The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1905-11-01
THE DAIRY
Septic Tank for Creamery Sewage.
(Prof. Farrington.)

(Prof. FarringtOn.)
The drainage from a creamery may
be divided into two parts: LIST, the
well water, which is pumped for the
purpose of cooling cream and is not
contaminated by any filth, and IND,
the drainage from the factory during
the time the milk utensils, churns,
watts. ETC., are being cleaned. This
drainage will contain considerable
milk and grease, and if it is allowed to
accumulate, in any place, decomposi-
ton soon sets in, and it usually be-
comes a nuisance.
On account of the fact that most
creameries have these two kinds OF
sewage. the polluted and non-polluted,
it seems desirable that a factory
should have the drain pipe or the
creamery so constructed that the
drainage may be conducted in two
different directions. An easily manipu-
lated gate can be placed in the drain
where it leaves the creamery so that
the we'll water that has been used
for cooling simply, may be carried OH
in one direction and the drainage con-
tanning milk and other washings from
the factory in another direction IL
the soil is of such a nature that 1t Will
absorb water, which is simply used
for cooling, this may be conducted III
TO a cistern or hole in the ground
about a feet in diameter and deep
enough so that the ground will soak
I'm the clear water that is run into IL
from the factory each day. 1t is not
often that a factory will have much
difficulty in disposing OF the cream
water which is simply pumped from
the we'll and used for cooling cream
etc This. of course, passes INTO the
creamery drain, but it it is cOnducteu
into an open well it will be easily ana
satisfactorily disposed OF, and II Is
nrobable that the we'll water and the
creamery sewage will be running
through the drain at different times
When This is true the gate already
mentioned. can be easily used for
guiding the drain water INTO one
system or the other as desired. When
the polluted water is coming from the
creamery the gaze may be closed SO
as to take it off through the pipes CnaC
empty into the septic tank.
The size of the septic tank Will de-
mend entirely on the amount of drain
age coming from the factory. For
creamery having about the average
capacity. as they run in this state, l
think a septic tank feet long, teet
deep and 4 feet wide, will probably De
large enough This tank can be maze
of nlank and placed in the ground at
some convenient distance from the
creamery so that all the polluted
drainage water will run into it. The
tank should be tightly covered and
drain leading from it to conduct the
water into another open we'll similar
to that in which the we'll water IS
numDed as already described. me
idea being that by conducting the poi
luted drainage water from the cream
ery into this tank, it will terment III
the tank. and the fermentation process
will purify the water, to certain eX-
tent so that when it leaves the tank
if can run off into the open well ana
soak into the ground without becom-
ing a nuisance.
1t should not be forgotten that the
septic tank must be cleaned out once
or twice a year. A certain amount OF
solid matter will accumulate in the
bottom of the tank and this must be
taken out so that the tank does not
fill up and reduce it's capacity.
1t Pays to Know.
IL 9 al Toe -