Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1905-12-16

| sewage DlSpOSdI, UuI THUS LHdt
Sewage Needs Two Kinds OF
Bacterial Treatment.
| Albert Glyndon, in the Scientific
American. has an interesting article
on the bacterial publication of sew
age He discusses the different sys-
TENS bosh historically and compare
tivel,, out seems to consider both
the septic tank and filter bees as
necessary and most satisfactory in
this climate AS between filter beds
aud contact beds, there seems to be
no particular choice scientifically, and
that question can be left to be deter
mined by other considerations.
By those interested in building
septic tanks, we have been led to be
lieve that sewage came out of sep
tic tank pure enough to drink, but as
a matter Of fact, it seems to afford
only low degree of publication.
This has been the experience with the
tank at the Indian School.
The Scientific American article
says in part
In 1895 Donald Cameron, of Ex-
eter, England, brought the septic
tank into prominence. This con-
sists of large tank, in which sew
age is allowed to remain, where it is
acted upon by aDaerobic bacteria
micro-o rgaisms that live without the
presence of air. Sewage contains
a considerable portion of solid
matter in supension. By NEAR s
of anaerobic action part of it
becomes liquefed and goes into
solution, part rises to the top as
scum, while part descends to the
bottom as slrdge. The inlet and
outlet of the tank are placed below
the surface, so that the sewage may
pass quietly through with as little
commo,ion as possible. The scum
which rises to the top becomes o1i-
died after time, and passes off
into the air as harmless gas. A
certain amount Of decomposition
takes place in the sludge at the
bottom. When the tanks are large,
sIudge accumulates very slowly at
the bottom. At a septic tank at
Mansfield. Onio, only few inches
of deposit were drawn off after it
had been in use for year and a
half.
Tue septic tank has proved
most useful factor in sewage pul
fcation. 1t is used extensively as
preliminary treatment for contact
beds and percoiating filters. It
cannot, however, be considered by
itself as. a system of purifcation: it
Can be used successfully only as
part of one.
Their are some small towns in this
country, however, where septic tanks
alone have been used. TIE results
in these places have invariable been
very poor. The septic tank by itself
is regarded by sanitarians as little
better than an apology for a sewage
disposal plant. La some cases,
however, when only low degree of
purifcatIon is needed, such as when
sewage is put into the ocean, septic
tanks have proved useful.
Perhaps the most practical method
of sewage disposal is the combina-
ton of the septic tank and the con-
tact bed The contact bed system
was devised by ". j. Dibdin, who
installed the famous bed at the town |
of Sutton England. In this system
sewage is first passed through a |
screen, to pervent the floating par
ticles from blocking the interstices
of the bed Is is then passed over
a coarse-grained bacteria bed. This
c insists of a tank three feet deep
filed with broken stone, coke, burnt
ballast, or other suitable mateual
not molesthan three inches in diam
eter. It is supplied with under
drains, so that it can be easily en-
piled. The sewage is allowed TO
enter the bed until the level Of the
Offering material is reached. The
inlet is then closed, and the sewage
IS allowed to remain standing in
,onfacf0 for q oortoin lonUth IF ti,na |