The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1893-06-06
THE SEWERAGE PROBLEM.
H. WeinstOck Files His Report With
the City Trustees.
The Worcester, Mass, System Again
northumberland to the
Sewerage Committee.

Trustees yesterday Major Weinstock,
who recently returned from his trip to
the East, presented the following report
on the system OF sewerage in use at Wor-
cester, Mass, which he had been re-
quested by the board 70 investigate. AL
though the RECoRD-UNIoN a year ago
published full account of the Worcester,
system, the report of Mr.. Weinstock,
based upon his personal observation
thereof will be found of much interest;
THE REPORT.
To the Honorable Board Of Trustees of
the CITY Of 0crGmeato-G ENTLEMEN:
In compliance with your request of April
18th, asking that while East l visit Wor-
cester, Massachusetts, to inspect the sys-
tenn of sewerage in use in that city, and
that, upon my return to Sacramento, I
furnish the board with such data as
may obtain, and the general result OF my
observations as bearing upon the inter
ests OF the City of Sacramento, l beg
herewith to submit the following as the
result Of my visit to Worcester:
found that up to 1866 Worcester had
no general system of sewerage. The sys-
tenn Of cesspools, similar to the one now
In use in Sacramento, was chiefly re-
sorted to, and the overflow was per-
United TO run into the various creeks.
brooks and rivers surrounding the city.
From 1856 the city began to lay one
general system of sewers for both sewage
and surface water throughout the streets
OF the city.
In 1877 the Legislature granted the city
OF worcester the privilege OF permitting
the sewage to run into the Blackstone
RlVer. This continued till the cities
below Worcester made strong protests
against the river being contaminated by
the sewage from Worcester, and as re-
suit of the pressure brought by those in
terested upon the Legislature, an Act was
passed IN 1886 requiring the city Of WOr-
cester, within four years, to purify its
sewage entering the river.
IN order to comply with the law within
the required time, Charles \. Allen, an
experienced civil engingeer, was COM
mIssioned by the city OF Worcester to go
abroad and investigate the various
methods in use in the cities of Europe for
the disposal of their sewage.
CHEMICAL PRECIPITATION.
After thorough Investigation of the
methods followed in the chief cities OF
Europe and also in a number of Ameri-
can cities, he advocated the adoption OF
the system known as chemical preclDi-
tation," which, III brief is a system
whereby the sewage is passed through
various huge, open, cemented tanks and
mixed with certain chemicals which
bring about gradual stages OF publication
and finally separates the liquid matter
from the solid. The liquid matter, by
this process, is SO clarified as to safely
permit It's being allowed to run iuto the
rivers without poIluting them, while the
solid matter is formed into an odorless
sludge and used largely as a fertilizer,
which, however, has little or no CONNER
cial value
'in1 m, 4 @FN
adopted by the city OF Worcester, and
after some experimenting a permanent
plant tor chemical precipitation was
Ell ected on the outskirts of the CITY.
Ihls plant consists of the necessary
buildings. which are inexpensive in their
character, the necessary machinery, and
SIX large open tanks, with cemented bot
toms and sides, about 60xl0O feet each
and about six feet deep. This plant cost
the city about $60,0O0 and the system of
chemical precipitation went into operation
June %, 1880. Beginning with about
1888 the laying Off
DOUBLE SYSTEM OF SEWERS
Was begun in the newer districts pre-
viouSly not sewered-one system to deal
with the surface water, taking the water
into the nearest water course, and the
other dealing with domestic sewage, and
taking the sewage to the disposal works.
LII al VIC GLLy LAS dDOuG 6ignLY-IN0
running miles OF sewers, out OF which
the double system represents not over
four miles.
Cesspools are now prohibited by law,
and all matter-liquid or solid-goes di-
rect from all houses through the sewers
into the disposal works. While the
double system OF sewers is considered an
advantage, 1t is not looked upon as an alb
solute necessity. The difference between
the two GVEfan1S ig that with ha eli, In
system, the domestic sewage is mixed
with large amount of surface water, and
thus an additional cost for treatment is
incurred, owing to the great volume of
water; with the double system this in
fux of comparatively pure water is
avoided, and the sewage proper, not be-
ing diluted to so great an extent, is more
easily acted upon by the chemicals.
COST OF MAINTENANCE.
1t cost the city of Worcester to main
tain the publication works for the wear
of 1892 about $4,000.
The six tanks, which cost the city about
500, 900, have capacity of dealing with
6,UUO,OO0 gallons OF sewage daily, This
has permitted the city, which has a popula-
ton OF about so, coo, 10 handle through this
system less than one-half its sewage.
The system, after two years trial, having
proven satisfactory, the facilities are now
have been constructed at further cost of
some 0,000, which will enable the CITY
to handle, in all, about l5,OO0,0OO gallons
daily.
Ii Sacramento is to abandon its yicions
system OF cesspooiS-a system which is
condemned as one injurious to the ren-
eral health of the public by all INTELLIGENT
minds that have ever given the question
OF sewage any attention, and if the do
mestlc drains are to be connected direct
with the sewers, there seems no
better method that modern scientific
thought has given TO the world than the
system now in operation at Worcester.
known as chemical precipitation"
While the liquid matter even by this
system is not made so pure that it can
safely be used for domestic purposes. it is
sufficiently purified to permit it to be
run into a living stream with little or no
injury to such stream.
COST OF THE PLANT.
The approximate cost of establishing a
plant for Sacramento, with a capacity OF
100000 gallons per day, is estimated at
S66, 900. This would not include the cost
of the land, nor would it include the
pumping apparatus, il such were consid-
cred necessary, to pump the LIQUID mat
ter into the river. Our present single
system of sewers could be made to an
swer all purposes, though it would be adj
Yisable, should this plan be adopted to
construct double system from now on
in all the newer sections Of the city-one
to deal with the surface water and the
other with the sewage.
The probable cost of maintenance for
such a plant as is herein estimated upon
for Sacramento would be $4,000 annu-
ally. The increased maintenance cost
over Worcester is explained by allowing
for increased cost OF fuel, labor and also
for sulphate Of alumina, which is saved
by the city OF Worcester by virtue of the
character of the Worcester sewage. which
is largely impregnated by sulphate of
iron from the numerous iron industries
in that city.