The San Francisco call., 1903-09-25
CROWDS SEWAGE BACK.
Inflow From Bay Interferes With
Operation of Drain.

]
Operation of Drain.
OficiaI maps that have been consulted
show that the North Point main sewer is
so far belqE the city base line that twice
! daily IL will be flooded by the tide to
Sixth and Howard streets During these
periods of tidal flow the sewage will be
| crowded backward. The gases in the
sewer will be forced cut through cess
pools and into dwellings, corrupting the
air and bringing diseases.
In no spirit of hostility does The Call
! this morning direct attention to the per-
! tinent facts that constitute the very core
Of the sewer question. The astonishing
discovery. epitomized in the foregoing, CT
such great importance TO the people. is
/ given publicity al soon IS possible. Many
| taxpa yers, learning the facts, will find
| herein a timely and necessary warning.
| BY the facts alone can this article be
| judged. 1t cannot but appear that the
sewer system as designed is wrong in con-
| ception. There is yet time for deliberate
and sober consideration.
Attention is invited to the statements
| that follow, all of which are based upon
official records. inc;cding the profiles to
be found n the report on a system Of
| sewerage for the city 51G county of San
/ Francisco which has received official
sanction and On the publications in wnicE
the city base line IS set down. The city
base comedies with the tops of the
wharves on the CITY front
Nearly four miles from the point where
| the outlet of the North Point main sewer
| is to be, or a distance of about 10000 feet,
namely at Division and Eighteenth
streets. near the junction of Treat avenue
and Eighteenth street. ii is ascertained
from the profies furnished by the City
Engineer in the report on a system of
1,rfN fne
sewer will be two feet and seven inches
below the city base, or two feet and seven
inches below the tops of the wharves on
the city front
At the crossing of Howard and Sixth
streets where the grade of the Street is
ten feet above the city base, the bottom
of the main sewer is planned to lie six
teen feet and nine inches below the
street crossing, or six feet and nine
inches below the city base which means
that it is about the level of ordinary high
tide An extreme high tide runs about
two feet and three inches higher than the
ordinary high tide. This would put the
bottom of the sewer at Sixth and Howard
streets two feet and three inches below
the level of an extreme high tide.
Since the original plan for the North
Point main was made 1t has been deter
mined to change the route for a part of
the distance. 1t was originally intended
TO have the main sewer along Montgom-
cry street. Upon further investigation.
as set up in a supplementary report that
was filed last July with the Board Of
Supervisors. 'it has been found prefer
able TO adopt a route from Howard street
along Second street to Market, short
distance on Market street to Sansome and
along Sansome street to the northern
water 'front.' northwesterly to the point
of outfall heretofore selected, as shown
on the plans"
This change causes the North Point
main to run under Sansome street
through the wholesale section instead of
through Montgomery street. Attention is
called to this in all fairness, the pro-
files supplied TO the public by the City
Engineer apply to Montgomery street, in
stead of Sansome. The question of the
effectiveness of the North Point main
sewer is no way concerned with this
change, as the grades are only so slight
ly different as TO make no essential Diff
ference in considering the inflow of the
tidal waters and the backing up of all
sewage during such twice daily run.