Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1904-03-12
.PLA for sew Err
~
SOMETHING ABOUT THE -EPTlC
TANK SYSTErl.
The System is Adapted for Small
Cities, and Could be easily In
stalled i'm rIOrris.

| (lCleS, ana OOul0 DC easily III"
stalled in ,rIorris.
The two greatest problems in con-
nection with installing sewer sys-
tenn in the city of Morris, is the long
dig to- the river, and the question OF
what to do with the sewerage after it
reaches the river. The city would
probably have to pay heavy damages
to get it into tue river at all.
Now comes the ''septic tank sys-
tenn" which seems to solve all the
difficulties along the lines suggested.
The tank could be placed in the
southern portion of the city, and thus
the long run to the river would be
obviated, and as the water is pure
and odorless when it comes from the
tank, it could be- allowed to find its
way to the river by natural drainage.
The following interesting account
of the septic tank system is taken
from recent issue of the Alexandria
Post News, where much the same
% problems confronts the city as con.
fronts Norris
! Some time ago the septic system
of handling sewerage was brought to
the writer's attention. Osakis has
put in a sewer and in all probability
will adopt the septic tank system,
II is not expensive and is much pre-
ferred to running sewers into lakes
or streams. The matter was brought
to the att ention of the state board of
60 ntrol in connection with the Anoka
hospital and the system will probably
be adopted by the state. At recent
m Getting Prof. j. J. Flather. of the
state university, explained the sys-
tenn to the board of control as fol-
lows:
cit is tank mostly underground,
about three times as long as wide and
from five to ten feet deep, with suff-
Gent capacity to hold twenty four
hours flow of sewage. The sewage
is decomposed while in the tank by
the action of the bacteria. and after
ward drained on three filter beds of
fine cinders or sand. When the
sewage leaves the last bed, Prof.
Flather said, it is often as pure as a
running stream. He said suitable
tank could be installed at Anoka for
So, 300, the amount available to the
state board of control"
A representative of the Post News
interviewed Mr.. John Abercrombie
on the subject. Mr.. Abercombie
speaks very highly of the plan.
His interviews as follows: 4
"This is problem which towns in
the United States have begun to
grapple with. Usually, it is easy to
determine the best system of conduits
to collect sewage, but it is not SO
easy to decide upon the best manner
of disposing of thu collection.
Whether to run it into the dry-rua,
the sluggish sloughs, the lake system
or the stream contiguous to the vili-
age.
A method of disposal now thrust.
ing itself upon public attention is
the septic tank system The septic
tank system with or withc ut an annex
known as filter beds, contact beds or
bacteria beds. These beds are an
annex for the purpose of further or
ultimate publication of the liquid
residue of the septic tank. An
effort no make purity out of foulness
and which when turned loose into the
lakes or streams removes all cause
for complaint as to the pollution of
the sources of potable water supply
and of the general sanitary conditions.
The courts have begun to spouse
the adoption of the septic tank and
in this connection it may be advant-
ageous to state, as an example, that
a decision has been rendered by
Judge Tarrant in the suit brought by
Henry Thill to enjoin the city of
Milwaukee from poluting the Men
ominee river by the flow of the
Thirtieth street tunnel. Judge Tar
rant held that the tunnel flow is a
nuisance, which the interests OF the
public demand should be abated
He suggested that septic tanks clear
the sewage Of the tunnel from pollu.
ton seemed way out of the difficult
ty and gave the city until November