The times., 1898-10-08
DISPOSAL OF SEWAGE.
Health officer Woodward Objects to
n Plumbers Proposal.

n Plumbers Proposal.
The request recently made of the Dis
trict Commissioners by D. ]. Murphy for
permission TO construct a sewer from the
Catholic monastery at Brookland for the
purpose of distributing and depositing
upon the surface of the ground the sew
age of the new institution does not meet
with the approval of DR.. Woodward, the
health officer.
! That official yesterday submitted to the
District Commissioners report upon the
inadvisability of granting such a permit
from a sanitary point of view, and recon-
mended that the application be denied for
the reason that, in his opinion, such a
system cannot be maintained without
nuisance
When the request was made, more than
a month ago, the papers were referred TO
Charles B. Ball, inspector of plumbing
for the District, who reported that he
had found after examination, that the
locality in which it was proposed to place
a disposal field, is suited to the conditions
requisite for such a distributing system.
THE surface" he reported, upon
which the sewage will be disposed is en-
tirely arabic land, much of it sandy, and
a small portion of a clayey character.
With suitable care to alternate The dis
tribution upon different portions of the
land, / think that nuisance may be en-
tirely avoided. 1t is proposed that the
plumbing lines from the south side of the
building shall discharge into a tight cir
cular brick well eighteen feet in dame
ter. From this well are TO extend four
cast-iron outlets, each controlled with a
valve, and radiating TO different points of
the ground surface. The extensions of
these lines. after leaving the pit, will be
4-inch terra Gotta, so that a distribution
area of considerable extent without the
aid of surface conduits will be obtained.
If found hereafter to be necessary, sur
face conduits could be extended, espe-
cially toward the eastward, and distri-
button could be effected TO reach any
point of the fifteen or twenty acres ly-
ing below the level of the pit.
II recommend that permission be given
TO use the system as proposed, and that
the subject receive the attention of the
health officer before a permit is granted" :"
Health officer Woodward assumes a diff
ferent stand in the matter as may be
seen from the following report, submitted
by him to the Commissioners yesterday:
Referring TO the application of d. j.
| Murphy. requesting permission TO run a
sewer from the Catholic monastery at
! Brookland. leaving the sewage to be dis
! posed of on the surface of the ground,
! and his subsequent letter, 1 have the
/ honor TO state that, from study of
! the description of the alleged sewage
! disposal as outlined, and from a
! personal inspection of the land
! proposed TO be used, as nearly
as 1t could be located, I do not believe
/ that said system can be maintained with
! out nuisance or without danger to the
! public health.
Il recommend that the application bt
| denied. and that Mr.. Murphy be re-
! quested in any subsequent application tc
furnish detailed drawings and specifica
lions. so as TO permit a more satisfactory
consideration of his application"
In conclusion, DR.. Woodward says tha
''the application in question indicates al
| entire absence of any conception of the
| Importance of proper construction ant
maintenance of a system of sewage dis
posa! such as is proposed"
He also asserts that the planning o.