The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1896-03-09
Agents, Honolulu. II. 4,

TESS the ability to criticise Mr.. War
iDg's figures.
But taken in connection with the
statements of Mr.. Allardt they have
impressed me, to my surprise 1 must
say, with the fact that sewage pump
ing need not be a matter of such great
expense as to forbid its being done IL
Honolulu.
In devising any system of sewerage
for Honolulu, as for any other place
one of the first questions TO be decided
is what use is to be made of the
sewage.
Much has been said about the waste
fulness of pouring sewage into the
ocean from the supposed loss of the
elements of fertility that belong to
and should be returned to the soil.
This is question that must be set
tied strictly on considerations OF
economy and not of sentiment. II
sewage can be rendered into fer
tilizer at such a rate as will compete
proftably with those made from
guanO, bone dust, phosphates and
other imported materials, it might be
an economic mistake for us to pour
it into the ocean. But the experience
of other communities and scientific
experiments bearing on this point
use of our sewage in Honolulu.
The burden of proof at any rate lies
with any one who claims that such is
the cheapest way of dispOsing of the
sewage of Honolulu.
1 have come to accept Mr. Allardt's
proposition that the best disposition
to make of the sewage of Honolulu is
to discharge it into the ocean.
In regard to the situation of the
outfall or ultimate discharge Mr..
Allardt declares against making the
harbor the receptacle for the city's
sewage.
In this L think every sanitarian
will agree with him. ats limited
area and the sluggishness of its tidal
current forbid its use for thct purpose.
CATER careful study of the situa-
tion," says Mr.. Allardt, 81 have
selected point I'm a line with the
coral reefs, distant about two thirds
Of mile easterly from the mouth of
the harbOr and about two thousand
feet from the shore line.
'sThere can be no question that the
sewage discharged at this point will
be so thoroughly diluted as to become
practically innOcuous before reaching
the entrance to the harbor, or the
adjacent shores.
Iii 6OStOH, IOT 0Xdmpi0I WICn
population twenty times greater
than that of Honolulu, it was found
that its entire sewage, after flow
ing three-quarters of a mile in
tidal current, intermingled so COM
pletely with the sea water that it's
color could not be distinguished, and
at n distance of one and one-half
miles from the outlet no trace of sew
age could oe seen."
"Accepting this point of outfall,
therefore, as the most feasible point
available, we are then confronted
with a serious difficulty, namely,
lack of sufficient fall. In order 10
drain the lower and business portions
of the city, it will be necessary to lay
the sewers at so low an elevation that
it will be impossible to convey the
sewage to the outfall point by gravita-
ton. Pumping will have, to be re-
sored to; indeed, unless the sewage is
directly into the harbor,
is unavoidable iE any case.
The pumping works will be located
near the shore, where the sewage
must be lifted to a sufficient head to
force the same out to deep water.
The required lift will average about
six feet"