St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1915-09-04
What a Sewer System is and
What It Means to Humanity

modern sanitary conveniences: and
persons looking for new location;
for business ventures or reMdencs
purposes discriminate in like name,
in favor Of towns having good sev.
erage.
8. So great has become the do
mand for sanitary conveniences, the
they are now being installed IL:
farmhouses as we'll % In the city
It is now possible for any farmer
ct an expense Of only . few hundred
dollars, to have hot and cold water
piped under pressure in his house.
bathroom and other plumbing AZ
lures. and his own sewage disposal
plant. This has already been 90
complshed in many cases. Such i'm
lprovements, II made in accordauces
with correct principles, greatly bet
ter the sanitary conditions Of the
nome. and they also prevent muchs
disease by doing away with the ex-
posture to in 1ement weather, which
10 30 dangerous and accompaniment;
lot the old fashioned, barbarous. ont
door privy.
10 The great importance of sew
erage may be realized by giving some
consideration to the enormous sums
OF money which have already been
spent for sewer systems in this com
try alone. Villages Of 5000 popula-
ton In rural communities oftea
spend $4,000 or more upon q ~
tenn. The city Of Chicago has In -
cent years spent $50.O00,O00 IN s3s
curing merely Satisfactory outlet
Tor Its sewers. without counting 81
dollar Of the vast sums expended On
the sewers themselves. In the Unit
led States hundreds upon hundrode
OF millions Of dollars have been Il
vested in sewers.
IL. Systems Of Sewerage. a.
,privy vault IL receptacle. usually
. mere excavation in the eroan6.
for the reception Of focal matter ga
urine. To prevent dangerous poIlu-
ton OF the surrounding soil ana
ground water. privy vaults should
Dc lined with water-tight masonry;
but this is seldom attempted, ana
even II attempted, Is still more sei-
dom accomplished, for It il dimeult-
IN such work to secure absolute free
dom from leakage. The privy vault.
frequently, Is simply abandoned ana
covered over with earth when full.
It being cheaper to change the locs-
ton than to clean out the old pit.
~. The privy vault. with IL In
|evitable befouling, in the immediate
vicinity Of the home. OF earth, al
and water. the three great requisites
of health, and with its DANCER from {
pneumonia and other disease which
may be contracted from exposure,
should be adopted only in case OF a.
solute impossibility to secure some
thing better, and even then only .
temporary resort. It Is not -.
Objectionable in the country a. in the
city, II located far away from TIE
well; but here the trouble IL thaS
1t Is usually placed too close to the
we'll which furnishes the drinking
water. In the country the leakineD
from hogpens. cattle yards. and NJ,
nure piles frequently add to the cou.
tamination Of the drinking water
1t Is impossible to set any safe die.
lance 1T which we'll may be placed
from privy, owing to the vafiah1es
nature OF the soil. The contaminars
ton may be carried very far in g1avsss
Ell strata or rock crevices. lmpors
vious clay confines liberation withiD
narrower limits.
-. A cesspool is q receptacle To-
receiving and storing liquid sewage
It consists usually Of an excavation
dug In the ground. lined with masol
~. and covered. into which the seu.
or from the house discharges. w.
prevent contamination Of the onrSa
soil and ground-watef, ~ 81
cesspool should be made absolutele
water-tight, and its contents should
DO removed whenever It becomes f1ll ~
II. A leaking cesspool il one -
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