The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-10-25

TO say emphatically that it should be
abandoned as soon as possible am
aware that to build an entirely new sys-
tenn OF sewers Will be very costly. and
that it could hardly be all put in workine
order in one season. Yet with sufficient
money and working force this could b,
done. But there seems to be greater trou,
Bile even than this What is to be done
with the sewage? What, indeed. Savan-
nah is not the only city that is strugrline
with that problem, and yet with all its
troubles and difficulties Savannah has al.
Fahtages over many other cities, as will
endeaNor TO show. Thus far the city au-
thoritles have been trying to obtain SAT-
lstactory plan for suitable system OF
sewers, including an outlet somewhere
IheSe worthy endeaVors naturally broueht
lorth criticism, but attention is inyited
to the fact that the systems of sewerage
were not criticised, but only the proposed
outlets We're always condemned bv some
or the people Evidently, then, somethins
must be wrong with the outlet project
and here hobs up the question of Sewage
Dlsposal; 1t demands and Justly too an
equal share of consideration with the firsf
subject The Sewer System"
For obvious reasons, already publisbeo
several times, the sewage must NOT he al
lowed to go into the Savannah river,
the same reasons apply with equal force
other stream. ''
The matter has then been brought down
10 this: First, there has been prepared for
savannah plan for house drainage on
tie separate system" which. with Ger.
tam slight notifications, perhaps. win
tory. 9''''9 az
BY these notifications I refer IN tbo
matter of draining the northwestern mart
OF the city. There seems to have been
some doubt as to the possibility of sewer
ing that low part of the city without enn
tying into the river. | would suggest
that this section form a separate district
OF the sewerage system draining north
70 RIVER street, then all along that street
10 the eastern side of the city and then
southwark as far as grade would allow
rms sewer ending there into a well or
system, from which the sewage would he
pumped into higher sewer that would
empty INTO the main sewer somewhere
near Gwinnett and East Broad streets.
q But we will not be permitted to let
the sewage run out directly into any of
the streams about Savannah Third The
sewage must then be disposed of in some
other way
Thls last assertion ought to show the
way out of our difficulties. Sanitary en-
glneers in all countries are agreed that
chemical processes of reduction are
both very expensive and unsatisfactory
that not only great profit has resulted
from disposal by irrigation but that
the sewage, after performing it's duty of
irrigating and enriching land, finally
energies from the soil in a condition en-
tircly unObJectionable.
There are, to my knowledge, certain
tracts of sandy land not far from the city
limits so situated as to be entirely suit
able for such disposal as l suggest. These
lands could be obtained by the city at
a very reasonable price, they are of no
value agriculturally and not desirable for
subdivision into residence tracts The
system l here suggest could not, how
ever, be operated with such sewage as
now runs out of Bolton street sewer into
Bilbo canal. The sewage must be fresh
sewage that has not had time to ferment
and decompose. Sewage of this kind
could only be had by the use of the con-
templated separate system, because TO
great extent a regularity in the flow
would also be necessary to a successful
disposal in this way.
Experience thus far teaches that there
should be provided three irrigation areas,
each to be flooded on successive days,
one day of flow and two days of rest. But
the sludge forming elements of sewage
must be removed if we want any results
at all satisfactory. A plant for the re-
moVal of these substances, by screens of
different kinds is a very simple and in
expensive one.
We may roughly estimate that three
inches of water over one acre will equal
about 5000 gallons, and with an allow
ance of sixty gallons per day per person
would equal the sewage of about 1850 peo-
pie, but as each acre is to be used only
once in three days, it is available only for
the sewage of 400 people. This seems but
a small number and at first sight sug
gests that a very large tract of land would
be necessary. However, experiments, I'M
der the most unfavorabe condition of
weather, show that nearly rs per cent. of
the water used for irrigation is evapo-
rated partly from the surface of the soil
and partly through the foliage of plants.
So that we may safely assume that many
times more than three inches per acre
can be applied to our sandy soils.
Any agricultural soil will improve in its
capacity to absorb and purify sewage as
it's texture becomes modified by cultiva-
ton and by the growth and decay of roots
of plants. The capacity to absorb and FL
ter increases very rapidly. To make a
field in condition for sewage disposal I'M
der the best method it should be well
drained to a depth of five or six feet; al
most any soil so drained will contain
about 30 per cent of voids filled with air
and available for admission of water
Thus the voids in an acre of land drained
to a depth of five feet would admit ABOUT
100000 gallons of water. 1t is possible
that land can be found in the neighbour
hood of Savannah that is sandy to the
depth of five or six feet and would not
require to be underdrained; this would
save quite an expensive item of prepara-
ton.
1t is generally computeJ that ordinary
sewage contains only about 2 per cent. Of
solids, the remaining 9S per cent being
mostly water, which, however, contains
much fertilizing matter. The screening
of the sewage can be accomplished with
out much labor, the solids converted into
merchantable guano, and the fluid part
carried upon lands prepared for It, will
always be the most easily applicable fer
tilizer as well as a promoter of constant
and vigorous vegetation. The screening
plant could be located quite near the city
limits so that any truck grower beyond
this and located contiguous to the line Of
sewer leading to the city's irrigated farm,
could easily avail himself of this source
of supply for the irrigation and fertiliza-
ton of his fields.
II have heard the citys chief magistrate
say that the city is so burdened with ex-
penses that il cannot undertake such
expensive methods OF sewage disposal as |
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