Los Angeles herald., 1891-03-23

EDIToRs HERALD: The disposal OF oul
city sewage has again become one of the
leading local questions of the day. II
is, perhaps, one Of the most important
problems that our city council is ex.
pected to solve. According to the letter
of Mr.. Morgan, which appeared in the
Los Angeles Times March 1lth, the
methods in vogue in Canterbury and
Birmingham, England, are undoubtedly
fairly successful. But the question
arises, whether the climatic conditions
of our country and the requirements ol
our soils are not SO widely divergent
from those of England as to render it
unwise to adopt the same methods for
disposing of sewage. In England, on
account OF their frequent rains, the chief,
and almost the only value in the sewage,
lies in the solid matter it contains, and
for this reason they resort to the preci-
pitation system for separating the liquid
from the solid matter. At the Birming-
ham sewage farm the liquid portion of
the sewage is conveyed into an adjacent
stream, except, perhaps, at very infre-
quent intervals, when the rainfall is
scant.
The language of Mr.. Morgan is quite
specific on this point. He says "The
sludge or sediment of the settling tanks
is removed (after the water has been
drained from the tanks) by chain
pumps. and carried to any part of
the 4OO-acre farm, whose turn it may be
to receive the sludge. This is deposited
in layers about twelve inches thick, and
as soon as dry enough is trenched
under" 1t is plain to be seen from Mr..
Morgan's own language they not only
do not need to use the water, but the
sludge must be exposed to the sun and
air to dry before it can be trenched
under.
Now, Mr.. Editor, the methods adopt
ed for the disposal of sewage must de-
pend somewhat upon climatic condi-
tions, and also upon the requirements
of the soils and their proximity to the
cities producing the sewage. claim
that the needs of our soils are widely
different from those OF England, because
our soils need the liquid and the solids
of the sewage. BY the application of
sewage in its crude form on our land,
the even distribution of the solids is
greatly facilitated, and we avoid the
great expense of building and operating
precipitation works. If am correct in
my statement that our soils need both
the liquid and solids of our sewage, then
the question presents itself: Where is
the largest body OF land, near our city,
best adapted for the reception of our
sewage, whose owners are anxious to
use the same in its crude condition
Ny answer is, the Sausal Redondo
rancho and other adjacent lands, COM
prising in all some $4,000 acres. This
large body of land, with the application
OF our sewage thereon, can be made to
yield untold wealth, much of which
will drift into the tills OF
our merchants, thereby enriching our
city. Many OF the owners OF these
lands have expressed their desire to
purchase sewage from the city, and they
will assist the council in obtaining
right-of-way for the sewer. But they
impose one irrevocable condition, name
ly: That to prevent an unbearable
nuisance during continuous rains, the
city must build an outfall to the ocean.
1t is within the possibilities that 49,
inch outfall sewer can be laid to the
ocean through these lands for $275, 900,
and this will accommodate our city for
twenty-five years, and it may be within
the probabilities, that Pasadena would
pay our city one-half of this sum for the
privilege OF conveying her sewage in our
conduit, say for the term OF twenty
years. To me it certainly appears ut
terly useless to establish here, either
precipitation or deodorizing works, be-
cause our soils actually need all the ele-
ments OF our sewage, and no better de-
odorizer can be found than well cult
waited soil. We can sell our crude sew
age for more than enough tc pay inter-
est on the bonds issued to build an out
fall, while the Birmingham sewage
farm, Notwithstanding its cheap labor,
is not self-sustaining it should, there
fore, not be very difficult for our citi-
zens to decide which method to adopt.
SAMUEL REEs.
EDrroRs HERALD: notice there is Q
great deal being said about outfall sew
ers having been resident of Los An
geles nearly ten years thought Iwould
try my oar stroke or two by suggesting
a plan.
First, vote $5OO,0OO in twenty year
bonds, with them build a sewer to the
ocean, not less than fifty-four inches in
side diameter, of brick, and buy 100 acres
of land one or two miles outside the
city.
On that land lease the privilege of ex'
tracing the solids from the sewage, re-
serving the clear water, then say to the
farmers along the sewer: "Gentlemen.
we have water to sell you to irrigate
your land, ii you want it at SO much pei
head if you don't want it, to the sea il
goes;" and my opinion is you would
have no trouble in finding man or 8
company to erect deodorizing works on
your land, and also good tenants for al
land not used for the works, and plenty
of applicants for all the clear water you
can furnish.
This plan would place the city in the
same situation that the water company
now has the city.
They say to us: "If you want thit
water at our prices you can have it, j
you can't pay that we will shut it off. =
If Pasadena should want an outlet tt
the sea we would be able to accommo
date her.
Let no one contractor have more thar
about three miles to build. Have 6
committee of nineteen appointed by the
city council, one Republican and one
Democrat from each ward, and the
mayor who shall be chairman, the sale