El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-06-05
SEWAGE POURS
INTO OPEN
BASIN
In Raw State, Entire Out
flow Of FL Paso Sewage
System Testers in the Sun.
HEADQUARTERS FOR
MOSQUITOES AND FLIES

plant to work has been accompanied
by the creating Of the Great Sewer
Lake by the Ell Paso city administra-
ton; pictures Of the lake are shown
herewith. The Great Sewer Lake lies
well within the city limits, near the
river between the foundry and Wash
ingtOn park, and southwest of the new
sewage disposal plant; on the map, il
lies at the foot OF Hammett boulevard
in the lower part of Latta addition and
adjoining private property The six
pictures were k by a representa-
Great Lake of Raw Sewage.
These views all show portions Of the
new Great Sewer Lake, which lies
wholly within the city limits, n
only half q mile from some portions
largely inhabited
This lake covers from 20 to 25 acres.
and has been formed during the last
month by deliberately pumping all the
sewage Of the city Of FL Paso, at the
rate Of several million gallons a day,
Into a basin without an outlet, a basin
lying close to Washington park and
close TO human h~abitatiOns-
How Lake Was Formed.
This lake is formed Of raw sewage.
pumped at the temporary pumping
station which has been in use for some
two years. Instead Of extending the
outlet pipe far enOugh TO reach the
river. where for several days enough
water has been going by every 80
seconds to carry away FL PaSO'S sew
age for "A hours, the pipe was stopped
a few hundred feet north Of the river,
and then, to complete this i~nexcusably
bad JOB, q levee was built beyond the
end of the outlet so as ettectuauy TO
cut off the Great Sewer Lake from the
river, and prevent this raw sewage
from being carried away 10 do no
harm.
Saturday last the new levee was cut
in the effort TO drain the Great Sewer
Lake in some degree at least. But OW-
ing 10 the high water in the river, this
Measure now can at best only dilute
the sewage and stir it up somewhat
Tons OF FecaI Matter.
Bearing in mind that the sewage
has been pumped raw into this Lake
for q month or so. and that the Iecai
matter ana other solids carried nave
had no treatment to hasten decompO-
sitiOn. it peal that there must stlIL
De enough fecal matter and other sol
IDS on the bottom OF this lake, on the
surface. and adhering 10 weeds, bushes
and grasses, TO cover a city block d
foot or two feet deep, making full al
lOW-ance for such decomposition as mas
Menace of Disease.
A thousand barrels Of chloride OF
lime wOuld hardy suffice 10 --spef t-c
terrI1.e ul--r C1 such an immense DC
post of sewage-thOusands Of tons OF
it-[n the city limits. This sewage
comes from hospitals, from houses
where disease exists. from hotels anu
institutions, as well as from the thou
sands of human dom1ciles IN the city
IT would be hard TO maSln a worse
menace to the public health than this
Great sewer Lake presents.
The Pictures Described.
The three upper pictures show vari-
Gus portions Of this Great Sewer Lake
maintained by the city administration
of EI PasO within the city limits; the
water shown in the three upper pic
r~-.- 7ean u --r- unu-1 90 mTn0nnd into
this closed basin, and had no connection
Whatever with the river at the time the
photographs were taken. The smoke
stack shown at the right in the right
hand upper view is the new sewage
disposal plant. which IS not IN work
Unchanged Human Excreta.
Of the lower pictures, the two outer
ones, giving nearer views Of the Great
Sewer Lake. near the edge, plainly
show the unmOdified human eXcreta
which floats in great fostering masses
and cIOts on top Of this Sewage Lake
within the city limits these two outer
pictures in the lower row were taken
along the margin Of the Great Sewer
Lake. where for a considerable distance
the Shiny masses of unchanged fecal
matter from the sewers float so thick
on the surface that the water can
hardly be seen.
EIosquitOs and Flies Welcome.
h middle picture in the lower row
shows the outlet through which all the
sewage Of FL Paso is pumped daily into
this Great Sewer Lake. and the middle
lower picture also shows the levee
which, built since the sewer outlet
was laid, has effectually cut it off
from the river and has prevented the
sewage from being carried away.
This fostering mass Of raw sewage,
containing tons of unmOdified human
excreta. much OF it laden with every
variety of disease, floating on the sur
face Of the stagnant water, furnishes
an ideal breeding place for flies (ty-
phoid and tuberculosis carriers, and
for mosquitoes. No oil has been used.
The stencil is almost unbearable at any
point within half a mile OF this Great
Sewer Lake.