effect ~. tuis back
w,,ter as IL restrict the depth Ia which cellars
IN ~ TO drained WnGre tue a pusJ drains are
AZ a lower level n IN tnc nign water mark vi
me river, tney may DO pr Iyded with SELF act
Iug iron valves. Tnsse, hile Mt an aosJldte
Protection, " al an, Ird considerable rcile'.
The need u sever along second street
rom Wa hington street sodth, HAS alreau!
demands Your attention, I'm luutless W IL
ue tue nrst work 10 be d me. Following 81 So
upon tnIs, 1 thank. snou q De Quit the From
street sewer IRON Wash, ngton street sIutn
To cherry or Warren street. After this thc
wurK "a sewcrIny can progress as the grown
OF the city demands, and It's nndnce5 wall "a
4 w, and us the WORK will be gradual, an
estimate Of the Cost of the Completed sewer
system w. uld DO Of little value
have previously gn en- You estimates OF the
probable cost OF such wor~ rs Will first demand
your attention.
Respectfully submitted.
CHAs. r. LEwETH.
AN OPEN LETTER TO THE EDITOR. |
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