Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-12-31
Mr.. GLAssELL ON THE SEWERS.

The Engineers. Report ON the sewer
QuestfOn-SOme Remarks There
ON by a Citizen.
On receiving their report, the conserv-
alive members of the City Council ex-
pressed the desire to hear something
from the citizens generally before decid-
ing between the different plans men,
toned by the engineers for the disposal
of the city sewage. In this they prop.
erly recognize the fact that whilst the
engineers opinions on strictly engineer
ing problems are not to be questioned by
the average citizen. that in reference to
other questions involved in their report,
their opinion is entitled to no more
weight than that of an equal number of
equally intelligent non-professional gen.
tlemen.
Especially when the report contains a
statement of several different plans, the
right is recognized in the average citizen
to exercise his own judgment in selecting
from those plans the one which he may
consider the most practical, expedient
and economical.
The undersigned citizen, therefore, in
response to the general invitation re-
ferred to, takes the liberty of making
some suggestions on the subject.
As to the financial and economic ques.
tions involved in the different plans sug-
gested by the engineers. the average citi-
zen and taxpayer is capable Of determin-
ing for himself, and is deeply interested
is seeing to it that no plan be adopted
which would result in impoverishing if
not actually bankrupting the city.
The recommendation of the said en-
gineers to construct an outfall sewer to
Ballona, at the cost of 1896, IT'S, is at
least startling, especially wnen we re-
member that the former estimate for
that sewer by our City Engineer was
less than that amount by $256, 775, and
that even that proposition was voted
down by the people of the city.
Such extravagant figures, such ex-
travagant discrepancies, make us doubt
the infallibility of engineers on questions
of economy The query is also sug-
gested: If $4,000, the former esti-
mate for this Ballona sewer, was $256 us
short of the cost of that work, how
much short will be the present estimate
Of $696,775 before the sewer shall be in
shape for use?
Before voting this immense sum for
this one sewer the average citizen is en-
titled to consider for himself that the
structure when built would not last for all
time. The 1000 feet of cast iron pipe
extending into thirty-five feet depth OF
sea water will Immediately commence
rusting away, with rapidity we'll known
to those who have observed the action OF
sea water on iron. The iron pipes ex-
tended into the fresh waters OF the great
lakes make no precedent for pipes in sea
water.
In support of this plan the engineers
assume to decide the law point that the
sea beach land owners whose lands lie
within ,750 feet on either side of the
place where the proposed sewer enters
the sea cannot enjoin the use of such
sewer, and in support of their opinion
find the facts stated in their fifteenth
finding, thus:
Fifteenth. By carrying the outfall
1000 feet into the ocean from the shore
and letting the sewage escape 25 feet be-
low low water, no sewage will be trace
able in the ocean water, even with strong
currents, at distance Of one and one
half miles from the outlet, and a chem
ical analysis will be unable to detect any
traces of sewage at q distance of two
miles.
AS the land of these landowners is not
distant one and one-half miles from the
pipe, but only 1,75O feet, and as 1000
to see that the facts do not support their
1aasasor l. . l. 1
sewage being lighter than the sea water,
rising to the surface, would be driven by
the prevailing winds onto the shore
frontage of the land downers above refer
red to, who have as much right to main
tain injunction suits and protect their
sea. a.bathing and sand beach pure from
the pollution of sewage as have their
neighbors of Santa Monica, three miles
away. This little circumstance is refer.
red to mainly for the purpose of showing
that engineers are sometimes no better
lawyers than economists, and for
the purpose of throwing a doubt upon
their other decision-that the city of
Los Angeles has no right to use the
winter flow of the Los Angeles river for
carrying off her surplus sewage during
the rainy seasons, when the irrigators
would not require it on their lands. The
fact that the surplus sewage is now de-
posted into that river through ditch
or canal of the South Side Irrigation
Company and was so deposited at the
time of the writing of the engineers re-
port without any protest or complaint
from anyone seems to have been un-
worthy of our engineers consideration.
But as buffalo trails have taught en-.
gineers the best routes for crossing
mountains, so the practical outfall ditch
of the South Side Irrigation Company
now probably teaches engineers and all
intelligent citizens of this city the proper
practical and economical course for the
disposal of the city's sewage during the
short periods when it may not be re-
quired for irrigation.
Practically the deposit in that stream
during the period above referred to is
harmless and can work no serious dam
age to any landowner on the river. But
even should there be some question as
to the legal right of the city in this
respect it would not cost much to obtain
right of way from the riparian owners
on this stream. About three months
since Mr.. Robert Tweedy, who owns about
1000 acres on that stream below stated
to the writer that he would gladly give
the right of way in and along the course
OF the river through his land simply for
the privilege Of buying sewage for irriga-
tion, and thought that his neighbors be.
low would gladly do likewise.
at any rate it is almost certain that