East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1907-08-20

posing or sewage. he says:
The aim of every plant installed
for the publication of sewage is to
render the putrescible organic COM
pounds into harmless inorganic forms.
Sewage disposal or dispersion, is not
sewage publication. The cheapest
and simplest method of disposal has
been the one most frequently adopted,
and the discharge of raw sewage into
the water so that by dilution and dis
persion the sewage was no longer
noticeable has been common practice
in the United States.
The expense attaching to the oper-
alton of chemical precipitation and
sludge removal process has deferred
American cities from undertaking an
installation of this kind. Restoration
to the soil of the fertilizing parts Of
the sewage has been the ideal method
suggested by many writers since Vic
| tor Hugo's lament of the sinful waste
| in the sewers of Paris. The difficult
ty with most cities in carrying out the
plan of utilizing the sewage for irri-
CATION is in the very high cost of the
land required for the purpose-sub-
urban tracts of the right character
and conditions of drainage being rare
ly available and for the further rea-
son that the fertilizing value of sew
age Is usually overrated.
The Septic Tank: 1t was in 1896,
in one of the sewer districts of Exeter,
England that Mr.. Donald Cameron,
now widely known as the pioneer in
vestigator of the publication of sew
age by bacterial process, found that
septic tank would, under proper
conditions, reduce the amount of
siude and solids, liquefying almost
the entire contents of the sewers.
The septic tank is a large tank hold
ing about "a hours flow of sewage
away from light and air, giving time
for that class OF bacteria which works
without air, known as an aerobic
bacteria, to perform the work of con-
verting solids into liquids and gases.
The liquids are simply added to the
] water of the sewage and the gases
which are not absorbed by the water
rise to the surface. In so doing they
carry with them various products OF
this operation which remain as q
thick coating or scum on the surface
/ of the tank in which the raw sewage
has been held for short period, and
this scum serves in turn a usefu
purpose in excluding the light and all
and so further protecting the mil
lions of organisms living, working
and multiplying below. Such solid!
as settle to the bottom will require {
longer period for their destruction
but as this tank is seldom cleaned ou
Zone at Vancouver, B, c., having beel
in use years without cleaning) ther'
will be time enough for the liquefy
ing of these, and in due time they al
so will have disappeared.
Both inlet to and outlet from thi
tank are below the water surface
| the one to prevent the drawing in q
/ air or Oxygen and the other to pre-
| vent the escape of the floating an
: heavy matter, which should be lef
there until changed into liquid an
gaseous forms. The gas escapin
from the tank is about the same 9
: marsh gas and has been collecte
l. for illuminating at some works,
, The Contact Bed: In order TO CON
plete the destruction of the putrt
scent matter in the sewage, natul
must be allowed to complete II
work so well begun. To enable he
to do this, the liquid effluent fro
. the septic tank must be subjected
u the action of the air-uslng, or aerob
T. bacteria. These have the proper
% of changing the liquefied and gaseo'
u organic matters back into their Il
u organic compounds. They compile
dc the destruction of putrescent matt
in the sewage. and the effluent
- clear and sparkling and entirely fr
from any putrescent matter whats
ever. TO carry out this part of t
program it is necessary first to aera
re the effluent from the septic tank a
also to provide a suitable permane
or home for the aerobic bacteria whe
he they can alternately be fed with sc
sv tic tank effluent and be aerated
all exposure to air. They readily alta
ed themselves to any fixed surface a
he L has been found that gravel, col
o's cinders or coal make suitable fill
10 Tor a contact Deu. lHeSe pailS
N must be so large that when the liq'
TX is drawn from the contact bed
Or will readily follow. The materi
"a ~ usually specified have about so
4, cent OF voids.
Nv The beds should be four or I
me feet deep. This basin Is in no sci
a filter. It simply brings the llq'
fled effluent from the septic tank Il
contact with the bacteria which hi
colonized Upon the surfaces OF
- materials which fill the bed or ba'
N enabling them to effect the chal
in a few hours time. In order I
these air-using bacteria may be
supplied with oxygen, 1t is necess
to leave them empty for few no
between successive Filings. tn
Filings and emptyings may be entii
automatic.
The two processes of nature, pu
faction and nitrifaction are obtai
rapidly. scientifically, and econon
ally by the septic tank and CON
4 bed. A more perfect effluent can
secured by passing the effluent II
oo,toot nod iinOn a rand 3