Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1899-12-06

'seat'' the filth "oxydize" lido some
thing to the sewage that robs it of I'M
purities and changes its character. 1t
infiltrates into the sand and gravel
and, deprived of the elements which
the bacteria have cared for or purified
by the old familiar process of filtra-
ton through earthly substances, the
once filthy stream, transmitted into a
clear eiliuent, finds its way into the
porous drain pipes or trickling in
through the joints. runs out into the
creek. q pure efiluent. When the bed
Is dry, and The process finished the
farmer g0cs into ii with & rake and
takes off the surface few wheel
barrows full for use as fertilizer. 1t is
so valuable that in some cities farmers
drive six OF seven miles TO get it.
This is the theory. As with many
other things in life the practice differs
from the theory. The eeiuent that
saw running from the beds was not q
clear stream The effiuent from the
chemical plant at Madison is as clear
as water. The Ripon effluent is pat
entity discolored. murky. and foul IL
is clearly dirty stream of its own rs
it flows into the creek. in contrast to
the pure water. | followed the creek
for a quarter OF mile and the effiu-
ent finally discolorea the whole stream.
The bed Of the stream showed the
settings: the stones looked Shiny Ii
was disappointing.
Not Operated In the Hest Way.
But This does not prove the failure
of land treatment, for the old world
has many plants of the kind which
purify sewage. so that the effiuent is
harmless to drink. 1t is the operation
OF the plant at Ripon that is at fault
and tile citizens are frank to acknowl-
edge it. Ii is unfortunate that the lit
tie city will not spend the money nee
essary to employ the services of bac-
teriologists, engineers and skilled
management to make the plant q sue.
cess. for 1t would prove an object les
son TO the whole country. But many
of the people are skeptical: and be-
grudge the dollars necessary. The
| farmer who turns on and off the
| stream is as faithful as the best I'M
skilled care-keeper: but sewage puri-
| tication is not in his line. The plant
| is success to this extent, that the
| farmers living along the creek ceased
| their complaints. The stfcS IN is purer
| than it was. The beds get out q good
deal of the foul matter, as Professor
MarSh'S volunteer tests show. But the
plant Is practically running itself, and
as sewage disposal is a delicate, sci
entific matter, when bacteria are the
purifying agent, it is running badly.
The beds get clogged by not being in
telligently operated, and the head of
| the public works department. who has
fought valiently for leeway, financial
and otherwise, to get the best results,
says that one of the three beds was
| ruined and has been in disuse since
| last winters severe cold, and that
within two or three years, unless some
money is spent, all the beds will be
| practically useless.
| Vigilance the Price of Sewage Disposal.
The citizens of Ripon have yet to
learn the lesson which is slowly fore
| ing itself on American cities that
sewage disposal, unless natural condi-
| tons are most favorable, is serious
| business, calling for eternal vigilance,
much skill and no small expediture of
! money. Mr.. Sickle reports that he
! has seen emanating from these beds
| an etliuent as pure to the sight at
| least as water. What man has done,
! man can do. But the land treatment
| process is mainly a study of bacteria.
/ 1t is a curious fact that when the beds
We're first used they did not purify as
| well as at later time. showing that
bacteria growth is necessary A fill
| ter bed clogs as any other strainei
will when crowded and not kept clean
| lin this case by exposure to air and
! rest. 1t is clear, therefore, that the
care of the beds to get good results
calls for skilled supervision.
| Last winter was one of the coolest
| ii will be remembered. BY keeping
| warm the tank house the flow of sew.
age was kept going until near the end
of the cold spell, when the beds frozt
| up. The effect was that the sand re
| fused to pass the sewage into the
drain pipes; and the top liquid freez
ing, the oncOming stream covered it,
| until it Overrun the banks, broke
! them down to some extent and found
| its way 10 the creek unpurified. There
are said to he land treatment plants il
| Canada that are kept from freezing
and ii is suggested i'll Ripon that
1 board covering at small-expense would
sufficiently protect the beds in the
| coolest weather.
The Nipon plant smells badly al
times Some think eventually it viii
Sc condemned as a nuisance
ORLANDO BURNETT.