The record-union., 1893-05-13
THE NEW SEWERAGE COMMIs-
SION.


The recently erected City Sewerage
Commission has condemned the cesspool
system. That is precisely what the REC
oRD-UNIoN advocated years ago and
even since. 1t is now advised that the
system be abandoned. That is well; the
sooner the better.
Some years ago the city authorities be-
came satisfied that the porous cesspools
were saturating the soil with pollution.
1t was then ordered that all new cess
pools be cemented and made water tight.
But uncemented ones remained, and
many still continue the old evil.
There are two good methods of getting
rid of cesspools - substitution of the
earth and abandonment of the
water-closet, establishing pipe connection
between houses and the sewers. But this
involves radical Improvement of the
drainage canal or of the pumping system
of disposal. The other and cheaper is
house connection with sewers for chemi-
cal deposition of all sewage, and discharge
of the af1uent by pumping.
The earth-closet is costly at best, and
its regulations very difficult to enforce
The deposition system is the better and
cheaper. Towards this system, as it ex-
amines into it, we are confident that the
commission will incline. Indeed, it has
already signified that it has it in mind
by stating that it will involve a separate
system for drainage waters. But this is
not accurate. 1t is possible to utilize sur
face drainage to aid sewer carriage. How
ever, separate drainage system is by far
the better plan. Drainage separate from
sewerage is practically inofensive. 1t
can be led into the drainage canal with
out offense to residents along the route
or it can be carried to pumps and be
lifted out as at present.
Drainage can be and has been carried,
and in more than one city, by surface
cutters and surface pipes laid along the
sides OF the streets just beneath the gut
ters, whereby very much greater fall
can be secured, and when the need is it
can be turned into flushing service.
So far as the matter of chemical pre-
cipitation for sewage disposal is con-
cerned it is simple and economic. The
difficult problem in it for a city situated
as are most valley cities in California is
that of securing sufficient fall to carry
the matter now sent TO the cesspools and
closet pits. 1t must be met and solved,
even if we have to secure the fall by
upper side pipes of stone or iron and the
utilization of the present sewers for car
rying the drainage waters.
In some way, even if It involves re-
construction of the system of sewers. this
question must be disposed of. We in
cline to the belief that iron-stone side
pipes just beneath the cutters, can be
used, thus increasing the grade of fall so
much as to insure delivery at the precip-
itation tanks, which must be sunk deep,
and at the lowest point practicable.
However, the whole matter is in the
hands of a competent commission, but is
not the less proper subject for public
debate meanwhile, that community in
telligence may be enlarged concerning
the whole matter, and the people thus the
better prepared to receive intelligentlv
the conclusions the commission NAV set
tie upon.
We have confidence in the sincerity
and capacity of the gentlemen of the
board, and that they will examine into
all systems suitable for localities such as
this; that they will avail of the expert
ence and experimenting of other cities
situated similarly to this, and that they
will receive and hear all suggestions ad-
yanced upon the subject But the COM
mission should not be hampered, de-
layed and wearied by debate before it of
old and exploded ideas and obsolete sys-
tens. Sanitary science has made such
advance that certain matters have been
crystallized into principles, and other
cranky and old-fashioned ideas have
been exploded and agreed upon as un-
worthy of respect.