The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1888-04-12
TIE SEWERAGE PLAN.

On Tuesday evening the City Council
committee on sewerage reported to III
Council, the report being published IL
yesterday issue CT THE HERALD. 1t il
observed that the committee rejects the
interior block system, which was pro
posed some time ago, and re ,ommend'
the street plan. This is wise. 1t will
avoid any amount of trouble, lawsuit:
and expense, and be altogether more
satisfactory than would have been the
case if the other plan had bee chosen
tits noted, however, that one doubt
ful feature of the plan drawn by the
Denver engineer has been recommended
by the committee and accepted by the
Council. We refer to the discharge of
the main sewer into the Jordan on
Third South Street. With ELL due
respect for the opinion of Mr.. Lowrie,
the Denver gentleman who came here,
looked over the ground, aid drew this
plan, we believe the laying of the
sewer as he proposes will prove
very grave mistake, and we
suggest that before the work
be undertaken some Other engineer be
employed to examine the ground and
report. The matter is of too great i'm
portance to warrant going ahead until
we know We are right. We can better
afford to spend money in starting and
proceeding right than to correct mis-
takes and get right after going wrong.
In the first place, the wisdom OF empty
ing the sewage into the Jordan
may well be called in question.
The current OF the stream is slow; in
deed, after the river leaves the city
proper, the current is scarcely percep-
tible, and for miles it is little better than
slough, running sluggishly through
swamps and lagoons, spreading over a
wide area of country, and finally
reaching the lake. Perhaps some of
the sewage may be carried the twelve
or fifteen miles to Great Salt Lake,
but much of it will certainly
find lodgment this side, and the
question is, will there not be very great
danger to the entire city from this filth
which must necessarily collect in the
swamps and little lakes and overfows
between town and the Lake? There
may be no danger. but ought we not to
be certain before trying the expert
ment? There are also a score or
two of families living on the
banks of the river beyond the city
limits, whose rights will have to be taken
into account. It is not likely that they
are going to submit uncomplainingly
to the fouling of their only water supply,
sven if it shall be demonstrated that
the passing of the sewage will not be
to their health.
Another and highly important |
matter is as to the location of the |
mouth of the sewer. If the |
Council will give the subject |
! little thoughtful consideration we do |
lot believe the discharge will be |
placed as high as Third South Street. |
Every few years the Jordan comes out
If its banks. and sometimes comes far
nto the city. Not many years ago.
people roWed boats from Seventh West
Street to the west bank of the rivera
nile or more away. OF what service
would a sewer be under such a con-
lition of things-a condition which is
liable to occur at any time, and
continue for weeks? Or, perhaps MIR.
idea is to elevate the sewer
N trestles. raising it above possible
high water, and thereby insure free
discharge! If the determination is to
mpty the sewage into the Jordan, we
ubmit that the main should be car
led far enough down the river to
make it absolutely certain that high
7atsr will not choke its mouth and pre-
ent the discharge, as would be the
ase if the discharge were On Third
Cuth.
The public will not complain al the
Expenditure of the money necessary to
ct this sewerage right. but there will
8 very loud complaint if mistakes
hall be perpetrated which can be
voided by the expenditure of money.
THE SENATE has passed the bill,