Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-08-29
A PHYSICIANS VIEW.
A Practical Presentation OF tn
sewer Question.

A Practical Presentation OF the
sewer Question.
EDITORS HERALD-Since q number OF
physicians have been interviewed by the
newspapers favoring the sewer bonds,
and only the opinions OF those favorable
to the Ballona outfall scheme have been
published, will ask to be allowed to
state my views, from an economic, ssni-
tarv and practical standpoint. That a
person disapproves of the proposed out
fall to the ocean, is no reason why he is
opposed to the proper sewerage OF the
city.
/ am as much in favor of an efficient
sewerage system as any one could be,
but regard the proposed Ballona outfall
sewer as mistake, and the emptying OF
the sewage into the ocean as improper
and wasteful. The southwest corner Of
the city is the lowest, but that is no rea-
son why the sewage cannot be taken by
a circuitous route down the Los Angeles
river, the grade to the ocean being am
pie, to lands which are now without irri-
cation, and only need water and manure
to render them the most fertile acres In
the county. The owners of these lands
will buy the water and sewage, and thus
increase the revenue of the city.
Because an open ditch with dirt sides
and weeds growing therein becomes
offensive when carrying sewer water, is
no argument that properly cemented
closed conduit would also be objection
able if filed with the same liquid sew
age. Being practical irrigator myself,
know that as soon as any land is lrrl-
gated it must be cultivated to prevent
hard crust forming, and so the sewer ma
terials would be covered under and de-
odorized at once, as soil is one OF the
very best deodorizers known.
This bugaboo about germs and odors
blowing over the surrounding country
and back on the city cannot be proven a
danger, for two good reasons: First,
because the land on which the sewer
water is to be used will absorb and de-
odorize it at once and second, because
the prevailing winds seldom blow from
the direction of the proposed sewer farm
towards the city. l am not aware that
there is any more sickness in the neigh
borhood of the main South Side Irrigation
sewer ditch than elsewhere, as l have
families under my care who have the
main ditch passing into their back yards,
with no sickness from that cause.
A fourth of the money to be expended
for sewers seems q small proportion to
spend for inside city sewer mains, while
three-fourths are to be spent for storm
water drains and the outfall sewer, and
then citizens who wish to connect with
the new mains will be obliged to build
connection for blocks, in many places, at
their own expense. 1t would seem wiser
to provide the city with main and inter-
cepting sewers in the more populous por-
tions, and as the sewage increases be-
yond the present amount, which is now
taken care of by the South Side Irrigation
Company, to provide better means for its
carriage further down the river valley,
and as these lands are surfeited with fer
tilizers, go on to the ocean, if it is ever
necessary.
Much has been said of the danger from
the use OF sewer water in the irrigation OF
fruits and vegetables, but this has been
overestimated, on account of the preiu-
dice and because of the novelty of such
irrigation in this locality. We eat straw
berries aud vegetables from the sewer
water gardens and never know it. and
there is no record of harm done. A fer
tilizer is q fertilizer, from whatever
source obtained, whether animal or
human, and the prejudice against tine
latter is largely an aesthetic idea.
In this country, of all others, where
water is king, and worth thousand dol
lars an inch and upwards, it seems a
wicked waste of water and fertilizer to
talk of running them into the ocean,
while thousands of aces of poor, sandy,
porous soil need both, and which will
never get either unless this Ballona out
fall is defeated, and a new plan devised
for putting our sewage upon these lands,
between this city and Wilmington, on
each side of the river.
The Los Angeles river and Ballona
creek take care of the storm water, and
much of the healthfulness of our city
and county depends on the washing and
flooding of the surface of the ground by
the winter rains.
This surface washing by the rains is
considered the chief cause of the health
fulness Of the southern cities, which
have little, if any, underground sewage.
Very respectfully,
VIM. LIE MoYNE WILLS, M. d.