The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-01-12
GOOD SEWERAGE
Expert Herring Has Finished
His LabOrS.
WATER FILTRATION IN NUUANU
System May Be Adopted
at Small Expense.
Sewage May Be Disposed of With
out Trouble-Full Report
to Come.

Rudolph Herring, consulting engineer
and expert, who came here month
ago at the request of the Government
to investigate the possibilities of a
sewerage system in Honolulu, has fin
ished his preliminary work, and will
leave for his home in New York City
on the Australia tomorrow.
During Mr.. Hering's visit he has
made thorough investigation of the
conditions existing here, and he hopes
to be ready to report the result of his
Investigations within the next five
months. All the clerical work in con-
nection with the plans will be done by
Mr.. Herring and his assistants in his
Office in New York. He has been a
very busy man since his arrival up TO
within the past 10 days, and although
his visit to Hawaii by the last Kinau
was one of recreation, he did not over
look the wharf question while in Hilo.
Mr.. Herring was seen last night at
the Hawaiian Hotel, on his return from
an evening with the Social Science
Club, at the residence of p. G. Jones.
Herring said:
"Of course, you will not ask me for
details, because they are not ready, and
do not think l could give them if they
were; my obligation is to the Govern
ment. and the report must be made 20
IL | will say this, however, that l have
most thoroughly investigated the mat
ter of securing a supply of pure water.
At IL I,
been with view to filtering the water
of Nuuanu stream and letting it be
utilized by the residents on the higher
levels. l have found that it can be
done, unquestionably, the only thing
To settle now is the system. Whether
it shall be one or another. On my re-
turn | will have a chemical analysis
made of the sand found in different
localities. When this is complete /
can tell what each will do. l will also
calculate on mechanical filters, because
l do not want to decide for the Gov
eminent without submitting all the
plans. | can recommend one plan
which / may consider the best, but if
| do that some one may say they have
heard of another they think is better.
when the Government has a de-
tailed account of each of the many fill
tering systems, and my report shows
what each will do, they can decide
which to adopt. Otherwise, there
would be delay, though l may, per-
haps, have investigated the method an
official might ask for, and thrown it
away as useless"
You say. Mr.. Herring, that the fill
tered water would be used only by
persons residing on the higher levels,
like Nuuanu or Punchbowl. Upon
what would the people doYn here,
nearer earth depend?"
"On the artesian supply, which, by
the way, is excellent, and does not re-
quire filtering. There is no necessity
for it, and the expense would probably
reach SO a million gallons. l do not
consider it necessary for the house
holder to filter artesian water; certain
~ none of the artesian water | have
been drinking. | am satisfied a plan
can be adopted that will give the citi-
zens water as near perfectly pure as
can be found anywhere, and the ex-
DeIse will not be great. l understand
the Government owns a quantity of
land in the neighborhood of the Nuu- /
anu reservoirs. This will be surveyed. !
and l will select a place for the filter
beds to be placed
About the sewerage question. Have
you finished your Investigations in this
respect?' was asked.
All that can be done here has been
to. That. you will remem-
Der, was the subject l was asked to
come here and look into, the matter of
filtration of water was added after |
ward, and 1 have accomplished both in
the time l allowed myself for one. II
have gone over the ground, examined
the surveys and have decided that the
system can be put in operation salts |
fsctorily. The matter of purifying the
sewage has. perhaps, been the most
bothersome question. 1t can be done
in several ways-One by pouring chem !
iCals into it and reducing some of the /