SEWERAGE OF THE CAPE PENINSULA. 



73 



prepared a scheme dealing with the sewerage of the Cape 

 Peninsula, stated in his accompanying report: — 



" I have condemned as strongly as possible the collecting system as it 

 obtains in the Cape Peninsula ; it is, in my opinion, the most insanitary 

 and most offensive system that could well be devised, and even if performed 

 with moderate regularity its annual cost far exceeds that of a complete 

 system of sewerage and sewage disposal." 



He further adds : — 



" It is hoped that the example shown by Cape Town will be followed by 

 the Suburbs and that the sanitary condition as a whole will be improved." 



At this juncture it may be interesting to state that the scheme 

 prepared by Mr. Dunscombe included the following Munici- 

 palities, viz. : — 



Municipality. 



Wynberg. . 



Claremont 



Rondebosch 



Mowbray . . 



Woodstock 



Green and Sea Point 



Population in 1891. 1 Prospective Population. 



12,000 



13,000 



6,000 



6,000 



10,000 



6,000 



Totals ; 



3.000 



The estimated cost of Mr. Dunscombe's complete scneme 

 of sewerage, as shown upon his plan, was as follows, viz. : — 



Totals 



53,000 



£183,700 



This works out at £3 12s. 8d. per head of the prospective 

 population provided for in the scheme. As before stated, 

 only two of the above Municipalities, viz. : Wynberg and 

 Green and Sea Point, have carried out schemes of main sewer- 

 age since 1891. It is not my intention to criticise the scheme 

 prepared by Mr. Dunscombe, except to say that I consider the 

 proposal to dispose of the sewage by means of broad irriga- 

 tion upon the several areas shov.-n upon his plan would have 

 b)een highly unsatisfactory and unworkable, owing to the im- 

 permeable nature of the subsoil, especially that of the large 

 area upon the Maitland Commonage, which consists of dense, 

 ferruginous conglomerate several feet thick, with only a thin 

 covering of sand. 



