The record-union., 1894-01-09
NOW FOR A SYSTEM.

The new President of the Board of City
Trustee, w. d. Lawton, began his ad-
ministration yesterday by advising his
colleagues to at once take up the question
of providing an improved system for the
disposition of the city's sewage.
He told the board that his examination
of the matter had convinced him that
within the current year, without the
issue Of dollars worth of bonds or cer-
tifioates of credit, the city may provide
proper system, at least method in
finitely superior to that we now have.
His idea is to construct main conduit
leading to the lowest point on the west of
the city to carry the sewer discharge.
This main line should empty into vault
sunk deep enough to secure proper fall,
and the accumulation then be disposed of
by pumping or other device.
The idea of the President of the board
is good because it means action, doing
something, accomplishment In detail,
however, he may be too confident. 1t
will be uneconomic to conduct the storm
water as well as the sewage, and then
treat the whole accumulation if chemical
disposition is to be adopted, since every
thousand gallons of fluid requires given
amount of lime and other chemicals.
If, too, it is resolved to pump into the
river it will involve heavy cost to lift all
the fluid and the heavy matter too. We
do not understand that the residents be-
low the city will raise any objection
whatever to the flow of clear, clean water
into the drainage canal if it is completed
to tide-water; their complaint is against
the discharge of filth upon them. In fact
the canal, if carrying clean water only,
will be of value to them to use also when
the ditch'is cut through to tide water.
But if the drainage canal is not used or
the people along its line prevent its use
for storm water. it will still be more
economic by far to lift out the storm
water without wasting chemicals upon
1t, or mingling it with sewage. On this
point there is no disagreement whatever
among sanitary engineers. Our own
commission has already reported that the
storm water ought to be carried away
separately from sewage. This can be
done the more easily because storm
water flows from the surface and greater
fall within city limits can be secured for
it on the surface or near to it, than if
discharged into deep lying sewers.
Even sewage may be carried in pipes
lying near the surface and thus in cities
of this character greater fall be secured
under that system. Our present sewers
would serve excellently to carry the
storm water if relieved of the duty and
clog of sewage.
No system will be complete that does
not contemplate the abandonment of the
cesspool. Nothing can be worse in this
direction than retention in the soil of the
city of filth for months and years. 1t
percolates into and poisons the soil, and
its foul vapors ascend through the
surface learth, with Us very porous. and
eontaminates the air we breathe.
While, therefore, haste is commend
able and President Lswton Is to be
praised for urging speed in this matter,
we should make it economical speed.
We want comprehensive system, one
that will as nearly as possible serve all
sections OF the city equally we'll This
cannot be constructed in any short time;
it will cost good deal of money to pro-
vide greater fall, fall sufficient to carry
the sewage we now retain in filth pits; it
will involve in time complete readjust-
ment of the lateral sewer lines.
But this does not after all conflict with
the idea of the President of the board,
that main receivingdrain should be
constructed and receiving-pit or vault
be provided; for that must be done under
any system possible to be adapted to Sac
ramento conditions. Sewage cannot be
disposed of without being collected. So
the outfall sewer and the reception vault
suggestions are good, and may be
acted upon at once, and should be.
They will take the matter we now send